Researchers recently found that feeding arctic ground squirrels special diets, specifically "omega-3 fatty acids that are common in flax seeds and fish oil," help the said animals warmer while in deep hibernation.
A University of Alaska Fairbanks-led research fed ground squirrels a diet rich in omega-3s, or a normal lab diet, and gauged how animals are hibernating afterward.
Study investigators discovered that the omega-3 diet helped the squirrels hibernate slightly warmer than typical without adversely impacting hibernation.
Essentially, the omega-3 diets increase as well, the amount of heat-generating fat, also known as "brown adipose tissue," which animals are packing on.
According to a report from Phys.org, such a discovery could contribute to more insights into how hibernation works and the reason animals are eating certain types of foods. This research was published in the Scientific Reports on January 14.
Importance of Fat in Hibernation
Monica Mikes, who, at the time of the said research, was a UAF undergraduate researcher and a scholar in the Biomedical Learning and Student Training Program of the university, said, "Arctic ground squirrels have an inborn ability" to survive cruel "subzero temperatures" for an unbelievable amount of time.
Mike, who co-designed the study too, noted that the animals could take their body temperature below freezing.
The manner hibernators control body temperature has captivated the study authors for more than one century. More so, the type of fat they consume, the team said, "might have something to do with that.
Current studies have discovered that omega-3s can impact metabolism in non-hibernating animals. Because wild hibernators are known to consume diets filled with omega-3 foods, the study investigators wanted to find out if those animals benefited from consuming such diets.
The study's lead author, Sarah Rice, who, at the time of the research, was a PhD student at the Institute of Arctic Biology of the UAF said, fat is incredibly essential in hibernation.
Rice added, not only do these animals depend on their fat stores, although more people investigate specific fat types, "the more they realize specific types of fat" that can help control and signal the body to perform specific things.
Omega-6 'Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids'
Researchers know hibernators are specifically seeking out and storing polyunsaturated fatty acids, also known as PUFAs, before they hibernate.
While omega-6 PUFAs have been studied well in terms of hibernation. They are also known for their ability to drop temperature; omega 3s have been less investigated.
As arctic ground squirrels are experiencing life-threatening cold in their natural dens, consuming more omega-3s to help increase brown adipose tissue may contribute to defense against the extreme cold in the wild.
Study investigators in this study did not examine which foods might offer ground squirrels in the wild having such omega-3s.
Commenting on their finding, Rice said, people know consuming omega-3s like fish oil is good for the health. Seemingly, she added, "squirrels may realize this, as well," and it may have specialized impacts for hibernators.
Animalia describes ground squirrels as "omnivores" that primarily eat insects, eggs of birds, and at times, each other's young during the spring.
And during winter, they eat berries, seeds, mushrooms, mosses, and lichens are also added to their food consumption.
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