American Prairie Reserve's 5 Animals That Outsmart Winter

This winter has been one of the coldest on record, with multiple single-digit temperature days. Not many people who are enduring these winters are enjoying it, which is why you might be jealous of these five animals that outsmart winter on the northern plains.

The American Prairie Reserve (APR), an independent non-profit organization that's located in northeastern Montana, provided us with this interesting group of animals. The APR has created a wildlife conservation area of over three million acres and seeks to create a wildlife complex for public access. They have provided the following list of animals who have managed to adapt to the winter weather on their reservation.

The prairie rattlesnake has an interesting strategy of coping with winter. It needs to find an underground hideout when the weather begins to drop, and since it can't dig, it utilizes holes and such created by other plains creatures on the Reserve. The rattlesnake heads below the frost line and returns when spring begins to bloom.

Snowy owls have a more "God-given" gift with their insulating feathers that allow them to move throughout the northern regions. They are known to be tundra-dwellers, which gives them a significant advantage over their prey on the Reserve.

The plains spadefoot toad heads underground when the cold weather arrives, similar to the prairie rattlesnake. However, unlike the rattlesnakes, the toads can dig their own underground hideouts. The spade-like part of their hind feet allow them to form burrows in loose soil. Here, they remain dormant until spring.

Much bigger than the spadefoot toad is the plains bison. Their muscular neck and low head placement enable them to plow through the snow to find food and move across the land. As if being enormous and covered with thick fur didn't already help.

And finally, the rough-legged hawk concludes the list. Their name alludes to their feathered legs that keep them warm during the freezing temperatures. They breed in the arctic tundra and migrate south to wintery plains where they are easily able to hunt their less-fortunate prey, who probably are not nearly as warm as they are.

To see some pictures of these animals, visit this National Geographic article.