Interest in animals and their habitat will never fade away. This topic is always loved and popular. But the paradox: the more people learn about the habits of animals and birds, the more questions they have. For example, which animal sleeps while standing?
Standing sleeping giraffe - myth or reality?
One of the most common misconceptions is the myth that a giraffe is sleeping while standing. There is an opinion that if the giraffe lies down, then because of its long neck it will not be able to rise. This is not true. The giraffe sleeps lying down. And he bends his neck so that his head could be put on his hind legs. To go to bed, he first kneels, then on his chest, and then on his stomach.
Interesting fact: the whole process of laying down for giraffes takes only 15-20 seconds. And the entire sleep period: 2 hours a day.
Sleep in the world of birds
Many of the birds sleep while standing. For example, birds living in the water: herons, flamingos. For them, restful sleep is possible only with the tension of the muscles of the legs, which helps them to maintain balance. At the same time, birds can periodically squeeze one or the other leg. This way they give off less heat. And penguins can sleep while standing. In severe frosts, penguins huddle in a dense flock and sleep standing, huddled to each other. Again, the instinct of self-preservation is at work here.
How do wild and domestic horses sleep?
In the wild, horses, like zebras, sleep while standing. The ability to sleep while standing is vital for them: at any dangerous moment, the herd can instantly jump off the spot. In the herd, the horses sleep soundly in turn. The rest at this time only doze. At home, there is no danger, and horses usually go to sleep on the ground.
Horses sleep 6-8 hours per day (including naps and deep sleep).
How does an elephant sleep?
Surprisingly, elephants sleep standing up. Only very small elephants sleep lying on their side, while adults gather together and stand close to each other. Only after that do they fall asleep. Old elephants put their tusks on tree branches to keep their balance. In the question: "Why do they sleep like that?" - the opinions of scientists were divided. Some believe that the instinct of self-preservation is again at work: in case of danger, it will be difficult for such large and clumsy animals to quickly rise from the ground. Others say that the instinct to sleep while standing, the elephants inherited from their distant ancestors - mammoths, which in cold conditions would simply freeze if they slept lying down. Be that as it may, the fact remains: elephants sleep standing up.
An elephant needs very little time to sleep: only 2-3 hours a day.
As you can see, there are not so many representatives in the animal world who sleep while standing. And if they do it, then, as a rule, only for very good reasons.
