When do animals hibernate?

Answer 1

Some animals during the winter. In cold weather most animals must eat large quantities of food to obtain the energy needed to carry on normal body activities. In winter, however, food often becomes scarce, so many animals cannot survive unless they hibernate. A hibernating animal greatly reduces normal body activities that expend energy. It survives on energy reserves, such as fat, stored in the body.

During hibernation, an animal lowers its metabolic rate—the rate at which an animal uses energy and stops generating the heat necessary to keep its body temperature above that of the environment. As body activities slow, the animal becomes less and less capable of coordinated movement, gradually slipping into a state of dormancy, or torpor. If, however, the animal’s body temperature slips below a certain range, the animal will generate heat to boost body temperature to a safe range. Animals may hibernate for several months, but they do not remain completely inactive during this time. Hibernation typically occurs in bouts, or episodes, lasting from a few days to a few weeks depending upon the animal, body size, outside temperature, and time of year. These bouts of inactivity are interspersed with brief periods of activity, when the animals increase their body temperature to a normal level.

Although hibernation helps animals survive adverse environmental conditions, hibernating animals can still freeze to death, and their lack of mobility and coordination makes them vulnerable to predators. To help protect themselves, many animals hibernate in protected areas, such as caves or underground burrows. These sites often remain several degrees above freezing even when the outside temperature is far colder. Animals usually choose sites that are inaccessible to predators

Answer 2

When Do Animals Hibernate

Answer 3

Some animals hibernate in the winter.

They do this because in the climate that they may live there is very limited food supply and so to minimize the amount of calories they burn each day they go into a deep sleep (hibernation). This is why they must "fatten up" before they retire into hibernation.

Answer 4

Hibernation means a period of deep rest during the WINTER.

Animals that take a break during the summer (some desert animals do this) are said to go into aestivation.

Both of these behaviors are thought to occur so that the animal can escape seasonal environmental periods where it would require more energy to live than the animal could reasonably collect.

Answer 5

"Hiver" means winter. "Ete" means summer. (both french roots) Some animals estivate (become less active in summer) and some hibernate (become less active in winter) based on that organisms inherited and evolutionary adaptive abilities to cope with the harshness of that season. Either period of inactivity requires that the animal be able to still acquire its cellular needs even if their metabolism is slowed down. For example, frogs may hibernate in winter and (may actually freeze in a pond during winter and then thaw out). Their fat bodies are able to help nourish them those months while they are unable to find food. Toads in the desert, however, may estivate, bury themselves in the mud and stay out of the harsh summer sun and heat. When a thunderstorm comes, the pounding of the rain on the soil wakes them up and they will temporarily emerge on the surface of the ground to mate and eat and frolic while the high humidity keeps their gas exchange adequate. As soon as it is too hot and dry they will go back into an estivation mode and bury themselves in the mud again. Even in urban areas, rains can bring thousands of little toads out to a high humidity situation where they are less at risk from the elements.

Answer 6

Few animals truly hibernate, most reach a slowed metabolism and a daze. When it is too cold for their food to be out.

Answer 7

most hibernate in winter!

Answer 8

Few animal hibernate at summer and few at winter,
but frog have both sleep,,,,,,,,,, i.e. winter sleep, and summer sleep,

but animals only hybernet when unfavourable conditons occurs.......

Answer 9

snakes, bats, bears, turtles, and a couple birds such as the hummingbird, and poorwill go into a semi-hibernation state called torpor.

Answer 10

Winter.....depends where they are really.