The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-02-03
tine nInEnNAToRs.
AnImals That are Active Only In warm
Weather.

The phenomenon of Information or win.
ter sleep peculiar to some animals is very
curious indeed It is not well understood
Some declare it to be sort of catalepsy
others say it is trance. AS it is q phys.
Illogical event and can be we'll investigated
the changes which occur must remain some.
what of a mystery.
That certain animals retire to concealed
place and remain dormant or in a state Of
lethargy for days, weeks or months together
We know. That during this time they take
no food, void no excretions and lose a great
amount Of animal heat we also know But
Just how life is maintained no one can say.
number of alternating animals acquire
agreat amount of fat, usually just under
the skin, and during the dormant period
this is consumed and they come out in the
spring very lean but in the case of ser.
penis, frogs and bats no such accumula
lions have been noticed In order that Q
certain amount of heat may be maintained
and as they are generally easily aroused, il
is their habit TO conceal themselves in warn
places or congregate in some secluded quar-
ter. Bears, hedgehogs, woodchucks and
such animals go into holes and curl up
nearly into ball, with the head and feet
on the inside. Snakes twist together in
numbers in some rocky hole to keep warm.
Frogs and toads sink into the mud, as dc
also alligators, crocodiles and all other
lizards. Shell ish dig down into the soft
bottoms of streams or lakes, and insects
which survive The winter lie in the ground
or some protected Granny.
Those who explain the phenomenon at
tribute it to the effects OF the cold, the ab.
sence of suitable food aad to the gradual
slowing of the respirations. In those that
are perfect hibernators the instinct Of stor.
ing food for winter is entirely wanting.
They betake themselves to some warm place
and begin by falling asleep. Sleep is q
very similar phenomenon, differing only in
iegree Human beings who are frozen "a
death first sleep, then get into q condition
very much like Information, which, when
carried further, causes death. It is SO with
the lower animals, and many succumb to
great cold. In sleep the respiration ia
slower and as consequence the tempera.
ture falls, SO that clothing is necessary OF
night which would be too warm DURING
waking hours.
Breathing has direct effect upon what
is known as muscular irritability, or the
power of muscle to respond to impress
sions. The heart beats because it is excited
to contract by the blood flowing into IL.
That this contraction is dependent upon
the number of resprations is shown by
comparison. In birds the breathing is fast
and the irritability of the heart is great.
beating normally from 100 to lao minute
and the heat of the body is considerably
over 100 degrees. Descending the scale
We find lizards breathe slowly, their heart
beats slowly and their temperature is very
low.
Thus II is in Information, the breathing
becomes less and less until in some IL d
nearly or entirely suspended, the heart beats
decline and the temperature fills until. ever
in warm blooded animals, it reaches as low
as 35 degrees, which is only three degree,
above the freezing point of water.
There are two classes of hibernators-
chose perfectly lethargic through the winter
and those which wake at frequent intervals
The best example of perfect sleep in this
country is seen in the bats. AT the begin.
ming of cold weather they huddle together
in bundles, fall into comatose condition,
and do not stir until warm weather comes
again. An old hollow tree or, best of all
a cave, affords protection for them.
Bats have o little hook ct one of the joints
of the wing, by which they hang suspended
in the air when sleeping, and during hiber-
nation great numbers crowd together, cling
ing 10 each other, the weight of all being
borne by the central one. II is stated that
es many as fifty or sixty have been seen in
one bunch, the weight of which would ag-
gregate about fifteen pounds. While the
central bat sleeps as in feather bed, it
would seem like frightful weight to sus-
tain on his thumb nail. The statement is
vouched for, however, by one who may be
believed. The Same author, in speaking OF
the amount of cold which bats can stand,
said that in this large bunch the wings Of
the outside bats were so frozen and brittle
IS to break like ice or candy. Some of
these, although so badly Frozen were soon
brought TO life by the application Of
warmth.
Our squirrels, opossums and woodchucks
are examples of such as hibernate imper-
fectly. They remain in state of lethargy
until pleasant day, or the pangs of hun.
ger induce them TO awake and partake Of
food which has been stored for such emer.
gencies. Squirrels not only provide large
supply in one place, but have other stores,
or caches, at irregular places, to which
they can resort in case Of the exhaustion or
destruction of the chief granary. When
the snow has lain on the ground for long
time, holes may be seen where squirrels
have dug down with unerring accuracy to
get nuts buried months before. An old
hunter says he has known squirrels to
perish because the main supply had given
out and the frozen condition of the crust Of
the snow prevented them from getting al
the caches. Pittsburgh DispatcA.