Fossorial hails from the Latin fossor, which translates to ‘digger’. These animals are adapted to digging and which live primarily, but not solely, underground.
Terrestrial creatures are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land. They may venture into the trees or water, but their primary existence is on land.
Stemming from the Latin word arboreus, which means “pertaining to trees”, arboreal creatures spend all or most of their lives in or around trees and tall shrubs. They seldom venture to the ground, if at all.
Just like hibernation, torpor is used by animals to survive during the winter months. It too involves a lower body temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, and metabolic rate. However, unlike hibernation, torpor is typically an involuntary state that an animal enters into as the conditions determine. Plus, unlike hibernation, torpor […]
Reptiles undergo this type of dormancy during the late phases of autumn. They typically only wake up to consume water and then go back to sleep. Reptiles eat a great deal of food right before brumation since they can go for months without eating anything. This dormancy can last for […]
This is a form of delayed development that is categorized as lower metabolic activity in direct response to recurring times of drastic environmental conditions. It is predictive in nature and is determined by the animal’s specific genotype. Diapause can be found in all life stages of arthropods. However, it’s quite […]
This is a state of metabolic depression and inactivity in endothermic (warm blooded) creatures. It is displayed as a reduced heartbeat (by up to 95%), low metabolic rate, slow breathing, and low body temperature. Critters that hibernate typically prepare for it by building up an abundance of body fat during […]
This is a type of dormancy which is very much like hibernation. It is described as reduced metabolic rate and inactivity in response to dry conditions and high temperatures. Both invertebrates and vertebrates have the ability to enter into this state to avoid exsiccation. Critters undergoing aestivation appear as though […]
These animals are active in the early part of the evening. The benefit to this is that prey or other food sources can be gathered or fed on before the nighttime predators awake for the evening. Then they can spend the rest of their time hiding from predators or engaging […]
Organisms that are nocturnal are active at night. Animals that fit into this category are typically prey animals that rely on the cover of darkness as a defense. Granted, there are no shortage of predators at night. Some organisms adopt a nocturnal lifestyle due to climate issues. Many desert dwelling […]