十万个为什么·科学启蒙30篇（1）

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为什么一些动物会冬眠？

Hibernation is not just deep sleep—it’s a controlled state of dramatically lowered metabolism, heart rate, and body temperature.
Animals like bears, ground squirrels, and hedgehogs hibernate to survive winter when food is scarce and temperatures drop dangerously low.
Before hibernating, they eat heavily to build fat reserves, which slowly convert into water and energy during dormancy.
Their hearts may beat only 5 times per minute instead of 100, and breathing slows to just one breath every few minutes.
Unlike sleep, hibernators can wake up quickly if threatened—but doing so burns huge amounts of stored energy.
Some species enter torpor daily, dropping body temperature for short periods, while true hibernators stay dormant for weeks or months.
Bears recycle urea into proteins instead of urinating, helping them avoid muscle loss despite months without movement.
Scientists study hibernation to understand human conditions like obesity, kidney disease, and muscle atrophy.
Climate change is disrupting hibernation cycles—warmer winters cause some animals to wake too early and starve before spring returns.
Interestingly, no primate hibernates naturally, though scientists have induced similar states in lab mice using specific nerve stimulation.