Aestivation

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Aestivation (Latin: aestas (summer); also estivation in American English) is a state of animal or plant dormancy, similar to hibernation, although taking place in the summer rather than the winter. Aestivation is characterized by inactivity and a lowered metabolic rate, that is entered in response to high temperatures and arid conditions. It takes place during times of heat and dryness, which are often the summer months. Invertebrate and vertebrate animals enter an aestivating state to avoid damage from high temperatures and the risk of desiccation. Both land-dwelling and aquatic animals undergo aestivation, as do many plants, such as Cyclamen, which have foliage and flowers in the winter, and become dormant in the summer. Fossil records suggest that aestivation may have evolved several hundred million years ago.

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