The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-02-03
HIBERNATI0N.
A PHENONIENON PECULIAR TO
SOME ANIMALS.
They Live When it is Warm, and
Merely Exist in a Lcthargic State
When it Gets Cold-A Gu
rious Condition.

very curious indeed. 1t is not "ell ul-
derstood. Some declare it to be a sort
of catalepsy; others say it is trance. AS
it is a physiological event and cannot be
we'll Investigated, the changes when
occur must remain somewhat Of mys-
terry.
That certain animals retire to con-
cealed place and remain dormant, or IN
a state of lethargy, for days, weeks or
months together, we know. That dur
ing this time they take no food, void no
excretions and lose great amount OF
animal heat we also know. But just
how life is maintained, no one can say.
A number of hibernating animals ac-
auire great 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 serpents, frogs and bats no such
accumulations have been noticed. In
order that a certain amount of heat
NAV be maintained, and as they are
generally easily aroused, 1t is their
habit to conceal themselves in warm
places, or congregate in some secluded
Quarter. 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 to-
gether in numbers in some rocky hole to
keep warm. Frogs and toads sink into
the mud, as do also alligators, crocodlles
and other lizards. Shell fish 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 effect of the cold, the
absence of suitable food and the gradual
showing of the respirations. In those
that are perfect hibernators the instinct
storing food for winter is entirely want
ing. They betake themselves to some
warm place and begin by falling asleep.
Sleep is very similar phenomenon, diff
fering only in degree. Human beings
who are frozen to death first sleep, then
get into condition very like Information,
Which, when carried further, causes
death. 1t is so with the lower animals,
and many succumb to great cold: In
sleep the respiration is slower, and as
consequence the temperature falls, so
that clothing is necessary at 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 ex-
cited to contract by the blood flowing
into It That this contraction is de-
pendent upon the number of respirations
IS shown by comparisons. In birds the
breathing is fast and the irritability OF
the heart great; beating normally from
120 to 14O o minute, and the heat of the
body is considerably over 100 degrees.
Descending the scale we find lizards
breathe slowly, their hearts beat slowly
and their temperature is very low.
Thus it is in Information, the breath
ing becomes less and less until in some it
is nearly or entirely suspended, the heart
beats decline and the temperature falls,
until, even in warm -blooded animals. il
reaches as low as thirty-fve degrees
which is only three degrees above the
freezing point of water.
Suicides sometimes take their lives by
placing an open charcoal fire in the room
and inhaling the carbonic acid gas which
it gives off. Death ensues from the gas
poisoning the blood. Breathing accom-
plishes the same end for the body that
heat does for charcoal. 1t carries away
this pernicious gas from the blood, but
the slow action of the lungs during hi
bernation allows this to remain and in
duces lethargy, or anGsthesia, at which
time were it not for the increased irritabil
ity of the heart death would ensue.
There are two classes of hibernators
Those perfectly lethargic through th'
winter, and those which wake at fire.
quent intervals. The best example o.
perfect sleep in this country is seen il
the bats. At the beginning of colo
weather they huddle together in bundles
fall into a comatosc condition and dc
not stir until warm weather comes
again. An old hollow tree, or, best Of
all, acave, affords protection for them.
Bats have little hook at one of the
joints of the wing, by which they hang
suspended in the air when sleeping, anc
during Information great numbers crowc
together clinging to each other, th'
weight of all being borne by the centra
one. It is stated that as many as fifty o.
sixty have been seen in ons bunch, tn
weight of which would aggregate abou
fifteen pounds. While the central bal
sleeps as if in feather bed, it woulc
seem like frightful weight to sustain or
his thumb-nail. The statement i!
vouched for, however, by one who may
be believed. The same author, in speak
ing of the amount of cold which bat
can stand, said that in this large bunch
the wings of the outside bats were 81
frozen and brittle as to break like ice O
candy. Some of these, although s,
badly frozen, were soon brought to lif
by the application of warmth.
Our squirrels, opossums and woot
chucks are examples of such as hiber
nate imperfectly. They remain in
state of lethargy until a pleasant day
or the pangs of hunger induce them t.
awake and partake of food which has
been stored for such emergencies. Squir
rels not only provide large supply in on
place, but have other stores, or caches, a
irregular places, to which they can resor
in case of the exhaustion or destruction
of the chief granery. When the snoy
has lain on the ground for long time
holes may be seen where squirrels hav
dug down with unerring accuracy to &c
nuts buried months before. An oil
hunter says he has known squirrels t.
perish because the main supply had give
out and the frozen condition of the crus
of the snow prevented them from gettin;