Cyclic Behavior

Animals follow repeating cycles that help them survive and adapt to environmental changes. Some cycles occur annually, while others happen daily.

Some animals migrate to find better conditions. This is an innate behavior, meaning they are born knowing how to do it.

For example, monarch butterflies migrate up to 3,000 miles south each fall to escape the cold and find food. As spring brings warmer weather, they migrate north to areas where milkweed plants—crucial for their survival and reproduction—begin to grow.

Other animals hibernate to survive the winter.

Bats hibernate for up to six months, lowering their heart rate and body temperature, while some ground squirrels hibernate for weeks or months, occasionally waking to eat stored food.

Animals also follow daily cycles, known as circadian rhythms, which control their sleep and wake patterns.

Diurnal animals, like birds and reptiles, are active during the day, while nocturnal animals, such as foxes and skunks, are active at night.

Controlled by their biological clock, these cycles respond to light, signaling when to sleep and wake.