Winters mean sleep time

Have you ever wondered how animals spend the winter? Did you know that some sleep the whole winter away? While we spend time in houses that are warmed either by central heating or good old heaters, animals have no such luck — expect of course if they are house pets. Animals do many different, amazing things to get through the winter. Some of them migrate, others adapt and some hibernate. Today, we will take a look at what hibernation is about.
Hibernation is a very deep sleep that some animals, like bears, go into all through winter. During this period they need little or no food as this deep sleep allows them to conserve energy, and survive the winter. Most animals therefore, prepare for this period by storing food in their burrows or dens to eat when they wake up for short periods. Others stuff themselves with extra food while it is available in plenty.
Hibernators appear almost dead. Their body temperature drops and their breathing and heart beat slow down significantly. For example, a hibernating land beaver’s heart rate slows from 80 to 4 beats per minute, and its temperature drops from 980F to as low as 380F. Of course some animals do not experience major changes in temperature, heart rate and breathing. Animals such as skunks, raccoons and some chipmunks are light sleepers and thus, easily awakened. They may sleep during the most severe weather and wake up to eat during milder weather.
The largest hibernators are the bears. Their temperature drops slightly so that they awaken more easily. The grizzly or black bear, for example, is unique because it does not eat, drink, or excrete at all while hibernating, which can be as long as six months! Scientists have been wondering how animals know it is time to hibernate. But what is known is that animals that hibernate have something in their blood called HIT, or Hibernation Inducement Trigger.
Animals that hibernate
* Bears and chipmunks
* Frogs, snakes and even some bugs
* The jumping mouse, little brown bat, the eastern chipmunk, and some species of ground squirrels.

Related Posts by Categories

|