Ernie Miller Nature Center: Tracks Newsletter

In the winter the Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is more easily seen. This evergreen is common through out our state. Many people see this tree as a weedy plant that invades the prairie, shading out grasses and flowers below. This tree is not a cedar nor is it red, at least not on the outside.

We might see tracks of squirrels and birds in search of food on a fresh blanket of snow, but what are the animals hiding beneath the ground doing to survive? Many creatures hibernate to escape winter’s grasp. The first animal that comes to my mind is the groundhog. We celebrate Punxsutawney Phil when he emerges from his slumber to tell the weather ahead. Most cold blooded animals hibernate to survive the dipping temperatures. Many species of invertebrates lay the next generation’s eggs on twigs and leaves before the adults die at the first hard freeze. The invertebrates that overwinter as adults will go into a state of hibernation called diapause.