Aestivation, similar to hibernation, is a state where animals suspend their physical activities and functioning for a period of time. Unlike hibernation, animals go through the process of aestivation in summer.
Also read | What are Monarch butterflies? Why are they going extinct?
Animals generally have lowered metabolic rates and physical inactivity, as a response to high temperatures and dry weather conditions. Animals such as lungfish, Bogong moth, snails of certain regions, California tiger salamander, North American desert tortoise, spotted turtle, water-holding frog, and many more species go through a state of aestivation.
Also read | Explained: Why some animals get COVID-19 but not others
Aestivation is also called %u2018summer sleep%u2019. In the field of botany, it is also sometimes referred to as prefoliation or praefoliation.
