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Torpor animals

209 species

Torpor is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually marked by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate. Torpor enables animals to survive periods of reduced food availability. The term "torpor" can refer to the time a hibernator spends at low body temperature, lasting days to weeks, or it can refer to a period of low body temperature and metabolism lasting less than 24 hours, as in "daily torpor".

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Groundhog

Marmota monax

The groundhog (Marmota monax) is a lowland rodent of North America. It was first scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. These adorable animals play an important role maintaining healthy soil in woodland and plain areas. They are...

Sugar Glider

Petaurus breviceps

The Sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) is a small arboreal gliding possum that belongs to the marsupial infraclass. It is so called due to loving sweet food such as sugar and honey, while the word 'glider' refers to their gliding habit when moving...

Bee Hummingbird

Mellisuga helenae

The Bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae ) is a species of hummingbird that can be found only on the island of Cuba in the Caribbean. It is the world's smallest bird.

American Badger

Taxidea taxus

The American badger (Taxidea taxus) is a member of the Mustelidae, a diverse family of carnivorous mammals that also includes weasels, otters, ferrets, and the wolverine. It is similar in appearance to the European badger, although not closely...

American Marten

Martes americana

The American marten (Martes americana) is a small North American mammal, a member of the family Mustelidae. It is sometimes called simply the Pine marten; the name "pine marten" is derived from the common name of the distinct Eurasian species,...

Anna's Hummingbird

Calypte anna

Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) is a medium-sized bird species of the family Trochilidae. It was named after Anna Masséna, Duchess of Rivoli. It can be found only in North America. In the early 20th century, Anna's hummingbirds bred only in...

Tawny Frogmouth

Podargus strigoides

Tawny frogmouths (Podargus strigoides) are large, big-headed birds native to Australia that are often mistaken for an owl due to their nocturnal habits and similar coloring. They are sometimes incorrectly referred to as "mopoke", a common name for...

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Archilochus colubris

The Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is a tiny colorful bird found in North America. It is by far the most common hummingbird seen east of the Mississippi River in North America.

Numbat

Myrmecobius fasciatus

The numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) is an insectivorous marsupial that was once widespread across southern Australia, but is now restricted to several small colonies in Western Australia. It is therefore considered an endangered species and protected...

Red-Bellied Black Snake

Pseudechis porphyriacus

The Red-bellied black snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) is a species of venomous snake native to Australia. Originally described by George Shaw in 1794 as a species new to science, it is one of eastern Australia's most commonly encountered snakes. It...

Little Brown Bat

Myotis lucifugus

The Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) is an endangered species of mouse-eared microbat found in North America. It is similar in appearance to several other mouse-eared bats, including the Indiana bat, Northern long-eared bat, and Arizona myotis,...

Little Brown Bat

Myotis lucifugus

Kitti's hog-nosed bat

Craseonycteris thonglongyai

Kitti's hog-nosed bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai ), also known as the bumblebee bat, is a near-threatened species of bat and the only extant member of the family Craseonycteridae. It occurs in western Thailand and southeast Myanmar, where it...

Short-Beaked Echidna

Tachyglossus aculeatus

The Short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is one of four living species of echidna. It is covered in fur and spines and has a distinctive snout and a specialized tongue, which it uses to catch its insect prey at a great speed. The...

Indian Star Tortoise

Geochelone elegans

The Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) is a threatened tortoise species. Its name comes from the star-like patterns that feature on its high-domed shell. Because of these very distinctive patterns and its highly rounded shell, the Indian star...

Gambian Pouched Rat

Cricetomys gambianus

The Gambian pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus) is a species of pouched rat of the giant pouched rat genus Cricetomys. It is among the largest muroids in the world, growing to about 0.9 m (3 ft) long, including the tail, which makes up half of its...

Etruscan Shrew

Suncus etruscus

The Etruscan shrew (Suncus etruscus) is the smallest known extant mammal by mass, weighing only about 1.8 g (0.063 oz) on average. It is characterized by very rapid movements and a fast metabolism, eating about 1.5-2 times its own body weight per...

Black-Chinned Hummingbird

Archilochus alexandri

Black-chinned hummingbirds (Archilochus alexandri) are small birds from North America. They are known as hummingbirds because of the humming sound created by their beating wings, which flap at high frequencies audible to other birds and humans.

Black-Tailed Prairie Dog

Cynomys ludovicianus

The black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus ) is a rodent of the family Sciuridae found in the Great Plains of North America from about the United States-Canada border to the United States-Mexico border. Unlike some other prairie dogs, these...

Southern Flying Squirrel

Glaucomys volans

The southern flying squirrel or the assapan (Glaucomys volans ) is one of three species of the genus Glaucomys and one of three flying squirrel species found in North America. It is found in deciduous and mixed woods in the eastern half of North...

Eastern deer Mouse

Peromyscus maniculatus

Endemic to North America, the Eastern deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) is one of the most common organisms of the biotic community in nearly all woodlands throughout the continent. However, even the most attentive observers often cannot spot this...

