Now that it’s spring, we can expect all those animals who slept through the winter start to emerge ready to face the world again. But do any animals actually sleep through the summer?

Yes! If winter sleep is called hibernation, its flip side is estivation, defined by Merriam-Webster as “the state or condition of torpidity or dormancy induced by the heat and dryness of summer.” (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/estivation)

So why would anyone want to miss summer? As the definition states, if you’re a snake or lizard that lives in a desert where the summer months are exceptionally hot and/or dry, it’s a very good idea.

The list of animals who take advantage of this is surprisingly diverse. Some good examples are in the article “What Is Estivation? Animals That Estivate” at https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-estivation-animals-that-estivate.html

Depending on where you live, conditions can be harsh and forbidding at any time of the year. So you do what you can to survive, even if it means being inactive for a major portion of your life.