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Torpor, Hibernation, and Estivation

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State

Torpor is a deliberate drop in activity and metabolism that helps an animal survive adverse conditions; hibernation is torpor through cold, estivation is torpor through heat and dryness.

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A hibernating ground squirrel's abdominal temperature can approach freezing, while a bear's stays higher through its own dormancy.

Watch for

Some animals use daily torpor for only part of a day, not a season.