![]() It was concluded that 'maintaining a constant body temperature is energetically expensive' - these creatures store fat in their tails, find a comfy tree, and hibernate through the winter. Biologist Kathrin Dausmann demonstrated this in fat-tailed lemur populations in Madagascar, where temperatures were widely variable. Here in the UK hibernation is attributed to cold temperatures, however, in other parts of the world, some animals hibernate in warm conditions. Animals tend to hibernate to conserve energy until conditions are suitable. It is said that metabolism is 'depressed to less than 5%' of what is considered normal. Let us start with hibernation - this is a period of time that frogs, toads, dormice, hedgehogs, bats, mason bees, queen bumblebees, and butterflies are in a state of inactivity - which is characterised by a decrease in metabolism, low body temperature, slow breathing, and a slow heart rate. ![]() Who are the sleepy characters of the British landscape? And there are those that are going about their business as usual. There are those that are happily dozing the months away until spring. Meanwhile, the animals and plants are doing their own thing. On the flip side, you can easily picture someone hurriedly trying to scrape the ice off their car with whatever they can grab. ![]() The occupants are inside snuggled up under a throw in front of a roaring woodfire. At this time of the year, I picture an idyllic scene of an old stone cottage surrounded by snow that blankets the land. ![]()
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