Table II.
Types of torpor in invertebrates and reptiles
| Torpor type | Description | Example Organisms | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diapause | Developmental arrest in response to unfavorable environmental conditions that result in low availability of food. | Nematodes: Caenohrabditis elegans | [92] |
| Insects: Drosophila and Lymantria | [93] | ||
| Rotifers: Brachionus plicatilus | |||
| Earthworms: Lumbricus terrestris | |||
| Crustaceans: Artemia franciscana | |||
| Terrestrial Gastropods: Helix spp. | |||
| Estivation | Metabolic arrest in response to high temperatures and low availability of water. | African lungfish, Prototerus spp. | [94] |
| Salamanders, Siren lacertina | [95] | ||
| Land snails, Otala lactea | [96] | ||
| Edible dormice, Glis glis | [91] | ||
| Brumation (Reptiles only) | Period of lowered metabolism and reduced physical activity in response to cold temperature and reduced food availability. | Cottonmouth snake, Agkistrodon piscivorous leucostoma | [97] |
| Western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis | [98] | ||
| Anhydrobiosis | An extremely dehydrated state in which an animal shows no signs of metabolism but can quickly return to normal metabolic activity in the presence of water. | African midges, Polypedilum vanderplanki | [99] |
| Anaerobiosis | Reduction of metabolic activity in response to hypoxic environments. | Daphnia Drosophila C. elegans | [100] |