Christmas Winter Wonderland - How animals survive the winter

as the year draws to an end a special  time begins a time filled with wonders a winter world sets its own rules  with nature at its most demanding snow and ice transform the land storms and wind bring with  them cold harsh conditions but the gleaming white splendor  also offers carefree fun it's a time of contrasts implacable and harsh yet transient and enchanting human beings and animals experience it  very differently each in their own way a closer look shows just how it's early december the first  snowflakes herald the approach of winter the snow gradually covers up the  greenery cloaking field and forest there's not much food for the animals  and the icy cold is hard to cope with they have to adjust to the  conditions in very different ways   many months of deprivation lie ahead   and not all of them will survive   in today's world humans can look forward to  the first snows with pleasurable anticipation   the fight for survival doesn't really involve them it needs to be cold for snow to form it all starts high up in the moist atmosphere  of towering clouds in icy conditions there tiny droplets of water and moats of dust  transform themselves into glistening crystals these combine to form soft flakes becoming  heavier as they make their way towards the ground diamond dust is called when the sunlight  catches the flakes and makes them sparkle once on the ground they form a sea  of the finest crystalline shapes matchless jewels   six-pointed works of art each one  unique and different from all the others   gradually the snowflakes join together to  form a thick layer that covers everything   mice make themselves comfortable  under this dense blanket of snow it protects them from icy temperatures  and hides them from predatory eyes a fox is on the prowl roe deer know they have no need to fear the fox  he prefers smaller prey like mice for instance the trick is to find them this is where the fox's finely  tuned sense of hearing comes in   he can locate even the  faintest noise beneath the snow the mouse has no idea that every russell is  being closely monitored from the snow's surface   or does it at the slightest sound from overhead  the mouse disappears underground   out of reach of the still hungry fox the world in winter seems a silent abandoned place it's hard to imagine that there  could be anything edible here   yet nature does provide sustenance for  animals even in the depths of winter   sometimes only at second glance vegetarians like the bullfinch hardly need  to adjust their needs at all in winter   they still find seeds grains  and berries on some plants only now they're deep frozen the great tit prefers the larvae and insect  eggs it finds hidden under the bark of trees the reeds growing along lake and  riverbanks offer both protection   and food bearded tits are specialists in  harvesting its tiny seeds at high speed the nut hatch hides its treasures in secret places the lucky ones might still find the odd  nut but only the woodpecker is big and   strong enough to break the shell it has  hollowed out a workbench in a branch a   kind of pinecone vice here it can crack open  anything from pine cones to the hardest nuts there are bound to be bits  falling off this banqueting table much to the delight of others the bird box is a magnet for birds of all  kinds to stock up on sorely needed calories but it doesn't make a very good hiding place most birds eat their fill while they  can to help them survive the cold nights they gorge themselves till nightfall then return to their roosts as the days get shorter colorful lights  illuminate the long dark evenings for humans christmas markets sweeten the  waiting period before the upcoming celebrations it's a time of anticipation a time for  burnishing and upholding old traditions for animals on the other hand it's  getting more and more difficult to   get through the long frosty winter nights darkness holds no fears for the eagle owl   its photosensitive eyes allow it  to see extremely well in the dark deer are able to lower their body  temperature which slows down their metabolism   this resting mechanism saves energy   a special camera reveals how the animals  only lose body heat in a few places   mainly from their heads the rest  is protected by their dense fur the owl's plumage also provides perfect insulation  certainly better than the mouse's coat apart from   eyes and beak no body heat escapes at all the rest  of the surface is the same temperature as the air   mice are only safe from owls  when they're in their burrows after a long night everyone's  hungry they all set out to find food most of them must make do with the few short  hours of daylight to tank up their energy reserves mice use every available opportunity  to stock up their pantries pine and spruce cones are a favorite  their scales conceal nourishing seeds squirrels literally take the cones  apart it's a painstaking business   all that effort for such small seeds when food is in short supply every edible  morsel becomes the subject of dispute um   um in the forest the fur tree's branches seem to  groan under the weight of the glistening snow but for one animal snow is  apparently no hindrance at all wild boars have very powerful snouts   as long as the ground beneath the snow isn't  frozen they have no problems getting at their food their omnivores constantly on the  lookout for prime spots to dig for food the forest floor provides them with plenty of  roots bulbs worms and occasionally even a mouse   their menu is varied from time to time  by the addition of a bit of greenery but foraging is tiring work really tiring regardless of how large a  wild boar herd or sounder is   they vanish as if by magic the  minute humans appear in the forest um winter is hunting season for wild  boars their