Interest in animals and in their habitat will never die away. This subject is always loved and popular. But paradox: the people learn about habits of animals and birds more, the more questions at them appear. For example, which of animals sleeps standing?
Standing the giraffe - the myth or reality sleeps?One of the most popular beliefs is a myth that standing the giraffe sleeps. There is an opinion that if the giraffe lays down, then because of the long neck will not be able to rise. It's not true. The giraffe sleeps exactly lying. And he bends the neck so that the head could be put on hind legs. To go to bed, he at first kneels, then on a breast, and then on a stomach.
Interesting fact: all process of laying takes only 15-20 seconds giraffes. And entire period of a dream: 2 hours a day.
Dream in the world of birdsStanding many of birds sleep. For example, the birds living in water: herons, flamingo. For them the quiet dream is possible only at a tension of muscles of legs which helps them to keep balance. At the same time birds can periodically draw in one, other leg. So they give less heat. And penguins can sleep standing. In hard frosts the penguins get off in dense pack and sleep standing, having nestled to each other. Besides here the self-preservation instinct works.
How do wild and domestic horses sleep?In the wild nature of a horse, just as zebras sleep standing. An opportunity it being necessary to sleep them it is vital: at any dangerous moment the herd can instantly dart off. In herd of a horse sleep in turn tight. The others only doze at this time. In house conditions there is no danger, and horses, as a rule, are put to bed on the earth.
Time of a dream of horses of 6-8 hours in day (including both a somnolence, and a deep sleep).
How does the elephant sleep?Surprisingly, but elephants sleep standing. Only absolutely little elephant calves sleep lying on one side, and adults gather and become closely to each other. Only after that fill up. Old elephants to keep balance, put the tusks on branches of trees. In a question: "Why they so sleep?" - opinions of scientists were shared. Some consider that the self-preservation instinct works besides: in case of danger it will be difficult for such big and clumsy animal to rise quickly from the earth. Others say that an instinct it being necessary to sleep, to elephants got from their far ancestors – mammoths who in cold conditions just would freeze if slept lying. Anyway, the fact remains: elephants sleep standing.
Not enough time for a dream is necessary to an elephant: only 2-3 hours a day.
Apparently, in fauna there are not much representatives who sleep standing. And if they do it, then, as a rule, only on very good reasons.