![]() Animals that are known as “true hibernators” may wake up every few weeks to either eat or pass waste. Hibernating refers mainly to warm-blooded animals, brumation refers to cold-blooded animals hibernating during the winter, and estivation refers to cold-blooded animals hibernating during the summer.Īdditionally, some animals are known to be able to survive without oxygen while hibernating. Hibernation has become a catch-all term for any state of inactivity during certain seasons, but there are specific terms depending on the type of animal hibernating. Then there’s the fact that many hibernating mammals must wake up from time to time to eat, urinate and defecate, and it becomes hard to tell between the two states.įor this reason, some animals are said to be “true hibernators” to distinguish between those that seem to be dead (but still periodically awaken for basic needs) and those that do not. Torpor, on the other hand, is inactivity and deep sleep where the animal will wake up due to disturbance. Hibernation involves entering deep sleep and the animal not waking up under any condition. Sometimes, there’s a difference between hibernation and torpor, although they are often used interchangeably. Hibernation during the summer is called estivation or aestivation. But believe it or not, there are some animals that hibernate during the summer. Hibernation is an especially popular survival tactic for animals that live in areas in North America with the harshest winters, so we typically think of animals hibernating during the winter. Read on to learn more about the North American animals that hibernate and how they do so. There are plenty of other animals that hibernate, though. The most popular images that come to mind of animals that hibernate are bears, ground squirrels, and chipmunks. The Winter climate in North America ranges from cold and wet to snowy and windy. Hibernation allows many animals to survive winters, which are dark and cold, without having to migrate elsewhere or search for food under the threat of predation, injury, or death. During this period, its metabolism slows down and it relies on stored energy reserves in its body and possibly stashed food. When an animal hibernates, it goes into a state of sleep or minimal activity. The difference between hibernation and torpor is that hibernation is deep sleep where an animal cannot be woken, whereas torpor is when an animal sleeps but can still be woken up. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |