Animals That Hibernate In Summer
In some places, the summer temperatures may become so high that animals must remain in their shelter until cool weather returns.
Animals that hibernate in summer. Bears hibernate from winter through to spring which on average is about six months, after which bears wake up to feed, mate, and give birth to cubs. To help them tolerate being in saltwater, crocodiles have salt glands on their tongues which allow them to secrete excess salt from these modified salivary glands. Yes, this form of hibernation is called aestivation and helps animals stay alive through drought, intense heat and when plants die out.
This way, they can literally live off of their body fat during the. While the northern ground squirrels spend the summer eating and preparing for winter hibernation, ground squirrels living in the southwest desert may avoid the extreme summer heat by aestivating in their burrows. Several mammals can survive the long and cold winter thanks due to this.
The only reason why certain animals hibernate, is to escape from the harsh weather in winter. Both land and aquatic animals migrate. In hot and dry climates, creatures like the african hedgehog aestivate.
Adult alfalfa weevils ( hypera postica ) aestivate during the summer in the southeastern united states, during which their metabolism, respiration, and nervous systems show a dampening of activity. Winter isn’t the only time of year in which the weather makes it difficult for animals to remain active. Obligate hibernators include many species of ground squirrels, other rodents, mouse lemurs, european hedgehogs and other insectivores, monotremes, and marsupials.
Hibernate is an adaption that helps many animals to conserve energy by remaining inactive by slowing their metabolism and reducing body temperatures. During summer, some animals including reptiles, insects, and amphibians enter estivation, a period of extended torpor that occurs in hot months. Bogong moths will aestivate over the summer to avoid the heat and lack of food sources.
Hibernation refers to the dormant state some animals go into to survive the winter. That could be because they belong in the squirrel family. Animals that hibernate store up body fat by eating a great deal of food during the end of summer and fall months of the year.