I’m ashamed to say it was only last year when I learned that hibernation doesn’t mean animals sleep all winter (cartoons lied to us). While sleep is involved, of course, hibernation is animals conserving energy through minimal activity, slowed metabolism, and lowered heart rates. Here are some of the animals you may encounter during Utah’s colder months.
Elk
Elk are always causing a scene on Utah highways as they make their way into the valley in search of food. Wildlife fencing could be a solution to keep them off the roads, but that could take years and $$$.
Ermine
Short-tailed weasels, known in the winter as ermine, are typically brown with white bellies. But in the colder months, they turn almost completely white.
Porcupines
Porcupines can be spotted in the trees during the winter season when they feast on nutritious (and delicious) conifer trees. During the summer, they forage primarily on the ground.
Pikas
Pikas look like a mouse, a rabbit, and a squirrel had a baby. They stay active during the winter instead of hibernating. That’s because they stockpile food, kept hidden in rocky areas.
⚡ Bonus read: For all the kids who grew up on Pokémon, check out this comparison of pikas vs. Pikachu.
