body fat
dr. dolittle | July 9, 2016 Image of common hamster by katanski - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10550799
During hibernation common hamsters (Cricetus cricetus) alternate their time between bouts of torpor during which their metabolic rate drops and body temperature is low and arousal during which body temperature is normal. Hibernation allows animals to conserve energy although it is not without costs as it often results in memory deficits, cell damage and reduced immune function. Thus some studies have suggested that animals with sufficient food stores will not undergo…