brumation
Meanings
noun
- A lethargic state that some ectothermic animals, such as many reptiles, assume during cold conditions. Partly analogous to hibernation, but physiological differences include that brumation does not depend on stored fat, but rather on reduced metabolic activity.
Word forms
Etymology
From Latin brūma (“winter solstice”) + -tiō, by analogy with hibernation.
Related words
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