MIDLAND, Texas — So far, it's been a warmer February than usual in West Texas.
While some people might be happy to get a break from the cold, for animals, it may be a different story.
“One of the things that I notice more than anything else is that it just seems like the natural cycles we’re accustomed to seeing when seasons ran their courses it seems like these natural cycles are kind of interrupted or somewhat out of sequence,” said Michael Nickell, museum scientist and naturalist at the Sibley Nature Center in Midland.
The transition from cold to warm weather usually starts later, but Nickell said because it’s getting warmer earlier, animals could be affected negatively.
“We’re having some abnormally warm weather for February, so normally when a lot of types of animals would still be holed up or not quite as active because of this warm weather there may or may not be enough food for them to start eating,” Nickell said.
There is also the chance that the behavior of some species could be affected as well.
“A lot of this has to do with the amount of daylight as well because it’s going to affect cycles, but certainly temperatures do to," Nickell said. "It might affect the timing of some type of bird migration, things like that. They might be migrating a little early.”
Nickell also said smaller animals like insects, reptiles and rodents will probably be going back and forth between being active and inactive depending on the temperature.