How do deer survive in winter cold?

Answer 1

In winter, deer move to suitable cover. They move around less and decrease their metabolism and body temperature. This biological “fine-tuning” enables deer to conserve energy and survive our northern winters. Landowners in areas with deer winter range can have a direct influence on deer survival. The effects can be positive or negative. There are pros and cons about providing food for deer during the winter.

In late summer and fall deer build up fat that will become winter fuel. Acorns and beech nuts -- often referred to as “mast” -- are valuable sources of this fat. Fat reserves can supply almost one third of a deer’s winter energy needs. Deer also produce hormones that regulate body activity. You might think deer would “crank up the heat” to stay warm, but the opposite is true. During winter the deer you see may appear normal, but internally they are operating in slow motion. Body temperature is lowered, particularly in the legs and ears. As the quality and quantity of the food declines, body functions such as digestion are also slowed.

Deer also develop highly insulated winter coats. Dense inner fur and long, hollow outer hairs create a coat 10 times thicker than the summer coat. Newly-attired, they head for traditional winter ranges known as “deer yards.”

Ideal wintering areas provide the shelter of conifers close to food supplies. Deer are able to conserve energy by “yarding up”. Conifers such as hemlock, cedar, pine and spruce catch snow on their branches and thus reduce the depth of snow beneath. Deer pack accumulated snow into a network of trails and runways. Trails allow deer to move easily between food and cover, saving valuable energy reserves. Conifers also reduce winds and moderate the temperature. On cold nights temperatures beneath heavy conifer cover can be ten degrees warmer than in open areas. Deer spend many hours lying under the protective boughs of these evergreens.

In winter, deer subsist on buds and twigs of deciduous trees and shrubs such as yellow birch, hazel, dogwood, mountain, striped, red and sugar maple. Cedar and hemlock foliage also provide food.

As winter progresses, the survival of deer depends on three primary factors: the amount of stored fat, the availability of natural foods, and the severity of the winter. Added stress or
mortality can be caused by predators such as wolves or free-running dogs.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Deer In Winter

Answer 4

Deer are sturdy animals, with a thick fat layer and hair that can stand up to all weather. Deer also change coat color in the winter, going from orangey brown in summer to a grayish brown in the winter, to hide with the trees and dormant plants. Deer will eat snow for water in the winter, and can survive eating bark and some wintergreen bushes. Because winter is also mating time, many deer do not eat as much during this time, since they are so busy finding mates.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

They accumulate fat during the summer and fall to provide the nutrients they need for the poor foraging conditions that exist during winter. Also, during the winter, they are out foraging for food at every opportunity - especially before storms or heavy snow. During severe weather, they 'hunker down' and wait for the poor weather conditions to pass. Deer are browsing animals and in additional to eating grass they also eat leaves and small twigs from low bushes or trees.
As with so many things involving nature, only the strong survive the winter.

Answer 7

The animals that you see in the winter all grow thicker fur, in the spring if you look closely you will notice that the fur seems blotchy ( not uniform) on their bodies, this is because they shed their winter coat in the spring, If you have a dog they do pretty much the same thing in the winter they have a thicker fur than in the summer. In the spring you mom probably complains about so much hair because the dog is shedding its winter coat. Animals do not move around as much in the winter other than looking for food. By not moving around they conserve energy and do not require as much food as other times of the year when food is plentiful and they can run. During harsh winters it becomes difficult for animals to survive as the food sources are harder and harder to find. DO not worry this is nature at its finest, an amazing thing that they are made to survive great trials and most come through fine.

Answer 8

Hi

Answer 9

evolution.

Cold weather is a natural population control condition. When foraging is scarce, the bigger and stronger deer eat the food, usually from the ground up, which means at some point, food will be too high for the smaller ones to reach, resulting in starvation.

Predation is important in the cycle, because predators thin the weak animals from the population. Hunting is also an important control, because we take the larger stronger animals, leaving more food for the young ones to grow into strong healthy animals.

Answer 10

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They hibernate, meaning that their systems slow down, requiring less food and water. Also their fur keeps them warm.The metabolic system becomes less active, and thew body temperature decreases