Aestivation

Hey kiddo, have you ever heard of hibernation? That's when animals sleep through the winter to save their energy, but do you know that there's something called aestivation, too? Aestivation is kinda like hibernation, but it's when animals sleep through the hot summer months.

When it gets super hot outside, some animals don't want to use too much energy trying to find food and water or trying to stay cool. So, they go into a long sleep-like state called aestivation. They basically shut down their body and slow everything down to save energy.

Some animals that use aestivation include snails, turtles, and even some types of fish. They find a safe and cool place to rest and take it easy for a few months.

Just like hibernation, aestivation is a way for animals to survive in really tough conditions. So, even when it seems like they're sleeping all the time, they're actually just being really smart about their energy use!