[♪ INTRO]
Hi everyone! Squeaks and I were out for a walk near the pond by the Fort,
and we noticed that it was completely covered with ice.
And that wasn’t the only change we noticed, either… right Squeaks?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Yes! Many of the trees around the pond didn’t have leaves anymore…
and some of the animals that we often see on the pond’s banks…
like turtles… well, we didn’t see any of them today!
[Squeaks squeaks]
Oh good question! Animal life around a pond looks a lot different in the winter
than it does in the summer.
In the summer, the Sun is up and shining for a long time every day.
All of that warm heat keeps the pond water from freezing into ice.
So sometimes we see fish jumping out of the water to grab insects to eat.
And we often spot turtles sunning themselves on the pond bank.
Though they might slide into the pond if we — or anything else — get too close.
But when fall comes, the days feel shorter.
There’s not as many hours of sunlight every day.
And lots of times… the top of the pond freezes over completely!
Frozen water and cold temperatures cause the animals that live around and in the pond
to act differently than they do in the summer.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Well, for one thing…
If we could see through the ice, all the way down to the bottom of the pond,
we’d find the fish, all huddled together, because that’s where
the warmest water is right now.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Ha, don’t get me wrong… even the warmest water in the pond would still be
much too cold for me!
[Squeaks squeaks]
Well, some animals, like people, have to keep their bodies
at about the same temperature all the time.
But fish don’t. A fish’s body temperature changes.
If the water is warmer, the fish’s body gets warmer.
And if the water gets colder, the fish’s body gets colder too.
Even in an almost-freezing pond!
But the fish have a special way to keep warm in the cold water,
or at least warm enough so that the cold water doesn’t bother them.
They breathe more slowly, and they don’t swim around very much, if at all.
That helps them to save their bodies’ energy,
the energy they get from eating food.
That way, they can use their energy to stay warm instead,
even if the pond gets very, very cold!
[Squeaks squeaks]
Oh, good question, Squeaks!
Squeaks was wondering about our turtle friends.
Well, a turtle’s body is like a fish’s body in some ways.
Its body temperature also doesn’t stay the same all the time.
So turtles hang out at the bottom of ponds in the winter too.
Some turtles also dig down into the bottom of the pond and bury themselves
until things get warmer.
The mud and sand acts like a blanket.
It may not seem like much to us, but it’s enough to keep them warm
until the ice melts, and the Sun warms the water up again!
Now, some animals, like birds, do have to keep their body temperatures
about the same all the time.
So they often find a cozy nook in a tree somewhere and rest a lot during the winter.
And when they do come out, they fluff their feathers out.
By doing this, they trap warm air next to their bodies.
Their feathers kind of act like a puffy coat to keep them warm!
[Squeaks squeaks]
Oh, good idea!
Squeaks wants to learn more about how animals survive in the winter!
We’ll go check out the Fort’s library to see what books we have
that might be able to help us!
Thanks for joining us here on SciShow Kids.
If you want to keep learning and having fun with me, Squeaks, Mister Brown,
and all of our other friends, be sure to hit the subscribe button,
and we'll see you next time here at the Fort!
[Squeaks squeaks]
[♪ OUTRO]