十万个为什么·科学启蒙30篇（1）
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Why Do Some Animals Hibernate?
为什么一些动物会冬眠？
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Hibernation is not just deep sleep—it’s a controlled state of dramatically lowered metabolism, heart rate, and body temperature.
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Animals like bears, ground squirrels, and hedgehogs hibernate to survive winter when food is scarce and temperatures drop dangerously low.
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Before hibernating, they eat heavily to build fat reserves, which slowly convert into water and energy during dormancy.
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Their hearts may beat only 5 times per minute instead of 100, and breathing slows to just one breath every few minutes.
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Unlike sleep, hibernators can wake up quickly if threatened—but doing so burns huge amounts of stored energy.
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Some species enter torpor daily, dropping body temperature for short periods, while true hibernators stay dormant for weeks or months.
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Bears recycle urea into proteins instead of urinating, helping them avoid muscle loss despite months without movement.
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Scientists study hibernation to understand human conditions like obesity, kidney disease, and muscle atrophy.
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Climate change is disrupting hibernation cycles—warmer winters cause some animals to wake too early and starve before spring returns.
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Interestingly, no primate hibernates naturally, though scientists have induced similar states in lab mice using specific nerve stimulation.