Squirrels don’t feel cold

/in /by

Scientists studying hibernating rodents, squirrels and hamsters, have found they have evolved cold-sensing nerve cells with a reduced capability to detect temperatures below 20 degrees celsius, which allows their body temperature to drop for long periods of time without causing them to be stressed by the cold conditions, thus causing their seasonal nap. These two rodents do not feel cold in the same way as rats or mice do. All rodents sense cold, but they found that the nerve cells responsible for awareness of touch, pressure, pain and temperature in these two rodents take a lot more to be activated. During hibernation, animals experience lower body temperature, slower breathing and heart rate, and decreased metabolic activity. These two rodents are deep hibernators whereas bears have periods of inactivity and metabolic suppression rather than complete body temperature drop.

gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/squirrels-dont-feel-cold-randy-bilesky/?published=t

http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-squirrels-don-t-feel-cold-1.23128322