Temperature plays a role in determining when bears wake from hibernation and when birds return from warmer regions.
If temperatures change rapidly, it’s no surprise that animals might become confused.
“The challenge is that many of these animals don’t fully understand what’s happening. Many rely on instincts to know when to perform certain actions, like hibernating or migrating south or north,” explains biologist Irja Ida Ratikainen.
“Generally, animals move higher in altitude or closer to the poles. In Norway, this means moving further north,” she says.
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“Some animals rely on day length to know when to start laying eggs or giving birth, but the day length that once signalled the right time for spring now arrives too late, as spring begins earlier in the year,” says Ratikainen. … Even though some animals are managing well, Ratikainen believes that most will face increasing challenges.
