Estivation

Bearded Dragon, Pogona vitticeps

Another major form of dormancy, estivation is similar to the metabolic and temporal reduction of hibernation, but used by species found in dry, hot environments. It is a state of aerobic hypometabolism where those species retreat to estivate in sheltered sites. They are active for a set period of time during the year, sometimes only a few weeks, to feed and breed. One characteristic factor of estivation is the methods of water retention both physically and metabolically. Balancing water retention could be a change of concentration in the urine, it could be the burrow construction, or it could be taking advantage of the environment to prevent dehydration.