Summary: What is and examples

Summary is defined as A period of inactivity or latency status given in times of considerable increases in temperatures or water deficit (droughts). It consists of a survival strategy used by some groups of organisms, which allows them subsist in the face of unfavorable climatic conditions. In this state, various species decrease their activity slowing down its metabolism:

• They immobilize your body (hence the term coined: sleeping).
• They decrease heart rate.
• They do not feed.
• They avoid the loss of water through different mechanisms.

We already mentioned in the previous section that there are several species that summarize, but not all do it in the same way:

Summary in invertebrate animals

How do the snails summarize? Some invertebrate animals like snails summarize During the dry times. The species Lymnaea Viaatrix It is a folk water snail found in temporary flooding areas such as ponds.

During the summer months it is usually exposed to very high temperatures so is buried in the substrateenters a state of latency and thus resists desiccation, since moisture is one of the main necessary survival factors for this species. In addition, certain periods outside the water can survive secreting a roof on the opening of your shell avoiding dehydration In this way.

Summary in fish

In the case of fish, there is a species that is stated in a drought time and can Live wrapped in mud For a year, it is the African pulmoned fish (Protopterus aethiopicus). If you want to know more about the fish with lungs: characteristics, habitat and behavior, do not hesitate to take a look at the following article.

Estivation in amphibians

The amphibians, mainly those that inhabit arid and semi -arid areas, use summoning as Ecophysiological strategywhich allows them to better adapt to these ecosystems. An example is the frogs of the Australian desert of the genres: Neobatrachus, Cychlorana and HELEIOPORUS, Those who during summation suffer considerable dehydration, accumulate high urea concentrations and maintain osmotic pressure.

Other species that practice summoning are:

• THE SAPO OF THE PLANS (Anaxyrus Cognatus): from northern Mexico.
• The common frog (Pelophylax Perezi): Endemic of the Iberian Peninsula and the south of France.
• The toads of Couch (Scaphiopus Couchii): Native of the United States.

These species take refuge for prolonged periods Buying on the floor or in caves. Particularly, the spur toad, can subsist up to 3 years without leaving its burrow.

Have you ever heard of the “frog rains”? After the summary summer months, during the first autumn rains, numerous specimens of common frog leave their shelters (Pelophylax Perezi) that accumulate causing this particular phenomenon.

Summary in reptiles

On the other hand, within the group of reptiles some snakes that live in deserts such as Beat snake (Crotalus Scutulatus) They hide under the earth during the warmer periods. Some fresh water turtles that inhabit temporary ponds are located under mud or leaf litter until their habitat takes up the original humidity conditions.

In some places in summer the temperatures are very high and some groups, such as reptiles and amphibians, cannot regulate their body temperature (ectoterms) and They can suffer hyperthermia: That is, by not being able to “perspire” as do mammals and thus decrease their body temperature by evaporation, they can die for a heat stroke.

As previously mentioned, in response to this problem, they develop strategies such as summoning. It should be clarified that in those places where the temperature is maintained according to their needs, there are species that do not establish or hibernate. And now you will wonder, what is hibernation?

Unlike summation, there is another lethargy process called hibernation, which occurs In the coldest times of the yearmainly in ectoterms and some mammals. When the temperature begins in the environment. These animals experience physiological changes: its metabolism decreases, its heart rate is reduced and its body temperature can descend to 10º C entering a state of hypothermia.

Certain species such as marmotes (Marmota Monax), they feed a lot at the end of summer storing large amounts of fat They use as energy during hibernation. On the other hand, although it is common to hear that brown bears and black bears hibernate, this is not so, since they simply enter a long period of sleep from which they can easily awaken; that is to say that they fail to enter hypothermia and their body temperature only descends a few degrees.

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