Tikimu's letter
When we play in the cold weather v.e use a great deal of energy in order to keep warm. In winter, we need more food to maintain our energy and high body temperature. But for animals food is scarce at this season. Seme have to hunt constantly. Others find a snug little hideaway where they stay all winter. We call this hibernation.
In New Zealand, the frog, the bat, the lizard, the tuatara, and the hedgehog hibernate. The frog’s body temperature varies with the temperature of its surroundings: when it becomes colder, the frog dives into the mud and hides there. It has a slow heart beat and it breathes through its skin.
The hedgehog, when active, has a high body temperature, but as winter approaches its body becomes colder. This tells it to find a comfortable nest where it can hibernate. During hibernation it may breathe once or twice every five minutes and its heart will beat four or five times a minute. When spring comes the warmth stirs the hedgehog and it comes out fo find food.
W’hile the frog and hedgehog are hibernating they live on their body fat which has been stored over the summer. If you pick them up they will not awaken as they cannot feel. How’ever, if these animals are warmed, they may be roused. There are other animals, such as the bear, which do not really hibernate but have a long winter sleep. Their body temperature does not drop much and they can be easily disturbed. They are able to live on their body fat also. The practice of slowing dow n body processes, such as the heart beat and breathing, is made use of in our hospitals. If a patient needs a heart operation, his body is cooled to a low temperature and his heart is stopped. This method gives the surgeon more time for operating. Dropping the body temperature is called hypo-thermia.
Most mammals have a normal body temperature of about 36deg. Centigrade and birds have one of about 47deg Centigrade. Do you know 7 what your own body temperature is? And can you guess what it would be for the frog?
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Bibliographic details
Press, 29 July 1976, Page 5
Word Count
364Tikimu's letter Press, 29 July 1976, Page 5
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