Aestivation is a state of animal 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.
Theba pisana snails aestivating on Foeniculum vulgare in Montbazin, France
Introduced Theba pisana snails aestivating on a row of fence posts in Kadina, South Australia
Numerous individuals of the snail Cernuella virgata aestivating on a wire fence near Glanum, in the south of France.
Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It most commonly occurs during winter months.
Northern bat hibernating in Norway
Bats hibernating in a silver mine
Groundhog gathering nesting material for its warm burrow in preparation for hibernation