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Thehibernation It is the process by which some animals reduce their energy expenditure during a period of the year, because they remain in a state of hypothermia for a few months. For example: bear, bat, lizard.
The hibernation process appears thanks to the ability of some animals to adapt to the environment. The drastic drop in temperature is causing food shortages (the fields can be covered with ice and snow), and can even be lethal. The ability to hibernate emerged in response to these extreme cold difficulties.
What happens to the animal's body?
Animals have their bodies prepared for the hibernation process, and already several weeks before starting the formation of a fatty deposit that will allow resistance in that time. In addition, in this previous period the animals carefully prepare the shelter where they will spend those months.
Then, when the atmospheric temperature drops to a point more than low, dormancy occurs where the animal may even appear dead. Sometimes the animals adopt a particular shape to better protect themselves from the cold, like that of a ball.
Physiologically, hibernation consists in the acquisition of a state of dormancy or winter lethargy, which has as a major consequence in the body a decrease in heart rate, the heart rate can be reduced by up to 80%, in 50% the respiratory rate and in four or five degrees the temperature. The animal stops performing some actions that in its most common stage are essential, such as eating, drinking, defecating or urinating.
During hibernation, all species have an exercise of wake with a movement where the body temperature increases, demanding an extraordinary energy expenditure for the hibernation period, which are the moments where more energy is expended.
When spring arrives, these animals return to their normal body temperature and return to normal life, generally with a strong weight loss. In general this moment coincides with the beginning of the mating season.
Examples of hibernating animals
| Badgers | Bears |
| Bats | Bees |
| Squirrels | Worms |
| Striped squirrels | Swallow |
| Prairie dogs | Lizards |
| Marmots | Stork |
| Raccoons | Snakes |
| Skunks |
Types of animals that hibernate
Not all animals hibernate, but only those who are used to living in a temperate environment, precisely one where the cold season generates a strong imbalance.
A distinction is usually made between the hibernation of:
- Cold blooded animals (usually smaller animals such as insects, snails, caterpillars or even fish, which have the peculiarity of adopting particular forms that allow them to reach higher temperatures);
- Warm-blooded animals (the most compromised by low temperature conditions, among which are hibernating mammals, insectivorous animals and some squirrels).
- Also: Hot and cold blooded animals
It can serve you:
- Examples of Crawling Animals
- Examples of Migrating Animals
- Examples of homeothermic animals
