Wildlife Winter Games

Whether you’re shoveling your way out of lake effect snow or get goosebumps and uncontrollable shivers whenever the thermometer dips below 50, winter can be a tough time of year. That’s especially true for wildlife, which can’t just keep nudging up the thermostat whenever they feel a bit of a chill.

So what tactics do animals employ to make it through this tough time of year when food resources are thin on the ground, freshwater freezes solid and just a thin layer of leaf litter is all that’s separating them from exposure to the latest bomb cyclone?

In this episode, several Aquarium experts point out the differences between hibernation, torpor and brumation, explain where bees go in the winter and how bears can manage to go months between bathroom breaks.

Episode Cast

Casey Phillips, host/senior communications specialist/anti-winter rabblerouser
Kevin Calhoon, curator of forests
Rose Segbers, senior entomologist
Lindsey Lewis, ambassador animal care specialist II

The Podcast Aquatic is made possible by support from The Tennessee Conservationist, the official magazine of Tennessee State Parks.

Printed sustainably on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with UV ink, each issue is filled with fascinating stories about Tennessee’s native species, rich history, and unique culture. It’s also your guide to exploring state parks and planning your next outdoor adventure.

Become a Tennessee Conservationist and subscribe at tnconservationist.org.

Join other conservation enthusiasts and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(80)

Telling BIG Fish Stories

Generally speaking, the exhibits at the Tennessee Aquarium are designed to replicate a single, distinct ecosystem, from the species residing there to the vegetation that helps set the stage. There are...

23 Sep 51min

A Six-Story Celebration

In 1996, the Tennessee Aquarium opened the first major expansion to its campus on Chattanooga's downtown riverfront. This new building showcased every kind of sea life imaginable, not to mention every...

9 Sep 1h 5min

How the Heckin' HECK Do You Find Endangered Fish?

By their very nature, endangered animals are a difficult target for scientists to research. They tend to be few in number — naturally — and the populations that exist have sometimes survived purely th...

28 Aug 1h 10min

Season 2 Finale: A Jolly Good Fellowship

Being selected for an internship or fellowship is a career milestone for many students and recent graduates, but it can also be a bit of a double-edged sword. Ideally, these programs are a chance to b...

30 Juli 56min

Grand Moth Talkin'

Despite outnumbering them (in species diversity) by a factor of almost ten to one, moths are the quintessential under-appreciated insect. To most people, they're an almost-spooky nocturnal curiosity a...

22 Juli 43min

A Quick Drop-in with Oscar the Sea Turtle

In the Aquarium gift shop years ago, there was once a sea turtle stuffed animal for sale that looked a little ... different. He didn't have all of his flippers, and his shell was missing a notch. This...

15 Juli 34min

A First-class Freshwater Filmmaker (feat. Jeremy Monroe)

When most people think about wildlife and nature documentaries, there are places that naturally spring to mind: the Great Barrier Reef, the Amazon Rainforest, the African Serengeti. What most people d...

1 Juli 1h 4min

Surprise, It's a Baby Lemur!

There’s no point in arguing that the arrival of a baby animal at an aquarium or zoo isn’t cause for celebration. Many, MANY new generations of animals have been born at the Tennessee Aquarium in our 3...

17 Juni 56min