Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-07-03
LONG WINTER MAPS.
WAYS IN WHICH VARIOUS ANIMALS
SPEND THE COLD WEATHER.

Z
Marvellous Manner In Which the
Functions of Life Slumber Bird
Emfgrnnts With n Wonderful In
stinct For Self Preservation.
The devices of animal life to bridge
over the winter season and their ways
and habits during this time present an in
teresting. indeed fascinating, page of na-
ture, writes Charles Frederick Holder.
At the approach of winter animals are
affected in various ways. In the north
all the reptiles-snakes, lizards, frogs
and toads. vast oncourse-disnppcar in
most miraculous manner. The snakes
entcr holes and crcviccs. projecting them
selves as FAR into the earth as possible
and. colcd tightly. assume condition, a
state OF coma, In which they remain until
the heat OF the sun comes to waken
them the following spring. when they APP
pear voracions an. eager for prey to re-
habilitate them physically after months
OF Tasting. The frogs plunge down into
the mud Of the ponds where they have
made music during the long summer, and
the same Is true of turtles Lizards af-
feet the same places as snakes and when
taken ont ut this time are apparently life
less
This is the cnse with the reptiles Of
the eastern and middle states or wherey-
err there is cold winter. ice and snow
But on the Pacific slope, in southern Cal
ifornin, in the same latitude ms the above,
different condition holds. Iicre-and
the San Gabriel valley may be taken as
an exanpe-7tlle lizards are subjected to
a winter and summer every "a hours.
There is no snow. the days are bright
and beautiful. resembling a cool eastern
summer and insect life does not disap-
pear. All winter ] have found lizards
hasking IN the sul on these bright days,
but as the winter day wears on and
clock approaches there is very mate
rlai thango--a strange chill that affects
reptiilaa life at once. II is their winter.
ana just as the eastern lizard creeps
down into the earth for shelter and en-
tiers It's winter sleep, so this California
lizard cranis ont of sight beneath rocks,
into ereviecS or under the bark of trees
and enters what is the equivalent OF
state OF coma. II seems to sh-ive. be-
comes seemingly intensely cold. often
stretches out IT'S entire length and lies. TO
ail lntenfs and purposes, dead and life
less in this way passing the night until
y or 10 o'clock in the morning, when the
rays of the sun Slowly bring it back to
life.
This curious night coma is, so far as
appearances so, identical with the winter
sleep of eastern liznrils. The functions
are In allegiance for the time and life is
at its lowest ebb. In observing these
sleepers / have found them by turning
over the piles OF stones early in the morn
ing and have often found a row of them.
limp. cold aud apparently dead, living in
the sun. to watch the gradual return to
life. 1t came very gradually. those liz
ards placed on their backs first showing
signs of life by quiverins of the limbs,
which We're then drawn np. Then the
long tail would move. and finally the little
sleeper would clumsily roll over into an
upright position. an,. as the direct rays
OF the sun struck and warmed 1t into life
its eyes would grow brighter. and sud-
denly, as il touched by some magic wand.
lis head would be lifted high. the
blue breastplate cleaned in the light.
aud with an air of astonishment and
alarm this sleeper awakened would dash
over the ground AMI escape. once more q
living creature. n tyne Of activity. a
menace to insect life. Every night in the
California winter this occurs, and the
condition can easily be superindllcea by
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