Hummingbirds have the fastest metabolism of any animal. The tropical hummingbirds that live in the Andes Mountains in South America must expend considerable energy to maintain their high body ...

Life is hard for small animals in the wild, but they have many solutions to the challenges of their environment. One of the most fascinating of these strategies is torpor. Not, to be confused with ...

Nature is often the best model for science. For nearly a century, scientists have been trying to recreate the ability of some mammals and birds to survive extreme environmental conditions for brief or ...

Surviving extreme conditions in nature is no easy feat. Many species of mammals rely on special adaptations called daily torpor and hibernation to endure periods of scarcity. These states of dormancy ...

By late summer, wild animals start preparing for winter. As temperatures drop and food becomes scarce, hedgehogs and bats need the right strategy. This is where hibernation, winter rest, and winter ...

Researchers induced a hibernation-like state in mice by using ultrasound to stimulate the hypothalamus preoptic area in the brain, which helps to regulate body temperature and metabolism. The findings ...

To adapt to life in the Andes Mountains, some South American species go into exceptionally deep torpor to save energy. By Veronique Greenwood Hummingbirds live a life of extremes. The flitting ...