Aestivation

Aestivation is a dormant state in which an animal reduces activity and metabolism to survive prolonged heat or drought. It commonly occurs during hot, dry seasons.

Metabolic rate: The rate at which an organism uses energy through biochemical processes. Reducing metabolic rate lets aestivating animals spend less energy while conditions limit food and water.
African lungfish: A freshwater fish native to Africa that can survive drought by burrowing into mud and forming a mucus cocoon. Its cocoon and prolonged inactivity are a well-studied example of aestivation during habitat drying.
Drought: A prolonged period of unusually low precipitation that causes water shortages. Drought removes water and food resources, often triggering aestivation.
Hibernation: A prolonged state of reduced activity and metabolism that helps animals survive cold seasons. Hibernation is chiefly associated with cold, whereas aestivation is associated with heat or drought.
Seasonal reproduction: The timing of reproductive activity to recurring environmental conditions. Aestivation can delay activity and reproduction until rain or favorable temperatures return.
Evaporative cooling: Heat loss caused when liquid water evaporates from a surface. Aestivation often limits water loss, so animals cannot rely freely on evaporative cooling.
Garden snail: A land snail that can seal its shell opening and become inactive during hot, dry conditions. Sealing the shell opening helps limit water loss during summer aestivation.
Heat stress: A condition in which heat exposure pushes an organism beyond its capacity to maintain normal function. Aestivation helps animals avoid the physiological costs of sustained high temperatures.
Brumation: A period of reduced activity in ectothermic animals, typically during cold conditions. Brumation describes cold-season inactivity in many reptiles and amphibians, unlike hot-season aestivation.
Climate change and animal dormancy: The effects of changing climate on the timing, duration, and success of animal dormancy. Shifts in heat and rainfall can alter the conditions that trigger or sustain aestivation.

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