biggest danger is humans   but they have nothing to fear  from these forest visitors a sleigh ride through the snowy forest  is like a trip into a childhood fantasy dim memories are stirred of a fairy  tale world where anything seems possible where dwarves and trolls hide  under snow-covered fir trees and snow queens travel around the  countryside in flying carriages everything seems enchanted it's hard to imagine that this winter magic is  all just due to water ice snow and diamond dust even the otherwise rather rough and ready wild  boars seem to fall under the romantic spell a sounder consists only of sows with their young   the males called tuskas live alone and are only  allowed to join a sounder during the mating season the social cohesion of the group is very strong  and the females enjoy tender physical contact and there are always some who  are especially fond of each other glorious sun and deep blue skies kaiser  vetter in german fit for an emperor it draws the winter sports enthusiasts  in droves to the ski trails and slopes today's outdoor sports clothing allows people  to stay out in the cold for hours at a time animals however have sophisticated  built-in cold proof protection like the otter the cold doesn't worry him his  thick coat insulates incredibly well   not a drop of water can penetrate down to his skin the coat has a dense outer covering made up of  hairs that are closely interlinked like a zipper he can stay underwater for up to eight minutes   plenty of time for him to hunt at  leisure for fish crabs or mussels as long as he can find streams and  rivers that are clear and full of fish   and don't freeze over the otter can survive  quite happily even in the chill of winter hard winters with snow and ice are especially  difficult for creatures that need running water like the white-throated dipper a  few ice-free spots are essential if   it is to spend the winter in its breeding grounds it's the only european  songbird that can swim and dive in the icy water it forages  for protein-rich insect larvae similarly to the otter it can close its  nostrils and ears and its sharp eyesight   allows it to see underwater and above as  clearly as though it were wearing goggles the combination of frost and water  creates the most astonishing works of art even a waterfall can freeze over  if it's cold for long enough layer by layer ice is deposited on the  icicles until the water simply stops flowing the world seems to stand still  frozen in an icy moment in time when the cold gets extreme animals sometimes  seek proximity to human settlements the fox stays on the move he's driven by hunger   his winter coat might be thick and warm but only  if he can find enough to eat will he survive he needs 20 mice a day for his hunger to be sated but where are they hunting takes strength and  every failed attempt makes him   even hungrier brayer fox doesn't  have an easy time of it in winter he shares his habitat with roe deer and they   have devised their own strategy  for getting through the winter the thicker the blanket of snow the  more difficult the search for food to survive on their sparse diet  they keep all movement to a minimum towards the end of winter this energy saving  can mean the difference between life and death the fox isn't giving up will he succeed this time with a little luck his prey can  even turn out to be quite satisfying there are many ways to survive winter some animals simply escape by  sleeping through almost all of it a mother bear with her two  cubs prepare for hibernation the young bears aren't really interested in  quiet yet it's much more fun romping in the snow they were born last winter and will  have another year at their mother's side she is well aware that she must make the final  preparations for the cold time ahead immediately the omnipresent crows don't seem  particularly worried by snow and cold as omnivores they'll eat whatever they can  find grains seeds berries or even rubbish the bears have spent the summer and autumn  guzzling to pile on as much fat as possible   now they're well padded and ready for winter high time to get their sleeping quarters ready while the youngsters frolic their mother  hunts about for insulating material twigs are just as good as leaves as  long as they make comfortable bedding like most adolescent offspring  hers are not very helpful either finally the work is over and the  bears can lay themselves down to rest for the next few months they'll spend  most of their time in the cave sleeping forest and rocky terrain are also home  to an increasingly rare creature the lynx apart from small mammals rhodia are its main prey deep snow makes it difficult for the  animals to move about and find food and yet a fast escape is the only  way to save themselves from enemies once a lynx has killed a roe  deer he feasts off it for days   to ensure that other animals can't steal  his prey he drags it to a safe hiding place buried under the snow the carcass stays  as chilled as though it were in a fridge crows don't care much for fresh meat carrion  is an integral part of their winter diet   as it is for magpies but however effective the animals  adaptations and survival strategies might be   not all creatures will make it through the winter for people living comfortably in  their houses it's a different world   but the animal kingdom is not entirely vulnerable whether omnivore like the crow vegetarian like  the rhodia or carnivore like the fox those who   are well prepared for the daily struggle against  hunger and frost will also survive the cold season the squirrel took precautions in autumn and  can enjoy his stores throughout the winter   he's hidden hundreds of nuts and crevices  in the trees or buried in the ground of course now the problem is finding them again it's good to be here somewhere nope that's just a