Independent Learning Log 3 By Gavin Tay (11)

Date: 7/6/16

Source: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160513-when-confronted-with-a-raging-wildfire-echidnas-go-to-sleep

What I did:

I was looking through BBC, when I came across an interesting article called: When confronted with a raging wildfire, echidnas go to sleep.

What I learnt:

- When encountering a wildfire, most animals would run, however, this animal would just simply do nothing
- These short-beaked echidnas, odd little hedgehog-like critters that lay egg instead of live young, can enter an inactive state called torpor.
- When in torpor, echidnas reduce their metabolic rate and lower their body temperature
-  Edchinas often nest underground in burrows or inside fallen logs, which protects them from heat of the flames.
- Edchinas mostly eat ants, and any six-legged insects either flee or get roasted by the flames.
- Torpor does not work everytime

Summary:
This article is about an animal called echidnas surviving bushfires by entering an inactive state called torpor.