Barbara Helen Petitt, age 11, Houston, Texas,

Why do animals hibernate?

This question comes up in the fall when many animals are getting ready for their long winter sleep, Most people think that these creatures doze away the winter only to escape the cold weather, There is evidence to show that this may be just one of several reasons. Most hibernating animals depend a great deal upon insects for food. Frogs feed on insects and snakes feed on the frogs that feed on the insects. And insects, as everyone knows, are plentiful in the summer and scarce in the winter. It may well be that shortage of winter food is the main reason why certain animals go into hibernation.

There may also be other reasons which we do not fully understand; Frogs have, been taken. from their pad.  This included plenty of flies and insects for food Even so the funny fellows dozed away part of the winter. True, they stayed alert for some of the time and even woke up from time to time. But they seemed to need rest periods which they do not get in the summer.,

After all a frog does not get much rest in the summers All day he is busy swimming, sun bathing, catching insects and dodging his enemies. When night falls, he cannot resist raising his voice to swell the merry chorus with his croaking friends. Maybe certain animals need to rest up during the winter for the busy summer ahead.

So, food shortage and the need for a long rest also may be good reasons for hibernation. Certainly cold weather is not the only reasons. For some animals go into a summer sleep, This. summer sleep is called aestivation to distinguish it from the winter sleep of hibernation. In certain parts of the world, crocodiles, alligators, frogs and even snails to into a deep summer sleep.  ‑

These animals need water or moist air conditions to make them comfortable. When streams dry up, crocodiles and alligators dig themselves the mud and fall asleep. Certain frogs of Australia do the same thing. They have been found a foot down in dry caked mud. Each was fast asleep in a round hole lined with moist slime.

Any snail seals his door with a papery film in dry weather. He is asleep inside, saving what moisture he can. The raindrops tap on his shell and wake him up to come out and enjoy a new spell of damp weather. A certain Egyptian snail can sleep for years. One of these fellows, thought to be dead, was taken to the British Museum, given a label and put on show. Four years later, someone noticed a trail of slime, Mr. Sleepyhead was merely waking up after a long rest. He soon revived when they gave him a moist, warm home,

All these facts seem to show that there are several reasons why certain animals fall into a long, deep sleep. They may be avoiding uncomfortable hot, dry or cold weather and also a food shortage. But it could be that they simply need a long rest and are sensible enough to chose the worst season of the year in which to enjoy it. We have not yet solved all the mysteries of hibernation or migration in the animal kingdom.