Possum Breaks Record With Year-Long Snooze

New Scientist ^ | 10-14-2007

[blam]

Possum breaks record with year-long snooze

14 October 2007
NewScientist.com news service

A possum has set an enviable record for doing absolutely nothing. After stuffing itself full of food in a laboratory, one curled up and hibernated for a record 367 days.

Some mammals, such as ground squirrels, hibernate for up to six months through winter, while a western jumping mouse (Zapus princeps) once hibernated for 320 days in a lab. That record has now been smashed by an Australian eastern pygmy possum (Cercartetus nanus) in Fritz Geiser's lab at the University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales (Naturwissenschaften, DOI: 10.1007/s00114-007-0274-7).

It used just one-fourtieth of the energy it does while awake, which probably allows the possum to survive lean times in Australia's unpredictable climate, says Geiser.

[blam]

Some normal daily sleep times:

* Humans = 8.0
* Cats = 16 hours
* Elephants = 3.0 hours
* possums = 18.0 hours
* Dogs = 10.0 hours
* Horses = Horses typically spend anywhere from four to fifteen hours a day in standing rest, and anywhere from minutes to several hours lying down. Only part of that is actual sleep time, taken in brief naps that last a few minutes each. The daily total sleep time for an adult horse may range from a few minutes to a couple of hours. Foals and young horses, like other youngsters, sleep more, more deeply, and more often than adults.

[Hoodlum91]

I bet I could beat it.

[weegee]

It’s in a coma.

[Slapshot68]

“A possum has set an enviable record for doing absolutely nothing”

The possum has nothing on Congressional Democrats.

[Red Badger]

Any American teenager could top that!...............

[dakine]

“After stuffing itself full of food in a laboratory, one curled up and hibernated for a record 367 days.”

This years Thanksgiving goal!

[ClearCase_guy]

At the other end of the spectrum:

[sportutegrl]

Maybe he was just playing possum.

[Thrownatbirth]

“A possum has set an enviable record for doing absolutely nothing”

If your species is only ubiquitous as roadkill, it might be a pretty good idea.

[WesternPacific]

The possum has nothing on Congressional Democrats.

The word possum is the new euphemism for politicians in general, not just democrats.

[DallasMike]

Dogs sleep 10-14 hours per day. Our Chihuahua, who is a very good dog and not yippy at all, is at the upper limit of that range.

[Clintons Are White Trash]

My daughters loser boyfriend could top that....

[MomwithHope]

Mine is closer to 14 also and he is a little guy, 9 1/2 lbs. He’s a 3/4 Maltese/Yorkie mix. I’ve never seen a dog who sleeps so much.

[6SJ7]

After stuffing itself full of food in a laboratory, one curled up and hibernated for a record 367 days.

That must have made for exciting lab notes.
Day 273: subject possum observed sleeping
Day 274: subject possum observed sleeping
Day 275: subject possum observed sleeping
Day 276: subject possum observed sleeping
Day 277: subject possum observed sleeping
Day 278: Poke possum with stick to see if alive. Possum twitched; rolled over.
Day 279: subject possum observed sleeping
Day 280: subject possum observed sleeping


[Darksheare]

“Hey doc, where are we gonna rig these moitor leads on this possum?”
Possum passes out upon hearing answer.

[6SJ7]

When the possum wakes up, it can be the main even at the annual Possum Drop.

[Darksheare]

Doubt he’d even wake up for that.

[dead]

He’s pining for the fjords.