Too hot? Some animals hibernate in the heat
- 9 hours ago
- 2 min read
Hibernation is a familiar word to many of us. That’s what the meadow jumping mouse and the little brown bat do when Will County gets too cold. Their bodies slow down and their metabolism and heart rate drop, kind of like a long sleep where they wait for the cold winter temperatures to end.
But have you ever felt so hot you wished you could hibernate? Ever think about taking a nap and waking up when the heatwave is over? Day after day of 90-degree weather takes a toll on our bodies.
Thankfully some of us can cool down because we have air conditioning in our homes, schools, libraries and Forest Preserve District of Will County visitor centers. Our native wildlife does not have the luxury of cranking down the air conditioning or enjoying a Popsicle on a hot day.
So what do animals do when it is just too hot? They estivate!
What is estivation?
When some critters are experiencing too-hot temperatures, their bodies naturally begin to slow down. Their metabolism and heart rate drop, and they go into a long sleep while they wait for the extreme heat to pass.
Wait! If you noticed this sounds a lot like hibernation, you would be correct.
Words to know
Burrow: To progress by digging.
Conserve: To keep in a safe or sound state.
Recede: To move back or away.
Estivation is a mid-summer hibernation where certain animals become inactive. This period of inactivity is key to survival. When temperatures rise, water availability can decrease. Small ponds dry up and soil loses moisture, making it difficult to maneuver through.
When animals are inactive, they conserve the fluids in their bodies and conserve valuable energy. Sometimes, it's just too hot to hunt for food.
Who estivates?
Reptiles enjoy estivation on occasion. Snakes and turtles gradually decrease their activity and recede into their underground burrows to prevent desiccation, which is extreme dryness.
Amphibians are big fans of estivation. Think about the skin of an amphibian. They must keep their skin moist to breathe and drink. When it gets too hot or dry out, toads and some species of frogs and salamanders will burrow underground to where it is cool and damp. Sometimes they even find an oasis in the leaf litter in your yard to survive the summer heat by preventing their skin from drying out.
Think about some other critters that must remain moist for survival: slugs and snails. Slugs will burrow underground to preserve their slimy mucous membrane, and snails will go inside their shells and seal them tight so no moisture gets out even in the most extreme heat.
Your backyard estivation station
These animals and many others do their best to survive temperature extremes. Sometimes they are lucky enough to find shade under some native plants in the prairie or some cool fresh water in a creek.
Think about your yard. Is there somewhere a toad can beat the heat in the shade or find a cool place to rest under a pile of leaves? Or will the wildlife that rely on your backyard for survival need to shut down and estivate until temperatures subside?
