Forest Preserves of Cook County 2024 Winter Brochure

37 DID YOU KNOW? Brumation, like hibernation in mammals, is a period of reduced activity for herptiles during winter or extended periods of low temperatures. 1 HERPTILE: Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Hiding and freeze prevention DETAILS: Spring Peepers rely on existing spaces in logs for shelter. The frogs have evolved to help prevent parts of their bodies from freezing including their liver releasing more glucose. 2 HERPTILE: Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Brumation underwater DETAILS: Snapping Turtles go into brumation. They brumate in lakes and ponds because water underneath ice is above freezing, often warmer than on land. 3 FISH: Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Fatten up and slow down DETAILS : They fatten up throughout fall after recognizing reduction in daylight. By late fall/early winter, they eat less food, go into a torpor state and “sit” or slowly swim in the deeper areas. 4 HERPTILE: Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Brumation underground DETAILS: These herpitiles rely on heat from the environment by going underground, using holes that already exist. 5 MAMMAL: Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Hibernatiion DETAILS: Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrels eat large quantities of food during spring/summer to build up stores of brown fat, and they go underground in burrows below the frost line to hibernate. 6 MAMMAL: North American Beaver ( Castor canadensis ) SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Store food and spend time in their lodges. DETAILS: Beavers stash twigs, branches and pieces of sapling trees in the mud underwater. They spend more time inside their lodge to stay warm, rest and mate. RELATED OPPORTUNITY: Winter Mammals Join us examine exhibit items and learn about native mammals. Monday, Jan 6 • 11 am–Noon Little Red Schoolhouse