As the days shorten and temperatures drop across Canada, the wild residents of the north are quietly preparing for one of the toughest seasons of the year. These animals employ remarkable strategies to survive the long, cold months ahead.
Their behaviours offer a fascinating insight into nature’s timing and the subtle changes already unfolding in forests, fields, and watersheds across the country.
This article is for general knowledge only and is based on information from wildlife research and conservation sources. Always observe wildlife from a safe distance and abide by local regulations. Photos are for illustrative purposes only.
1. Black Bears
Black bears spend autumn in a feeding frenzy called hyperphagia, consuming up to 20,000 calories daily. They feast on berries, nuts, insects, and fish to build fat reserves that will sustain them through months of hibernation.
During winter, their heart rate drops from 50 beats per minute to just eight. Body temperature decreases slightly, but they can wake quickly if disturbed. Pregnant females give birth in their dens during January or February.
Bears choose den sites carefully, often selecting hollow trees, caves, or excavated hillsides for protection from harsh weather and predators.
2. Arctic Ground Squirrels
These remarkable rodents survive the coldest body temperatures of any mammal on Earth. Arctic ground squirrels can supercool their bodies to minus two degrees Celsius without freezing solid, thanks to special proteins in their blood.
They spend late summer gathering seeds, roots, and vegetation to store in underground chambers. Their burrows extend deep below the permafrost line where temperatures remain more stable. Every few weeks during hibernation, they briefly warm up to restore normal brain function.
Males emerge first in spring, followed by females several weeks later.
3. Snowshoe Hares
Nature’s masters of camouflage, snowshoe hares undergo a dramatic colour transformation each fall. Their brown summer coats gradually turn white over ten weeks, triggered by changing daylight hours rather than temperature or snowfall.
This colour shift helps them blend into snowy landscapes and avoid predators like lynx, foxes, and owls. Their oversized hind feet act like natural snowshoes, distributing weight across soft snow. Hares remain active throughout winter, feeding on twigs, bark, and evergreen needles when other food becomes scarce.
Climate change sometimes causes timing mismatches between coat colour and actual snow cover.
4. Monarch Butterflies
Canadian monarchs embark on an epic journey spanning up to 4,000 kilometres to reach overwintering sites in central Mexico. Unlike their parents and grandparents who lived only weeks, the migration generation survives eight months.
They navigate using the sun’s position and an internal magnetic compass. Monarchs from Ontario and Quebec funnel through Point Pelee National Park and other staging areas, clustering on trees before crossing Lake Erie. They gain weight by feeding heavily on fall wildflowers, storing energy as fat for the long flight south.
The same butterflies return north in spring to lay eggs.
5. Beavers
Canada’s national animal works tirelessly through fall, reinforcing dams and lodges with fresh mud and branches. Beavers stockpile underwater food caches near their lodges, storing hundreds of branches they can access beneath the ice all winter long.
Their lodges feature ingenious ventilation systems and underwater entrances that remain ice-free. Inside, beavers create cozy living chambers lined with wood chips and vegetation. Family groups of up to eight beavers huddle together for warmth. They rarely leave the lodge during winter, instead feeding on bark from their stored branches.
Their thick fur and specialized metabolism help them survive frigid conditions.
6. Canada Geese
Honking flocks of Canada geese create one of autumn’s most recognizable sounds as they migrate southward. Their distinctive V-formation reduces wind resistance, allowing birds to fly up to 70 percent farther than flying alone.
Geese rotate positions regularly so no single bird exhausts itself at the front. They navigate using visual landmarks, the sun, stars, and Earth’s magnetic field. Some populations travel over 3,000 kilometres from Arctic breeding grounds to southern United States wintering areas. They stop frequently at wetlands and agricultural fields to refuel on grains and aquatic plants.
Not all Canada geese migrate anymore, especially urban populations with reliable food sources.
7. Red Squirrels
Feisty and territorial, red squirrels spend autumn frantically collecting and hiding pine cones in massive piles called middens. A single squirrel may cache 10,000 cones before winter arrives, storing them in cool, damp locations that prevent the cones from opening and releasing seeds.
Unlike their grey cousins who scatter-hoard food in many locations, red squirrels defend their concentrated food stores aggressively. They remain active throughout winter, venturing out on milder days to retrieve cached food. Their nests, built in tree cavities or constructed from twigs and moss, provide insulated shelter during blizzards and extreme cold.
