A state of prolonged dormancy that some animals enter during winter months, characterized by dramatically reduced metabolic rate, body temperature, breathing, and heart rate. This adaptation helps animals survive when food is scarce and temperatures are extreme.
From Latin 'hibernus' meaning of winter, from 'hiems' meaning winter season. The biological term emerged in the 1600s as naturalists observed animals disappearing during cold months and began understanding this as an active survival strategy rather than simple inactivity.
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