Next
time you see a hummer that appears lifeless, keep watching!
|
As
powerful wing muscles begin to vibrate, the heat they
produce warms a hummer's blood! |
Torpor:
An Adaptation for Survival
Hummingbirds have a cool adaptation to conserve energy! They
go into a sleep-like state called torpor. A
bird's body temperature can drop almost 50 degrees. The heart
rate and breathing slow way down, and it appears lifeless. If
a predator were to find one, it would be lifeless indeed! While
torpor has benefits, there are risks too.
To come out of torpor, a hummer begins to vibrate its wings.
This produces heat and warms the blood supply. It can take an
hour to come back to "life"!
Journaling
and Discussion Question
