How do hibernating animals survive in winter?

Thivanks from Fiji wrote:
How do hybernating animals survive in winter?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Thivanka.

That's a great question, because it's kind of hard to imagine how hibernating animals survive the winter.

When animals hibernate, they sleep through the winter to avoid the cold weather and save energy. During the fall, animals that hibernate eat A LOT and gain lots of weight as fat. As winter approaches, the animals find a suitable place to hibernate. During hibernation they live off their body fat as they sleep for several day or weeks. The animals' breathing and heart beats slow down and usually their body temperatures drop to match the temperatures outside. Examples of hibernating animals are bears, frogs, bats, & raccoons.

To be more specific, the black bear is a good example of an animal that hibernates in winter. Black bears eat more than usual in the fall and can gain as much as 30 pounds per week. They also gather leaves, grass, and twigs to make warm beds. They use these beds to sleep on in dens, burrows, caves, hollowed-out trees, or rock crevices. While hibernating, their body temperatures can drop from a typical 99-101 degrees Fahrenheit to 88-95 degrees. A black bear's heartbeat also goes down from 60 to 90 times per minute to as few as 8 to 40 beats per minute. The black bear can go as long as 100 days without eating, drinking, urinating, or exercising while in the hibernation state.

Non-hibernating animals migrate or adapt to survive harsh, cold weather in winter.

I hope that information is helpful!

Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher

What Eats Red Pandas?

Aleixia from United States wrote:
What animal eats red pandas? Is there any at all?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Aleixia,

We know very little about red pandas in the wild and the other animals they interact with. There are a few animals that might try and catch a red panda for food - types of wild cats and possibly eagles. Baby red pandas could also be caught by snakes and hawks, but we know this for certain. Since red pandas spend most of their lives in the tree tops, any animals that would attack them would need to fly or be very skilled at hunting in the trees.

The red pandas' biggest enemy is humans. People kill the red panda for its beautiful fur. Many people in the areas where red pandas live believe having red panda fur will bring you good fortune. This is not true.

Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher

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What Kinds of Pandas Are There?

Hayley from New Zealand wrote:
What kind of pandas lives in the wild and also in the zoos as well as china's bushes and native environment?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Hayley,

Two kinds of pandas live in the wild forests of China and in zoos, they are the Giant Panda and the Red Panda. You can find out more about each in our Glossopedia by clicking on the links below.

Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher

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How big are baby pandas when they are first born?

Taliyah from the Arctic Ocean wrote:
How big are baby pandas when they are first born?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Taliyah,

Baby pandas are very small when they are first born - like kittens - about as big as your fist. The mother panda carries the baby in her mouth and cradles it in her paw.

You can get a better idea of their size if you look at the pictures in our Glossopedia article about giant pandas. You can get to the article by clicking on the picture below.

Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher

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Does a platypus lay eggs for sure?

Tara from South Africa wrote:
Does a platypus lay eggs for sure?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Tara

YES! Definitely, a platypus lays eggs. In fact, the platypus is one of only two kinds of mammals in the world that lays eggs, the other, also lives in Australia and in New Guinea, is called an Echidna. Both the platypus and echidnas are egg-laying mammals scientists call Monotremes.



Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher

How fast can a cheetah eat an antelope? And more

Aracely from the United States wrote:
How fast can a cheetah eat an antelope? Do you know how fast a cheetah can run? Can you tell me if human can run as fast as dog? How big is rhinoceros and a hippo?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Aracely,

Wow, you have a lot of questions! Let's start with cheetahs.

1) After catching an antelope the cheetah is out of breath and needs to rest maybe 15 to 30 minutes before eating. If nothing bothers her or him, the cheetah will eat for about 30-60 minutes. But they rarely eat the whole antelope themselves. Other animals like lions, hyenas, jackals and vultures clean up what the cheetah can't finish.
2) Cheetahs are the fastest land mammals. Cheetahs can run up to 113 kph.
3) No, humans can not run as fast as most dogs.
4) Rhinos average 2-3m long and weigh up to 3,600kg. (you can find more on
Glossopedia. Click on the picture below to explore Rhinos.)
)Hippos weigh about 1,200 to 1,800 kilograms.

Thanks for the great questions,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher

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What country do koalas live in?

LaDerica from Australia wrote:
What country do koalas live in? And what state?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi LaDerica,

Koalas live only in the country of Australia. Inside Australia they are limited to living in the temperate Eucalyptus forests of the eastern states of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. They also live in a small area around the Australian national capitol of Canberra. All other places where you can find koalas, they have been introduced by humans - like Kangaroo Island in South Australia.

Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher

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What Kind of Animals Live In Temperate Forests?

Perla from Puerto Rico wrote:
what are the kind of animal that live in the temperate forest because my class is doing a project with it can you please help me?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Perla,

That's a good question, but it has many answers. The answer depends on which temperate forest you want to know about - there are temperate forests on every continent. In North America you might find black bears, deer, squirrels and cougars, but if you travel to China you find giant pandas, red pandas, Asiatic black bears, and golden monkeys. So it really depends on which temperate forest you are curious about. Write us back and maybe we can help more.


Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher

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How Long Has the Oldest Panda Lived?

Madison from the United States wrote:
How long has the longest panda lived?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Madison,

The oldest living panda in captivity, named Changchang, was 35 years old when it died at a zoo in Eastern China on May 23, 2002. Changchang had lived 5 years longer than most pandas in captivity, and would have been between 75-85 in human years.

Thanks for your question!
GLOBIO's Traveling Teacher

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