Does the mole sleep in winter? Who does not fall into hibernation?

With the onset of cold weather, some people begin to wonder how the four-legged inhabitants of the earth suffer the winter. If we know for certain animals that they are starting a deep sleep, what does the other beast that we have not heard about? For example, what do rodents do when winter comes? Or is the mole in hibernation? Also with these norns, there may be other questions that are worth discussing. Let's start in order.

Types of hibernation

Before turning to this topic, it is worth noting that there is not only a winter type of sleep, called hibernation, but a summer one, known to some as "estivation." There are also types of hibernation, which differ in their duration. It is seasonal, diurnal and irregular. The latter option can happen to the animal at the time of sudden weather deterioration. In addition, there are states very similar to hibernation. They are called stupor, pseudo-hanging and just a long sleep. A question may arise: who does not fall into hibernation, but is simply in a state of numbness? Among the common creatures are lizards, toads, snakes, salamanders and newts. Although outwardly all the conditions can be similar to hibernation, yet they are different processes that occur inside the body.

What is hibernation

Every living organism needs this or that amount of sleep to lead a full life. But some animals, unlike a person, are able to sleep without waking up for many days and even months. What is hibernation? This is a condition in which the body does not require food intake. This is possible due to the slow functioning of physiological processes, for example, such as breathing and palpitations, as well as lower body temperature. In the period of deep sleep, the animal becomes practically cold-blooded because of a strong slowdown in all development processes. Therefore it is natural to be interested in whether the mole falls asleep, because how else can it survive?

Why sleep is needed

With the advent of winter, even clear days become very cold, and nights are frosty. Many animals find it difficult to get their own food.

Most birds are saved from starvation, leaving their native lands, other animals survive persistently, someone has to die, and the rest go into hibernation. For what? In order not to freeze, the body needs enough energy, which can be obtained with food. But in the winter, it's not easy to get food, but it takes a lot of energy to find it, and the food found can not make up for the animal's expenses. So, since the amount of food is limited during the frost period, the natural question arises: does the mole fall into a hibernation in winter, and who else from animals is not averse to lying in the cold?

Who sleeps and who is awake?

Few animals are saved by hibernation from cold winters. Such animals include sony, hamsters, bears, raccoons, badgers, chipmunks and ground squirrels. Among those who do not mind taking time off are also hedgehogs, all rodents, some possum species , dwarf lemurs and some other animals from warm countries. In the cold, too, not to meet bats, because they are fast asleep during this period. By the way, the bear falls into a stage of shallow hibernation, and it can be awakened, but the animal will be very dangerous, because it awakens instantly. The bear attacks the one who disturbed him.

But there are also those who do not fall into winter hibernation, as they are adapted to survival in the cold season. Among such animals are hares and ungulates, which procure food by gnawing bark from trees. Also continue to stay awake predators, for example, wolves, foxes, lynxes and others. But many will be interested to learn that moles do not fall asleep in winter, they continue their life activity.

The process of hibernation

In the hibernation, the animal can fall at a zero mark on the thermometer, while the animal's body acquires the temperature of the mink. Small animals are usually in a real, deep dormancy. Sometimes the heartbeat occurs with a frequency of just a stroke per minute. Going to sleep, the animal seems to die, you can take it in your arms, lose it, and it will not react. But every few weeks or days the animal awakens for a short time to drink water and go to the toilet, and some even backed by food. After satisfying the needs, the animal again falls asleep. Sometimes it takes a day. By the spring of the beasts lose almost half of their weight, so in the summer, the animals tend to gain a new layer of fat. Interestingly, the bears do not manifest the consequences of hibernation. Although this beast wakes up very hungry and for the whole warm period it eats daily for future use. The bear collects about 10-15 centimeters of the fat layer over the summer.

General information about moles

But let's talk a little more about underground creatures. So, does the mole sleep in winter? As we found out, this animal remains active all year round, despite the arrival of winter. Zverek lives on its territory and builds underground tunnels, through which it moves freely. For this, he has a sensitive muzzle on which there is a proboscis. But for the rapid movement and reclamation of the soil in the mole, there are two developed front paws. The structure of these extremities is surprising - for the convenience of his palms "look" outward. The hind legs are almost not adapted to movement, but the animal does not suffer from this. To understand whether the mole falls into a hibernation or remains cheerful all winter, you need to figure out what kind of lifestyle it leads.

Life of a mole

This animal is best adapted to live under the ground. It is interesting that this animal pulls out a new move with great speed. Periodically, it throws the surplus of land to the surface, and it is through these mounds that you can determine that the animal has crawled under the ground. Mole is European, or ordinary (this is the name of the same animal), lining its lair with soft materials. Usually, he lives under an earthen hill (molehills), under which there is a deepened circular passage, narrowed upward. In the lair itself, one or two paths can lead, from which about ten branches branch off. This animal has its own "city" for dwelling at any time of the year.

Many, knowing that the animal is capable of digging the tunnels deep enough, could not understand why the mole falls into hibernation. But in fact, these were only assumptions. Although some continue to argue that if this beast does not fall into hibernation, then in the most severe frosts, it still slows down vital activity and falls into a "drowse". In this connection, the question arises: how many days does the mole spend in hibernation? It is worth noting one feature of this animal, which will help to understand this issue.

Mole food

The main diet of these animals is composed of earthworms, larvae and insects. Surprisingly, food crawls into the mole tunnel in large amounts on its own. Worms aspire to these mink, because it is warmer here than in the rest of the soil, and here they are attracted by the fragrance of the animal. Let us recall why other animals fall into hibernation. In the winter they find it difficult to find food. But if you take a mole, his food stays with him underground, so it becomes obvious whether the mole is hibernating during the cold, or not. That is, it does not need to be in hibernation, because it is provided with food and a sufficiently warm space, which is enough for the whole winter.

It is also interesting that this animal for food at a time needs to eat 20 grams of worms. After he is satisfied, the mole goes to sleep for four hours, after which he wakes up very hungry, and he needs to re-energize his body. In just a day, this mammal consumes about 60 grams of food, which are divided into several receptions. This animal can not do without food for more than 12-17 hours. That is why the animal does not cease to be active even during the winter period.