What is Torpor?

Torpor is a type of deep sleep accompanied by a drastically reduced body temperature, heart rate and breathing. Like short -term hibernation, this condition is common for various increases in animals, some birds and many animals that live in a cold climate.

Animals can go to the Torpor state, usually after a relatively short time of the day or night to save energy. In a cold climate, it requires a high energy temperature to maintain high body temperature. By going into deep sleep, animals like squirrels, bears and dachshunds can save energy. The state reduces the natural body temperature of the animal and slows down breathing and heart rate, so that the animal uses less energy. These creatures, like birds, have a limited ability to store body fat. Birds must remain light to fly, and small animals just don't have much. Because these animals cannot store so much energy, it has a sense of entering the torpor when they feed. In this way they save energy when they can get food.

Animals that have limited windows to feed if the animal can only hunt at night and can not find food during the day, has few reasons to remain active in daylight. By getting into deep sleep at a time of inactivity, such animals will save even more energy.

Torpor has disadvantages and advantages. The animals in this state are very slow and can almost be aware of their surroundings. They simply cannot wake up and immediately become active, but it takes a while to bring their body temperature, heart rate and breathing back to a normal level. If the animal is attacked in Torpor, it has a very little ability to defend or get away. Animals entering this condition are looking for a security place, either a hidden nest or a lair to make them relatively safe while in their defenseless state.

hibernation and revealing, sleeping in summer can be like a widespread Torpor. Some peopleIt is that this term should be specially used to refer to a shorter sleep time, but changes in the body of the animal and the goal of maintaining energy at the time of inactivity are the same.