dhibernation

Dhibernation is a term used to describe a state of prolonged, reversible metabolic depression in certain endothermic animals, a concept most scientists recognize as hibernation. Although not widely used in scientific literature, the term may appear in some sources to denote the same adaptive strategy: entering a low-energy state to survive periods of cold or food scarcity.

In true hibernation, the animal lowers its metabolic rate, body temperature, heart rate, and respiration to conserve energy. Body temperature can fall toward ambient temperatures; metabolic processes slow dramatically, allowing survival for days or weeks without eating. Fat reserves, especially brown adipose tissue, provide fuel and heat for periodic arousals to rewarm the body.

Different species display varying forms. True hibernation occurs in many small mammals such as ground squirrels, dormice, bats, and some marmots. Bears and some large mammals undergo extended torpor but do not reach the low body temperatures of true hibernation; their arousals and metabolic suppression are less extreme. Some animals enter daily torpor rather than long-term hibernation, depending on ecological conditions.

Entry and arousal are tightly regulated by hormonal and neurological signals responding to environmental cues like daylight length and temperature, as well as internal energy stores. Arousal phases, though energetically costly, are necessary to restore immune function, kidney function, and other homeostatic processes.

Research on hibernation/dhibernation informs physiology, energy metabolism, and potential medical applications such as organ preservation and space biology. Ethical and ecological considerations address how these strategies evolved and vary across species and environments.