Sources: Why don’t hibernating animals get thirsty? by Imma Perfetto

In the unforgiving, frigid winters of North America, many species rely on hibernation to survive. But with this comes dangerous concerns. Of those, thirst is an obvious flaw of hibernation. Striped gophers, however, completely negate this issue with a clever psychological trick.

During hibernation, striped gophers greatly reduce the activity of the neurons in their brain responsible for thirst. They also have other ways of dealing with thirst during hibernation, including the releasing of urine reducing hormones and the transitioning between the two physiological states of torpor and interbout arousal.

While in the state of torpor, the striped gopher is inactive, with low body temperatures of two to four degrees Celsius. Their metabolism is greatly suppressed while in this state. The gopher remains in this condition for several weeks. Then, it transitions to spontaneous one to two day periods of movement inside its burrow, its body temperature rising to about thirty seven degrees Celsius. “We propose that squirrels use a two-pronged strategy to optimize water conservation while minimizing thirst,” says the authors of a paper detailing the study on the hibernation of striped gophers.

Another strategy used by striped gophers to conserve water is the release of hormones. In temperatures under ten Celsius, neurons in charge of producing antidiuretic hormones activate, reducing the gopher’s urination.

According to Cosmos Magazine, the gopher can be found almost everywhere in grasslands and prairies in North America. They are active during warmer months, eating and drinking as much as possible. But during hibernation, which can last up to eight months, striped gophers avoid food and water entirely.