How do animals get their water in the winter...

[Questor]

...when everything is iced over and there is no open water from lakes or puddles?

[Hooker]

From preformed water sources ( water in the foods they eat ) and also metabolic water ( water stored in their fat reserves )
The latter is why animals eat to build up large fat reserves and we see so much weight loss over the winter.

Pat

[Questor]

TM7:

That's what I thought, but I doubt it now. It would take a whale of a lot of snow to make up for a normal sized drink of water. That's why I asked.

[Hooker]

Yes they do consume some snow while browsing but not as much as you think. They like us would soon find them selves in a state of hypothermia by consuming much of it.

Pat

[Tommyt]

All the animals around here use the refill machnes I'm thinkn its 2 bit a gallon 

its late guys that all I got

Tommyt

[williamlayton]

Not all sources of water are frozen over and running streams often have just a covering of ice.
Like-as has been mentioned-water intake, at this temperature, is not as much as during warm weather.
Hypothermia.
Blessings

[bilmac]

Maybe every thing may not be froze hard in Texas Bill, but it would be a long walk from Wyo to Texas for our deer to get a drink. Some years I just shudder to think how tough it must be on our wildlife when there is very little snow and the temps are bottomed out. Hooker has to be right, but mans presence and use of the land has helped our game. Ranchers keep water holes open through the winter.

[slim rem 7]

my dog turned over his water[ice] during a cold night.. when i got toim he had a hole licked in that ice big as his head..i gave him water an he wasn t even thirsty..slim

[Sourdough]

OK, Guys.  Even when the temp is down in the -40s and -50s there is still open water lots of places.  Warm springs, ground water forcing itself to the top as overflow.  Thin ice that can always be broken, to get to the water beneath, and fast running streams that won't freeze.  Eating snow is not an option, it takes more energy to melt the snow than you get from the water, especially in really cold climates where the snow is really dry.

The only animal that has trouble finding water when every thing is frozen is man.  Or shal I say, some men.