Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-01-07
agricultural.
HIRERNATINe ANIMALS.
rrcm the ALBANY caltlvqtOr.


our region of country, we have the wood
chuck, Tor ground hog,") hedge hog,
and some other animals, which pass SIX
or seven months of the year in a sense
less Sleep. During this long period, they
take neither food nor drink, and most OF
the functions of the body are totally
suspended. The black bear also hyber-
mates for a considerable portion of the
winter season, but does not fall, into as
low a degree of torpidity while :" den
ned up" as some other animals.
1t is a matter which has often excited
inquiry, how life could be supported for
so long time, apparently without sus-
tenance. Observation, however, teach
CO, that in alternating animals, depos-
it of nourshmcnt is accumulated dur
ing their active period, which serves as
a source of subsistence during the re-
mainder of the year. The material that
affords this supply, is fat, and during the
period of sleep it is gradually consumed
by the process of respiration, or in sup
porting life. The amount of material
consumed is less, however, than would
be at first supposed. The reason of this
is, that life is only kept up in very low
degree-the very slight action of the
system occasoning but little waste, and,
of. course, calling only for supply pro-
portionately small.
DR.. Holmes, of the Maine Farmer, in
a very sensible and interesting article on
this subjects,remarks:
"The physiological condition Of those
animals.Nhich become completely torpid
during wiuter, cannot be perfectly as
certained. 1t has been found, however,
that they have great diminutlon Of
bodily temperature-breathe very slow
" indeed, so that'it is hardly possible TO
perceive any respiration at all the pull
sation of the heart is hardly felt, and the
circulation is of course very languid.-
The feeling or irritability is ALMOST de-
stroyed, for you can cut off limb and
lay open the body without their appear
ing to feel it. AS we have before stated,
they become very lean and emaciated !;
but notwithstanding all this, when they
awake at the end of the torpid period,
they are very active and vigorous"
There is one expression (and but one)
in the above quotation, to which we take
an exception, viz: that animals "be-
come very lean and emaciated" at the
close of their alternating period-.at
any rate, we know that they do not al
WAYS become so. We are aware that
the idea advanced by DR.. Holmes is also
ceuntenanced by Liebig; but still we
are satisfied that it is not altogether cor
rect. We have known bears killed in
their " dens," whela they had remained
for four or five months, which, on being
dressed, were found excessively fat; and
we have known wood-chucks dug out
of their holes in the early part Of spring
which were in surprising state of fat
ness.
Now we do not by any means assert
that these animals would have been as
fat at the close of their torpid state as
they We're at the commencement, or thai
the fat is not lessened during this state
but we mean to say that so small an a
mount was consumed, that there wa:
still left large surplus deposit. Wood
chucks, as before Stated, are more tor.
pid in winter than bears, and they there.
fore require proportlonately less to sup
port life; in fact, we have often heart
the remark, in our younger days, tina
these animals come out fatter in the
spring than they were in the fall" The
remarkable degree of fairness in which
they were sometimes found in the spring
undoubtedly led TO this mistake blu
their condition at this time, is good evi
dence' that onlyta small amount of fat
comparatively, had been consumed du
ring the winter.
But the condition Of animals at til,
close of Information, depends, of course
on the condition they were in when the
entered this state, and also the tempera
ture, and other circumstances to whicl
they arc exposed! They generally TAX
care to place themselves below the reacI
of frost, and in situation where the
would be chiefly unaffected by change
of temperature. If the accumulation
of fat was large in the fall, it will not a
be required to carry the animal throug
the winter. In regard 10 bears, it is re
marked by hunters, that those whic
ramble in winter are poor, and tina
those which remain in their dens are fa'
The reason is obvious-the fat animi
is supported from the deposite acquire
during 1.-THE previous season the poe
one is obliged to procure subsistence
from fresh supplies of food, or perish
starvation.
But whatever may be the quantity
fat which these animals may have whe
they first come out of their hiding plac
in the spring, they quickly lose it. W
are convinced of this fact, partly fro
our own observation, and from the a
. lrurances of experienced hunters. The
shave informed us that the first object
the animal on awaking from its lor
sleep, is to procure herbagc of catha
tic quality; and under the course Of d
pletion which is pursued, the system
rapidly reduced the fat is carried Of