Many significant changes happen to the environment and animals when temperatures drop. The days become shorter and plants grow slower. Many animals migrate to warmer regions. Some animals grow thicker fur for better insulation. Others will hibernate or bromate.
Most people are familiar with hibernation but not brumation. The two processes share certain similarities. But what’s the difference between brumation and hibernation? This article explores their distinct differences.
A Quick Review of Hibernation
School taught us that hibernation is a survival strategy that warm-blooded animals use. Endotherms, as they’re also called, slow their metabolism during winter. They lower their body temperature and reduce their heart rate. They do this to conserve energy when food is scarce.
Hibernation has several critical characteristics. One is the significant drop in body temperature. Ground squirrels can lower their body temperature close to freezing. There’s also a drastic reduction in metabolic rate. The animal’s heart rate and respiration slow down.
Hibernation is an extended sleep-like state. It can last several weeks to months. Hibernation animals make few movements. Some are still like a statue. One characteristic of hibernation is how animals create fat reserves. They’ll eat large amounts of food to store fat. These fat reserves are later used as energy sources.
Bears are famous for hibernating. Ground squirrels, hedgehogs, and bats also hibernate.
Understanding Brumation
Brumation is a dormancy period akin to hibernation. But it’s specific to cold-blooded animals or ectotherms. Amphibians and reptiles are examples of ectotherms.
Ectotherms depend on external temperatures to heat their bodies. It’s a direct contrast to mammals that can generate body heat. So what happens when the environment becomes cold? Amphibians and reptiles become sluggish. They stop eating and seek shelter. They do not enter a deep sleep though.
Brumation differs from hibernation in several ways. For one, there’s no drastic body temperature regulation. The body temperature of reptiles matches the environment. You’ll notice reduced activity from ectotherms, but they will sometimes move. They’ll even wake up on warm days. They’ll drink water or reposition themselves.
Reptiles don’t depend on fat reserves. They save their energy by becoming inactive. They will also keep themselves hydrated during brumation.
Turtles, snakes, and lizards undergo brumation. Aquatic turtles will bury themselves in mud. Snakes and lizards hide in rock crevices and burrows to avoid the cold. They’ll remain dormant until it becomes hotter.
How about alligators? Do alligators hibernate? They don’t. Gators are cold-blooded so they also enter a state of brumation. They burrow in mud or remain still in the water. You can even see gators under a frozen pond with snouts above the surface.
Why Do Animals Brumate or Hibernate?
Brumation and hibernation are survival mechanisms. These processes allow animals to endure extreme weather conditions. It also helps them during periods of food scarcity.
Mammals hibernate because they need to regulate their body temperature during winter. They also do this to survive without food for long periods. Reptiles brumate because their body temperature depends on external conditions. They can’t lower their metabolism to a certain degree so their only option is to become inactive.
It’s dangerous to disturb hibernating or brumating animals. Remember that hibernating mammals rely on fat reserves? It’s dangerous to wake them up. They can burn their energy fast if they’re woken up often. This could lead to the animals starving before winter ends.
Brumating reptiles do wake up during warm spells. Like mammals, they get stressed when they’re often disturbed. The stress will weaken their immune system.
Thoughts to Ponder
Brumation and hibernation help animals survive harsh winters. They have different functions. These depend on the distinct needs of warm-blooded and cold-blooded creatures. Mammals go into a deep sleep and metabolic slow-down during hibernation. Brumation allows reptiles to remain inactive but their systems are still active.
You should learn to differentiate the two. It helps you appreciate the incredible adaptations animals do to survive extreme environments.
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