Hibernation is a state of long, deep sleep that, for many animals, lasts through the winter months. When you think of animals that hibernate, specific ones may come to mind; however, there are others you may not have thought of that also sleep through the winter. Read on for our top 10 list of animals that hibernate.
What You'll Learn Today
1. Bumble Bee
Bumble bees live in colonies of hundreds of bees during the summer. Most of these bees, including the queens, die off when the weather gets cold; but the new queens produced by each colony ensure the continuation of the species through hibernation.
These new queens hatch from eggs laid late in the season. When they reach maturity, they mate with the males of the colony, then leave the nest as the other bees begin to die off to search for warm, safe spots to overwinter.
The following spring, each queen lays her eggs and starts a new colony. This process is repeated each year, with the old queen dying along with the rest of the colony while the new queens leave to hibernate.
2. Bat
There are more than 1,400 bat species found worldwide, and not all of them handle winter in the same ways. Some bats migrate to warmer climates in the winter, while others hibernate through the colder months.
These species, like the little brown bat, find mines or caves with high levels of humidity for their long winter sleep. They will typically go into hibernation in late fall, October or November, and remain until March through May depending on climate and weather conditions.
These flying mammals are highly social creatures, sometimes hibernating in colonies of up to 183,000 or more. They will also hibernate on their own or in small groups.
3. Ground Squirrel
There are many types of ground squirrels found throughout the world. Individual types of ground squirrels that hibernate include marmots, prairie dogs, groundhogs, and chipmunks.
These cuddly-looking mammals tend to hibernate in burrows they create to escape from harsh winter temperatures. They may hibernate from early fall to late spring depending on their location and elevation.
Most ground squirrels hibernate in social groups. The hibernation period often involves them reducing their body temperatures significantly, but they don’t always sleep for the entire time; some ground squirrels, like chipmunks, will wake up every few days to relieve themselves and eat some of the food they stored for the winter.
4. Lemur
Lemurs in the wild are found exclusively on Madagascar. There are around 100 species; some, like the fat-tailed dwarf lemur, are known for their hibernation habits.
These primates often sleep for six to 12 days at a time, waking up periodically throughout their seven-month hibernation period. While asleep, they reduce not only their body temperatures but also their heart rates and metabolisms.
Fat-tailed lemurs are so-named because they spend the wet season preparing for hibernation, eating large amounts of food and accumulating body fat in their tails. They may carry up to 40% of their total body weight in the tails.
5. Common Poorwill
Common poorwills are birds belonging to the nightjar family. They are found throughout much of western North America and are known for both migrating and hibernating.
Not all common poorwills migrate, but they do all hibernate for one- to three-month periods. They typically do so by bedding down under a rock or log during periods of food scarcity.
Common poorwills are the only birds known to demonstrate hibernation behavior.
6. Skunk
Skunks are found throughout North America. While they don’t hibernate as deeply as some animals, they do enter a state known as torpor where their body temperatures and metabolisms reduce and they spend a lot of time sleeping.
This hibernation-like state can last as long as five months. During this time, skunks remain in their dens, though they may occasionally venture out in search of food if they wake up hungry.
Skunks will often block the entrances to their dens with grass and other dead plant materials to insulate against the cold while hibernating.
7. Snail
Different snails find different ways to continue the species from one year to the next. While some lay eggs in the fall before dying, others hibernate through the winter.
Some species, like the Roman snail, burrow into the ground, pull their bodies into their shells, and seal the shell openings for their winter sleep. They will remain in this state for up to six months, greatly reducing their heartbeats and performing only the most vital activities.
During hibernation, snails can survive temperatures as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Dormouse
Dormice comprise 28 species of rodent found throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. They are well known for their hibernation periods–so well known, in fact, that their name comes from this long dormant period.
Dormice typically hibernate for six months or more. One species, the edible dormouse, may even hibernate for up to 11 months, making it one of the longest hibernating animals in the world.
Though many dormice live in trees, they typically hibernate at ground level. They will curl up into balls and wrap their fluffy, squirrel-like tails around their heads to keep warm.
9. Bear
When considering animals that hibernate, bears are often the first ones people think of. These large mammals are known for eating heavy amounts of food as winter approaches before sleeping through the cold months.
During hibernation, bears can sleep for up to 100 days without getting up to eat, drink, or relieve themselves. Their bodily functions slow down significantly, though, interestingly, their body temperatures don’t drop while they are hibernating.
In fact, since their temperatures stay even during these times, there are some who argue that bears don’t truly hibernate; however, due to the long periods of sleep and diminished bodily functions, most people argue that bears do, indeed, hibernate. Check out this video to learn more about bear hibernation:
10. Ladybug
There are more than 6,000 ladybug species found throughout the world. Those in tropical climates typically go dormant during the dry season, while those in temperate climates hibernate through the winter months.
Hibernating ladybugs tend to gather together in clumps, commonly under dead vegetation or rocks. Both those in temperate and tropical climates experience periods of dormancy when their activities and bodily functions are greatly reduced.
Ladybugs can live for up to a year, commonly beginning and ending their life cycles in the spring.
Conclusion
Various creatures throughout the animal kingdom hibernate during winter or periods of food scarcity. These animals include bears, bumble bees, dormice, ground squirrels, and snails.
