# life: apropos of tricks, 'torpor', a survival strategy not as rare as previously thought

<< Life is hard for small animals in the wild, but they have many solutions to the challenges of their environment. One of the most fascinating of these strategies is torpor. Not, to be confused with sleep or Sunday afternoon lethargy, torpor is a complex response to the costs of living. >>

<<  Once thought to occur only in birds and mammals in the Northern Hemisphere where winters are more pronounced, (AA) now know torpor is widespread in small Australian mammals, and has also been observed in many small Australian bird species. >>

<<  The question people often ask about torpor, is "can humans do it?" Interestingly, some small primates have been observed using torpor. While it is technically possible to induce torpor in humans chemically, torpor is a very complex physiological process, and there are many aspects of it scientists still don't fully understand. >>

Chris Wacker. Torpor: a neat survival trick once thought rare in Australian animals is actually widespread. The Conversation. Dec 29, 2020. 

https://theconversation.com/torpor-a-neat-survival-trick-once-thought-rare-in-australian-animals-is-actually-widespread-146409

https://phys.org/news/2020-12-torpor-neat-survival-thought-rare.html    

Also

Hrvatin S., Sun S., Wilcox OF et al. Neurons that regulate mouse torpor. Nature 583, 115–121. doi: 10.1038/ s41586-020-2387-5. Jun 11, 2020.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2387-5

Takahashi TM, Sunagawa GA, et al. A discrete neuronal circuit induces a hibernation-like state in rodents. Nature 583, 109–114. doi: 10.1038/ s41586-020-2163-6. Jun 11, 2020.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2163-6