

The hedgehog is the only one of the insectivorous family that hibernates. The long duration occurs when the surrounding weather is suitable for a long hibernation. Before hibernation, these animals will eat large amounts of food to survive during a long sleep.įrom that diet, a layer of fat is created on their bodies that allow alpine guinea pigs to survive prolonged periods of hibernation.ĭuring hibernation, their heart rate decreases from 80-100 to 5-10 beats per minute, body temperature drops from 37 ° C to 2-3 ° C, and breathing slows down from 16 to 2 breaths per minute. This animal is also known as a master digger.Īlpine guinea pigs can spend up to nine months per year hibernating. These animals are found in central and southern European mountainous areas, generally at 800 to 3,200 meters above sea level.Īlpine guinea pigs have a combination of reddish-blonde and dark gray hair. The alpine guinea pig can hibernate during the winter. They meet their needs by absorbing the oxygen present in the water through the skin, the mucous membranes of the mouth, and the cloaca. Since their metabolism is slow, they do not need a lot of oxygen. The turtle’s heart rate drops to just 5-10 beats per minute. These animals fall asleep and do not open their eyes at all during hibernation. They will also slow the heart rate, stop the digestive system, and not move the body. Like hibernation, brumation is a stage of inactivity in winter however, unlike hibernation, brumation does not imply sleep. Box turtles usually dig a deep hole and brood for three to four months.ĭuring brumation, these turtles will conserve their food reserves because the temperature outside will be low, making it difficult to maintain normal activities.

Turtles need to be bummed when cold weather sets in to conserve energy. This turtle is one of the animals that can hibernate to adapt to its natural habitat. Since the turtle is poikilothermic, it cannot generate its body heat and instead receives heat from its environment. Box turtle roaming in the morning sun ( source)
