Final Answer:
e. all of the above because Chipmunks and raccoons employ a combination of strategies to escape cold temperatures.
Step-by-step explanation:
Chipmunks and raccoons employ a combination of strategies to escape cold temperatures. Firstly, they may burrow below the frost line, creating underground shelters that offer insulation from the harsh cold. This behavior is consistent with option a.
Additionally, both species are known to shiver, a physiological response that generates heat and helps them maintain a higher body temperature. Shivering corresponds to option b.
Furthermore, these animals enter deep hibernation during the winter months, reducing their metabolic rate and conserving energy, which aligns with option c.
Lastly, chipmunks and raccoons undergo periods of torpor and lethargy, during which their metabolic activity decreases, allowing them to endure the cold with reduced energy expenditure.
This aligns with option d. In summary, these animals employ a versatile set of mechanisms, including burrowing, shivering, hibernation, torpor, and lethargy, collectively represented by option e, to effectively escape the challenges posed by cold temperatures.