Winter is finally on the horizon and it’s not only humans that are looking forward to the temperature change! An array of different animal species also seem to enjoy the colder temperatures, including some you might not expect. Check out this gallery of some of the cutest and most majestic animals frolicking in the snow!
Horsin’ Around In the Snow
Horses are unquestionably one of the most majestic creatures ever, and this is a horse's small counterpart -- a Shetland pony. They are one animal that seems to absolutely love galloping through the snow.
It’s kind of surprising because they are a short-haired animal. However, the pony pictured here certainly doesn’t seem to mind! This little guy also seems to really show off its playful nature and its silly way of galloping through the snow head first is reminiscent of a small child!
Right At Home
Polar bears are literally built to play in the snow, which probably explains why they look so sad when they are stuck without ice while frolicking in captivity. This mama bear seems super happy to be walking through the beautiful snowy day with its adorable baby.
Of course, you definitely wouldn’t want to get too close, as mama bears are notoriously protective!
Blending In
Arctic foxes are truly amazing creatures. Like polar bears, they are made to live in cold temperatures. This fox looks particularly regal as it gazes off into the horizon.
These foxes are able to stay warm by retreating into their dens and curling into tight little balls. However, this guy seems like he’s definitely relishing every last bit of sunlight!
Devoted To The End
Penguins are expected to be found in the snow although they are sometimes located in hotter climates. Another interesting fact about penguins is that they are known to mate for life, like the super cute couple in this photograph.
The two are like the real-life characters from the movie Happy Feet, complete with their own baby penguin.
Snow Lovin’ Canines
What could be better than puppies in the snow? These little guys are definitely suited for some cold weather frolicking and they are often even used as sled dogs. One such dog was the famous “Balto”, who was known for leading the 1925 serum run to Nome, Alaska.
The serum being delivered was to aid the outbreak of diphtheria. An animated film was even made about the famous Siberian husky!
Snowball Fight!
This is a tiny white snow monkey and it is completely adorable! Monkeys are known to be highly intelligent, which is no why it’s no surprise to see him carefully forming a snowball in his hands!
We wonder what kind of hijinks this monkey is planning to get into or if he has a totally epic snowball fight planned!
Seal Love
Pictured here are a baby harp seal and its mother. The baby gets white fur at a few days old and it stays that way for a few weeks before darkening to match the older seals. Although this mother and child duo appears super cute in this photo, the mothers typically abandon the young after only twelve days!
Apparently, it doesn’t affect them much because this breed of seal can live up to thirty years in the wild!
Playing In The Snow
While these tigers appear as though they are fighting, they are actually enjoying themselves with some playfighting in the snow. These beautiful creatures are the Siberian tiger which is native to the continent of Asia and more specifically the Russian Far East in a mountain region.
Siberian tigers are considered an endangered species although their populations are stable.
Guiding His Flock
Sheep have a built-in wooly coat to protect them from freezing temperatures so they are right at home in the cold. However, massive amounts of snowfall can definitely be challenging for the relatively small creatures to maneuver.
In this photo, a shepherd is seen attempting to guide his sheep in a huge amount of snow. The way the shepherd is cuddling the young lamb is actually quite moving!
Santa’s Real Life Helpers
Here we have some real-life reindeer! Reindeer are made for the cold climate and these deer are found on a deer farm in Russia. These reindeer seem to be engaged in a ferocious battle but they’re actually just horsing around.
They better get it together before Santa calls them to duty for the big night!
Praying For Snow
This little squirrel certainly seems to be relishing his time in the snow. Actually, this red squirrel almost looks as though he’s praying. Perhaps, he’s praying for the snow to stop or it could be that he wants even more of the white fluffy goodness.
Either way, this is definitely one righteous moment.
Meerkat Snow Madness
Meerkats are native to a desert area in South Africa, which is a relatively hot climate. However, like some of the other animals on this list, this meerkat is found in a zoo in the United Kingdom.
These are two drastically different climates so this poor little meerkat has definitely had to acclimate itself!
Llama Love
Llamas are some of the cutest animals even though they are on the larger size. They are native to South America within the Andes mountain range and of course they have a thick wool coat which makes them perfect companions of the snow.
Apparently, llamas originated an astounding 40 million years ago!
One Wise Fowl
This magnificent creature is known as a snowy owl and like its name indicates, is native to Arctic regions. Although, they also been spotted on very rare occasions in the state of Tennessee, of all places!
Interestingly, when snow owls are babies they have feathers that are black as night before they turn completely white.
Matadi The Lion
Lions are found in the continent of Africa, so they are not typically in cold climates. However, this lion named Matadi lives in a zoo in the German city of Leipzig. Germany definitely gets its share of snowfall.
These lions have to grow accustomed to the different climate, although luckily for them they have a decent coat of fur.
Nearly Extinct But Still Amazing
Bison were nearly driven extinct by hunters in the 1800s, however, they remain a magnificent species. Bison are native to the Americas, and the bison in this photo was seen in the snow at Yellowstone National Park.
As of 2013, the bison population was at an estimated 4,600. Luckily for these guys, they have a wooly coat passed down by their ancestors which has made it easy for them to exist in cold climates.
Fantastic Feline
For those who have your run-of-the-mill house cat at home, you might know that some cats love snow. This cat is clearly enjoying its time trotting through the beautiful white landscape despite the fact that cats are known to have quite dainty paws!
This beautiful feline also has heterochromia, which means is has two different colored eyes.
Going Out On A Limb
This giant panda seems to really be enjoying his time in the snow, even going so far as to literally go out on a limb. It’s pretty remarkable that the relatively small limb was able to hold the weight of this massive animal.
This panda is named Meng Meng and is located at Siberian Tiger Park in Changchun, Jilin Province of China.
Picture Perfect
Cows are not particularly suited for cold weather however, these guys seem to be managing just fine. They look like they are straight out of a dairy product commercial, complete with bells around their neck!
We hope these cuties had a warmer place to stay once cold temperatures came through.
Snow Bunnies
These cute little snow bunnies are huddled together in a snowy field located in northern Germany. Rabbits are found in many different types of climates and different continents.
They are among the species that are actually better suited for the cold than the heat, which is probably why they look so comfortable together in this photo!