clump of  frozen earth ah but finally days of snowfall have turned a simple  orchard into a tobogganing paradise everyone's after the same thrill getting down  the hill as fast as possible however they can the snow affords hours of sheer fun even  otherwise grown up people turn into kids again on bright and sunny winter days like this  every moment is enjoyed until twilight   when the lure of the warm indoors beckons again outside bone chilling cold settles over everything   but despite this many waterfowl  stay in the north during winter most   coots choose not to fly south to warmer climes as long as there are still lakes that are  not frozen over they can find enough algae   water plants and small creatures underwater it may be cold but plumage still needs grooming  and an icy shower is part of the ritual the heron is only interested in fishing it  couldn't care less about the excitable coots once up in the air coots are good at flying long  distances but taking off can be quite a challenge however they're excellent divers with a  perfected header technique and strong strokes coming back up happens automatically they're  very light and just pop up to the surface their dense oiled plumage protects  them from the icy water like a wetsuit they're actually quite peaceable birds but when  it comes to territory and food they draw the line it all gets too much for the heron but the coots soon make up again  and carry on diving for food the damp mist rising from the surface of the water   settles on plants and vegetation  in the form of little ice crystals this horfrost forms whenever icy temperatures  wind and high humidity occur together   the water vapor freezes in the air and causes   delicate filigree structures to  form on the surface of umbles   twigs and fruit the frosty covering thickens  in the direction of the prevailing wind sometimes the snow can be an enemy cold  impenetrable burying everything beneath it deer are actually very well protected against  the cold and snow in winter their coat is   shaggy with a thick layer of woolly hairs  underneath the long stiff outer bristles this insulation is so efficient that even the snow  falling on their backs stays there without melting so they can ruminate in peace   no matter how cold it gets the white-throated  dipper heads for the water in any weather but it   never gets wet it oils its plumage carefully  and emerges from the water absolutely dry a great advantage when foraging  for food in an icy stream the linx's coat is like camouflage  making him almost invisible in the forest and of course it's cold proof like  that of any animal active in winter during the day he rests only when  darkness falls will he set off on the hunt with his long legs and broad  hairy pores it's almost like   walking on snowshoes so he  can even prowl in deep snow the snow seems to have absorbed all  the other colors in the landscape   leaving a world of white and grey this is winter too a time in which  sunlight is rare and precious on its orbital journey through space  planet earth's northern hemisphere   tilts away from the sun the  periods of light grow shorter clear bright days are rare when the sun returns so do blue skies and a glistening world but the longed for sun has its downside too when the surface of the snow begins  to melt it can have unexpected consequences melting ice crystals can  have a treacherous effect on frozen earth the white snow blanket turns into  a shimmering hard sheet of ice the animals have to adjust to this  new development especially the fox   the snow is now so hard that his  soft paws don't even leave tracks not the most ideal conditions for hunting  mice he can hardly penetrate the ice   this hunt ends with a rather bruised nose like most birds coots have cold feet  this is due to a so-called wonder net   a special circulatory system that keeps  the body warm and the feet cold this   prevents the ice from melting underfoot  and trapping them when it freezes again added insulation is provided by their  plumage which they wrap around their feet it makes standing up a bit difficult though their webbed feet are not ideal  for walking on frozen water however and that's what they have to do every now and then   another precaution against  getting stuck to the ice taking off from a frozen runway  can be pretty difficult too deer only ramp up their much reduced metabolic  rate when they need to forage for food good quality food is hard to find they mostly have to be satisfied  with bark lichen and moss it's meager fair but it sees the  healthier animals through the long winter gradually the longest night of the year  approaches and with the winter solstice   the most important christian festival draws nigh christmas for many the festival of love is synonymous  with celebrating the end of another year   it's a time of tradition  reflection and tales of old it all began in a stall in bethlehem   that's the story told by these carved  wooden figures of the nativity scene   on christmas eve when the christmas  tree is ceremoniously lit up   candlelight banishes the gloom and  bathes the world in peaceful light while people celebrate in their  homes life outdoors goes on as usual   the days will be getting longer now but the  coldest time of the year still lies ahead frost and hunger will continue to dictate the  lives of the animals winter has only just begun the season of contrasts cruel yet beautiful winter has so many faces all  of them worth a closer look you

Channel: Free High-Quality Documentaries

Views: 1,532,001

Keywords: Free High-Quality Documentaries, HD, Full HD, Quality, winter, snow, temperature, ice, survival, bear, grizzly, squirrel, boar, lynx, adaptation, starving, hybernation, food, collect

Id: ufwVGgV0E2U

Length: 52min 12sec (3132 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 16 2021