Plant and animal adaptations
Trees produce thin broad light weight leaves in the spring.
Those kind of leaves are best for warm periods.
The trees lose their leaves in the winter to survive.The bald eagle has extremely good vision it can see forward and to the side at the same time.
Its sharpness is at least four times that of a person with perfect vision.
Its beak is curved and sharp to help it rip its prey apart.
Animals in temperate deciduous forests also have to adapt to the changing seasons. They must be able to cope with cold winters when food is in short supply. Migration and hibernation are two adaptations used by the animals in this biome.
- A great variety of birds migrate to warmer places where they can find food more easily.
- Some mammals (e.g., bears) hibernate during the cold winter months.
Hibernation is an inactive, sleeplike state that some animals enter during the winter. Animals that hibernate protect themselves against the cold and reduce their need for food. A hibernating animal's body temperature is lower than normal, and its heartbeat and breathing slow down greatly. An animal in this state needs little energy to stay alive and can live off fat stored in its body. Thus, hibernating animals can more easily survive the cold winter months.