From our Naturalist, Siena
As spring is revving up, more animals can be sighted sampling the warmer weather. Most people know of the process known as hibernation. Hibernation is a process that some mammals go through during the winter months when food and other resources are scarce. While many confuse this process are “sleeping through the winter” the animals are not constantly sleeping. They slow their heart rate and their breathing to manipulate their metabolism. While many think mammals, like bears and bats, are the only animals to go dormant through the winter, many other members of the animal classes go dormant through cold weather.
Brumation is a form of dormancy that cold-blooded creatures like reptiles go through during bouts of cold weather. During these times, reptiles and amphibians often dig themselves into the ground. The painted turtles and bullfrogs in our quarry pond dig themselves into the mud at the bottom of the pond during the winter months. If you visit our pond now, you’ll notice that our turtles have started digging themselves out from the mud and sunning themselves on the logs. The sunfish that call our pond home, also go through brumation; however, they do not dig themselves into the mud. Instead, their heart rate slows to almost nothing as they slow their metabolism to conserve resources in the winter.
Another form of dormancy is known as aestivation. Many animals in hot desert climates will go through aestivation during times of extreme heat and drought. Reptiles like crocodiles will find cool burrows to go dormant in. This hot weather dormancy is a way for these animals to escape the drastic heat and conserve as much hydration until a time when they can replenish themselves. Reptiles aren’t the only ones who go through aestivation. Some mammals like African hedgehogs also go through aestivation.
No matter the term, animals have some amazing adaptations to survive extreme weather. Hibernation, brumation, aestivation: all terms to describe different types of animal dormancy. As winter comes to a close and spring starts to bloom, we’re likely to see more and more animals poking their heads out of the mud or their burrows!
Learn More about Animal Dormancy: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/nature/article/animals-prepare-for-winter
