Biology
The Ecology of Seasonal Torpor and Hibernation in Small Mammals
Quick fact
Some small mammals, like the Arctic ground squirrel, can lower their body temperature to below freezing (as low as -2.9°C) during hibernation, surviving in a state where their heart rate drops from hundreds of beats per minute to just a few—truly a superpower of energy conservation.
Why this is interesting
Imagine having to survive a freezing winter without a warm coat or a full pantry. Some tiny mammals do exactly that by hitting a 'pause button' on their own bodies—but how does that work, and what does it cost them?