I've been preparing this piece and with the recent rains, I figured it might be time to post it, even though our snow is still around. First, the precipitation...
Normally, remember 'normal,' we'd have a nice snow cover to protect the flora and fauna. In spring, it melts and the trails show themselves. (The Latin is for you, JB!)
The subnivean zone is the area between the surface of the ground and the bottom of the snowpack. The word subnivean comes from the Latin “sub” (under) and “nives” (snow). Mice, voles, and shrews retreat here for protection from cold temperatures, bitter winds, and hungry predators. Food is right at hand: grass, leaves, bark, seeds, and insects are free and unfrozen. Under the snow, these tiny mammals create long tunnel systems complete with air shafts to the surface above. [Read more...]Once the temperature rises, you can see the tunnels in the snow.
How do wildlife cope outside in the lingering cold during the winter months?
This Subnivean zone protect critters from the cold and predators. Some predators need the snow cover: voles, deer mice, weasels, ermines.
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| deer mice in the bird seed |
This is a great example. Here is the sidewalk, with the bird feeder directly above the hole on the lower left!
The red squirrel loves to dig holes, and pop out when and where it is safe.
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Then, there are the mouse tunnels, previously under the snow, exposed to the elements.
7 comments:
Spring is in the air!
That is a new word to me, and I like it. One doesn't realize that so much activity is going on.
I remember opening my horse's grain barrel and finding a nest filled with baby mice. I used to use Excel a lot in my work. It was great to create reports for the teachers about test results. Each year I would go from school to school and give them an analysis they could use for future planning. - Margy
...my Excel skills aren't excellent.
Interesting. I like the photo of the snow showing all the trails.
It is fascinating to see the tunnels.
The critters are quite resourceful.
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