Science News
Sleep more to live longer - it works for hibernators
Apr 11, 2011, 11:10 GMT
Vienna - Researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna have discovered that hibernating mammals have a higher rate of survival during the winter months when they are sleeping than in the active months when they are awake. They also found out that hibernators have an overall higher survival rate compared to similar-sized non-hibernating species.
'Until now we thought hibernation presented big challenges for mammals,' says biologist Claudia Bieber. 'Now we know hibernating mammals have a very good chance of surviving winter and have a better chance of surviving the active period of the year.'
Mammals that hibernate have a 15 per cent higher survival rate than mammals that are active all year. That applies especially to small mammals such as the dormouse.
The findings have been published in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society B' and are based on analysis of previous studies and field research. The authors also discovered that hibernators have a slower life cycle: they mature later, reproduce at slower rates and take longer to carry their unborn to full term compared to similar- sized animals that do not hibernate.
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