Biology
Seasonal Plasticity in the Immune System of Hibernating Ground Squirrels
Quick fact
During hibernation, ground squirrels reduce certain white blood cells by up to 90% and suppress inflammation, yet when they wake up every few weeks, they rapidly restore these defenses—a process that scientists are studying to improve organ transplant preservation and infection control.
Why this is interesting
You might think that a hibernating animal is just sleeping, but think again: while they slumber, their immune system nearly disappears—so how do they survive the infections that would kill a normally active animal?