Torpor is different from hibernation or brumation because it can be a very short duration, such as one night or can be for an extended period, depending on the needs of the animal. Torpor is a period of decreased physical activity an animal intentionally enters to conserve metabolic energy.
Hibernation is a deeper and longer version of torpor. Brumation on the other hand is specific to reptiles and amphibians that enter a state of 'deep sleep' where they undergo the same process of inactivity and low body temperature heart rate metabolic rate and respiratory rate drops.
Most notably, brumation refers to dormancy undergone by ectothermic “cold-blooded” animals, while hibernation refers to dormancy undergone by endothermic “warm-blooded” animals. Basically, animals like reptiles and amphibians brumate, while mammals (and some birds) hibernate.
Some animals can enter 'daily torpor' for a few hours, but hibernating species remain torpid for days or weeks. Although often described as 'multi-day torpor', a hibernation period will also include cycles of sleep and wakefulness, and it's unknown whether the torpid phases are exactly the same as daily torpor.
During torpor, physiological processes, like breathing and heart rate, slow down. The body temperature is set at a new, lower point. Animals that are able to adjust their (base) body temperature and metabolism in this way are known as (take a deep breath) heterothermic endotherms.
Torpor enables animals to survive periods of reduced food availability. The term "torpor" can refer to the time a hibernator spends at low body temperature, lasting days to weeks, or it can refer to a period of low body temperature and metabolism lasting less than 24 hours, as in "daily torpor".
Some species enter a stage of sleep called “torpor” or “temporary hibernation” which is not as heavy as hibernation. Unlike hibernation, torpor is involuntary and lasts for just a few hours during the daytime. Both food availability and outside temperature influence torpor.
A prolonged sleep state during the coldest weeks of winter when food is especially scarce. In New Hampshire, skunks, chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons and bears are among the animals that go into torpor. If you thought bears utilized hibernation, you're not alone.
In the wild, brumation would last three to four months.
It can be disconcerting if your bearded dragon goes into brumation and then disappears for months on end. If you start to worry, just peek in on your dragon from time to time or even every day to make sure he is still breathing.
Brumation is a period of dormancy based on seasonal cycles. It will normally last as long as the Australian winter does. In most cases, Bearded Dragon brumation lasts for one to three months. You should expect them to sleep anytime from early June until September.
Most Bearded dragons don't start brumating until they are at least ten months to one year old, although they can be difficult to predict when it comes to brumation, and may brumate one year, but not the next, may brumate every year.
Brumation is a lethargic state that some ectothermic animals, such as many reptiles, assume during cold conditions. Reptiles generally begin brumation in late autumn. They often wake up to drink water and return to "sleep".
What is hibernation? Despite what you may have heard, species that hibernate don't “sleep” during the winter. Hibernation is an extended form of torpor, a state where metabolism is depressed to less than five percent of normal.
Koalas (Phascolartos cinereus) really are a real-life Snorlax! These marsupials can sleep for 18 to 22 hours a day. This is largely due to their diet.
Bears are the animals most known for hibernating, but they aren't the only ones. Turtles, snakes, wood frogs, and groundhogs are other animals that engage in some form of hibernation, torpor, or estivation.
Humans don't hibernate for two reasons. Firstly, our evolutionary ancestors were tropical animals with no history of hibernating: humans have only migrated into temperate and sub-arctic latitudes in the last hundred thousand years or so.
Many hibernating animals have guts that are anatomically adapted to the practice, unlike ours. Black bears do have guts more similar to humans', and they sustain hibernation by cycling through a range of body temperatures instead of plummeting for entire months.
There are some early signs of torpor to look out for. You might notice your hamster sleeping more than normal or being lethargic. You may even notice them shivering or shaking. A hamster in a deep state of torpor will be limp and unresponsive to both touch and sound.
Snails hibernate inside their shells, sealing the opening with mucus to retain moisture inside and prevent drying out. They also defend themselves from hot weather, albeit this is known as aestivation, not simply in cold weather. They can sleep for up to three years at a stretch, which seems like a very long time.
Arousal from torpor takes around one hour and involves violent shaking and muscle contractions. It expends energy, but this energy loss is offset by how much energy is saved in the torpid state. This state is triggered by ambient temperature and the availability of food.
Torpor results in a substantial reduction of energy usage while the animal is inactive (see Section 7.13).