10/19/2026
From our friends at TLC Wildlife Management:
Fun Winter Facts About Ohio’s Native Wildlife
As we approach winter in Ohio, it may seem quiet, but our native wildlife has some fascinating strategies for surviving the cold! Here’s what some of your favorite (and sometimes least favorite!) critters are up to when the snow starts to fall:
🌰 Squirrels:
Ever notice squirrels burying acorns like they’re stocking up for the apocalypse? That’s exactly what they’re doing! Squirrels don’t hibernate; they stay active all winter long, relying on their food caches to get them through the season. They can even find their buried snacks months later using smell and memory, even under snow!
🦨 Skunks:
Skunks don’t fully hibernate either. They enter a state called *torpor*, sleeping for days or weeks during extreme cold, then waking up to forage when temperatures rise. Sometimes several skunks will den together to stay warm even though they’re usually solitary!
🐻 Woodchucks (Groundhogs):
Now here’s a true hibernator! Woodchucks curl up in deep burrows and slow their heart rate from around 80 beats per minute to just 5. Their body temperature drops drastically to the perfect power nap until spring. This is why it is so important to make sure your porches and spaces are safe from woodchucks making a home.
🦇 Bats:
Ohio’s bats hibernate in caves, mines, and attics, entering a state of suspended animation. They lower their body temperature and heart rate to conserve energy, living off fat reserves. Disturbing a hibernating bat can actually be deadly for them, as they use up precious energy waking up. This is why we have restrictions on bat mitigation in homes.
So while the landscape looks calm, Ohio’s wildlife is far from asleep; each species has its own way of weathering the cold. 💜❄
