Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-11-28
SUMMER SLEEPING ANIMALS.


Usual Order of Things.
Every one knows that a large num-
Der Of animals sleep in protected
places during the cold season Of the
year and wake ia the summer. A
similar phenomenon is the summer
sleep of different reptiles principally
serpents and Ocodiles-which thus
pass the time of greatest heat in trop-
zeal regions. But that reptiles and
umphlbious animals. native TO the tenn
perate zones, frequently spend the hot
days in summer sleep is not so
well known. DR.. Franz Werner has
recently had this discussed in the
geological botanical society of Vienna
and furnishes the following particu-
lars rs reported in the N. Y Stats
Zaituag. During the months of July
and August il will be observed by
those who pay any attention to outdoor
animal life that reptiles aud amphib-
ians are noticeably fewer in number
than during the spring months; but if
they begin to hunt under large, smooth
stones, in holes in the ground, on the
edges of marshes and ponds, under
brushwood aud heaps of dead leaves
they will not seldom find these ami
mails, either alone or in great groups
in condition very similar to sleep;
not, indeed. so sound as the winter
Sleep but the eyes are fully closed
and the breathing "A little slower. The
frogs sit huddled together and make
no attempt to flee, only burrowing
somewhat deeper into the earth.
Lizards aud salamanders lie almost
mutionless. with the tails over their
heads. and even the latter feel almost
dry. Snakes are rolled up like spirals,
and as rule, with the head con-
ceaIed. They are, however, the most
quickly reused.
The reason OF this summer sleep is
different, according as the animal lives
on land or in the water. Those on
land sleep during the greatest heat;
those in the water only when their
usual dwelling place is dried up which
generally. though not necessarily. &C.
ours during the high temperature.
The water salamauders are always ia
partial summer sleep: those which
live in the water during tho whole
year do not sleep in summer, such As
the water frog, which lives in ponds
aud marshes we'll supplied with water
1t is generally supposed that our rep
tiles eujoy the heat of summer so that
AS this increases, they improve in
health. But this is not always the
case; rather it has been found that
many OF our reptiles are killed by a
prolonged exposure to the heat OF the
sun, and if we observe lizards in the
open air we may be sure that they do
not stay out very long under the beams
of the sun. but 20 back from time TO
time to their dwellings. Only turtles
can remain exposed TO a glowing sun
any length Of time without some shade.
Lizards and snakes often succumb IN
half I'm hour The summer sleep Of
these animals is regular habit wher-
ever the warmth Of the sun annually
reaches its height; that is 20 say, from
every noon until about O'Clock, and
increases where the rainfall is light
and iulrequent In places where iu-
tense heat Is OF rare occurrence a sim
liar phenomenon is observed In these
Years only In aptlyity these ami
mails have neither a winter nor sum-
mer sleep because the temperature Of
the cages is kept warmer in winter
and cooler in summer than IN the open
"a