摘要：Hibernation refers to the period when an animal, mostly warm-blooded mammals, such as the jumping mouse or the woodchuck, enters a

Hibernation is more than just a lengthy nap.

冬眠不仅仅是长时间的睡眠。

It's an evolutionary adaptation possessed by some animals to help them live through unfavorable conditions in their environment.

它是某些动物进化出的一种适应性特征，帮助它们挺过所处环境中的恶劣条件。

But what animals hibernate, and why do they need to?

但哪些动物会冬眠，它们又为什么要冬眠呢？

Hibernation refers to the period when an animal, mostly warm-blooded mammals, such as the jumping mouse or the woodchuck, enters a state of torpor, in which the animal's body temperature and metabolic activity are lowered as a response to adverse winter conditions.

冬眠是指动物，多为恒温哺乳动物（如跳鼠或土拨鼠），进入一种蛰伏状态，在这种状态下，由于冬季恶劣条件的影响，动物的体温和代谢活动会降低。

While hibernation is specific to dormancy during winter, estivation refers to when animals experience torpor during dry, hot summers.

冬眠特指动物在冬季的休眠，而夏眠则是指动物在干燥炎热的夏季进入蛰伏状态。

Hibernation is often triggered by changes in an animal's environment, including changes in temperature and food availability, and shorter days.

冬眠通常是由动物所处环境的变化触发的，包括温度的变化、食物供应的变化以及白昼时长变短这些情况。

It is believed that the blood of hibernators contains a compound called Hibernation Induction Trigger, or HIT, that tells the animal it's time to hibernate.

据推测，冬眠动物的血液中含有一种名为“冬眠诱导触发子”（HIT）的化合物，它会向动物发出该冬眠了的信号。

Hibernation allows animals to live in regions where non-hibernating animals would not survive during the winter months.

冬眠使动物得以在那些非冬眠动物无法度过寒冬的地区生存下来。

Hibernating animals avoid the burden of competing with others when resources are scarce.

冬眠的动物在资源稀缺时避免了与其他动物竞争的负担。

Not all hibernators follow the same rules.

并非所有冬眠动物都遵循同样的规则。

Some store food in their dens and wake up briefly to eat, while others gain large amounts of weight before hibernating and do not wake up at all until spring.

有些动物会在窝里储存食物，短暂醒来进食；而有些则在冬眠前大量增加体重，然后一直睡到春天才醒来。

True hibernators, including bats and hedgehogs, enter a state close to death for most of the winter.

真正的冬眠动物，如蝙蝠和刺猬，在冬季的大部分时间里都处于一种接近死亡的状态。

Their body temperature approaches 32 degrees Fahrenheit, they breathe only a few times per minute, and their heartbeat is barely perceptible.

它们的体温接近 32 华氏度（约 0 摄氏度），每分钟只呼吸几次，心跳几乎难以察觉。

While bears are commonly associated with hibernation, they are not true hibernators.

虽然人们通常会把熊和冬眠联系在一起，但熊算不上是真正的冬眠动物。

During hibernation a bear's body temperature hardly drops from its average 100 degrees Fahrenheit, making the bear a shallow hibernator, along with chipmunks and raccoons.

在冬眠期间，熊的体温相较于它平均华氏 100 度（约 38 摄氏度）的体温几乎没怎么下降，因此熊和花栗鼠、浣熊一样，都属于浅度冬眠动物。

Some animals hibernate for a few weeks and others the entire winter season, but the edible dormouse might take the prize for longest hibernation.

有些动物冬眠几周，而有些则整个冬季都在冬眠，但冬眠时间最长的可能是可食用睡鼠了。

Depending on environmental conditions, it can remain dormant for more than 11 months after doubling or tripling its body weight in preparation, putting true hibernation to the test.

根据环境条件，睡鼠在冬眠前会将体重增加一倍或三倍，然后可以保持休眠状态超过 11 个月，这是对真正冬眠能力的极限考验。

来源：英语东