Monito Del Monte

Dromiciops gliroides

The “monkey of the mountains”, the Monito del monte (Dromiciops gliroides), is not a monkey. It is a South American marsupial and is often referred to as a “living fossil” because it is the only living member of Microbiotheria, an otherwise extinct...

Monito Del Monte

Dromiciops gliroides

Big Brown Bat

Eptesicus fuscus

The Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) is a species of vesper bat found throughout the Americas. It was first described as a species in 1796. Compared to other microbats, Big brown bats are relatively large and consume a diverse array of night-flying...

Paca

Cuniculus paca

The lowland paca (Cuniculus paca ), also known as the spotted paca, is a large rodent found in tropical and sub-tropical America, from east-central Mexico to northern Argentina, and has been introduced to Cuba and Algeria.The animal is called paca...

European nightjar

Caprimulgus europaeus

The European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus ), common goatsucker, Eurasian nightjar or just nightjar, is a crepuscular and nocturnal bird in the nightjar family that breeds across most of Europe and the Palearctic to Mongolia and Northwestern...

Madame Berthe's Mouse Lemur

Microcebus berthae

Madame Berthe's mouse lemur (Microcebus berthae ) or Berthe's mouse lemur is the smallest of the mouse lemurs and the smallest primate in the world; the average body length is 9.2 cm (3.6 in) and seasonal weight is around 30 g (1.1 oz). Microcebus...

Western Terrestrial Garter Snake

Thamnophis elegans

The western terrestrial garter snake (Thamnophis elegans ) is a western North American species of colubrid snake. At least five subspecies are currently recognized.

Lowland Streaked Tenrec

Hemicentetes semispinosus

The lowland streaked tenrec (Hemicentetes semispinosus ) is a small tenrec found in Madagascar. It belongs to the family Tenrecidae in the order Afrosoricida, and more specifically to the subfamily of the spiny tenrecs Tenrecinae. Its natural...

Antelope Jackrabbit

Lepus alleni

The antelope jackrabbit (Lepus alleni ) is a species of North American hare found in southern Arizona and northwestern Mexico that occupies dry desert areas.

Goodman's Mouse Lemur

Microcebus lehilahytsara

Goodman's mouse lemur (Microcebus lehilahytsara ) is a species of mouse lemur from the region near Andasibe in eastern Madagascar. The species is named in honor of primatologist Steven M. Goodman. "Lehilahytsara" is a combination of the Malagasy...

Glossy Snake

Arizona elegans

Arizona elegans is a species of medium-sized colubrid snake commonly referred to as the glossy snake or the faded snake, which is endemic to the southwestern United States and Mexico. It has several subspecies. Some have recommended that A. elegans...

Greater Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus ferrumequinum

The greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum ) is an insectivorous bat of the genus Rhinolophus. Its distribution covers Europe, Northern Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Asia. It is the largest of the horseshoe bats in Europe and is thus...

Violet-green swallow

Tachycineta thalassina

The violet-green swallow (Tachycineta thalassina ) is a small North American passerine bird in the swallow family. These aerial insectivores are distributed along the west coast from Alaska to Mexico, extending as far east as Montana and Texas. With...

Hoary Bat

Lasiurus cinereus

The hoary bat (Aeorestes cinereus ) is a species of bat in the vesper bat family, Vespertilionidae. It lives throughout most of North America (possibly including Hawaii, although this is disputed).

Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat

Lasiorhinus latifrons

The southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons ) is one of three extant species of wombats. It is found in scattered areas of semiarid scrub and mallee from the eastern Nullarbor Plain to the New South Wales border area. It is the smallest...

Common poorwill

Phalaenoptilus nuttallii

The common poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii ) is a nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae, the nightjars. It is found from British Columbia and southeastern Alberta, through the western United States to northern Mexico. The bird's habitat is...

Linnaeus's Two-Toed Sloth

Choloepus didactylus

Linnaeus's two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus ), also known as the southern two-toed sloth, unau, or Linne's two-toed sloth is a species of sloth from South America, found in Venezuela, the Guyanas, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil north of the...

Night Snake

Hypsiglena torquata

The night snake (Hypsiglena torquata ) is a species of rear-fanged colubrid. It is found from British Columbia, Canada through the western United States to Mexico.

Mountain Pygmy Possum

Burramys parvus

The mountain pygmy possum (Burramys parvus ); also simply known as the Burramys, is a small, mouse-sized (weighs 45 grams (1.6 oz)) nocturnal marsupial of Australia found in dense alpine rock screes and boulder fields, mainly southern Victoria and...

Costa's hummingbird

Calypte costae

Costa's hummingbird (Calypte costae ) is a bird species in the hummingbird family Trochilidae. It breeds in the arid region of the southwest United States and northwest Mexico; it winters in western Mexico.

Red-billed streamertail

Trochilus polytmus

The red-billed streamertail (Trochilus polytmus ), also known as the doctor bird, scissor-tail or scissors tail hummingbird, is indigenous to Jamaica, where it is the most abundant and widespread member of the hummingbird family. While most...

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