We explain What Animal Hibernates The Longest. If someone asks you for names of hibernating animals, you probably remember the most relevant ones, the bear and the groundhog. Therefore, in this article we give you the keys to hibernation and the main animals that hibernate.
What Animal Hibernates The Longest.
1. Frogs:
They stop breathing and their heart stops completely. In fact, they get so cold that ice crystals form in their blood. They lie down in logs, burrows, or leaf piles for the winter and stay there until summer when they warm up and begin to breathe again.
2. Bees and bumblebees:
Not all bees hibernate, but for the bumblebee it is part of their life. All males and worker bees die when the temperature drops, leaving the queen to find a suitable place to wait out the winter. When temperatures rise, the queen emerges, builds a nest, and establishes a new colony.
3. Aves:
There are species of birds that go into torpor for a short time, but it is not considered true hibernation. However, there is one species that does: the Pachuca nightjar ( Phalaenoptilus nuttallii ), which inhabits North America.
4. hedgehogs:
They hibernate for weeks or months depending on how cold it gets, slowing their heart rate by up to 90%, but they can wake up if it gets too cold.
5. Bats:
Their hibernation is reduced and during the night, when temperatures drop or food is scarce. Some species go a step further and hibernate throughout the winter, but they are those that live in areas where insects are less available during the cold months.
6. Marmotas:
When we ask ourselves which animals hibernate, we usually think of them automatically. And it is that they can hibernate for eight months. In that time, they reduce their heart rate to 3-4 beats per minute.
7. Snails:
They retreat to their shells and seal the entrance with mucus to keep moisture in and prevent them from drying out. They not only do this in cold weather, but also protect themselves from hot weather.
8. Turtles:
Not all hibernate and it depends on the species and its location. Box turtles are the most characteristic in this regard, since they can hibernate between three and five months a year. They dig an underground burrow, slow their heart rate to 5–10 beats per minute, and stop breathing altogether. But they don’t run out of oxygen, as they absorb it through their skin.
9. Garter Snakes:
Unlike other animals that hibernate, for this species it is a group activity. Hundreds or maybe even thousands of snakes come together in one den to hibernate.
10. Bone:
When we think about which animals hibernate , the bear is usually one of the most recurring species. Although the most widespread belief is that if they go into hibernation, there are some doubts. For many specialists, the bear does not experience true hibernation, but rather a state called “winter sleep”, which differs from hibernation in that its body temperature drops only a few degrees during the long periods in which it They are in their caves.
Why do animals hibernate?
Hibernation is still a defense mechanism that many animals have to protect themselves from the extreme temperatures of winter. In addition, during the winter, many species, such as bears, find it very difficult to obtain food, and therefore survive.
During the warm months, these species take the opportunity to increase their body fat in order to have enough reserves during their hibernation. Some, however, wake up from torpor on time to eat. When spring arrives, these animals return to their normal body temperature and return to normal life, usually with a strong loss of weight.
