A Moment of Science
Hibernating bears reduce their metabolism 75 percent yet do not drop their core temperature.
If you were a pregnant female moose, where would you rather give birth? Deep in the forest? Next to a busy highway? Confused?
Did you know that many small animals that stay in cold environments during the winter go into a brief daily hibernation-like state? Scientists call it torpor. Torpor allows the animals to lower their body temperatures greatly, and their breathing and heart rate are so slow you can barely tell they’re alive. Learn more on this Moment of Science.
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