Aestivation Aestivation Aestivation or æstivation (from , summer, but also spelled estivation in American English) is a state of animal dormancy, similar to hibernation, characterized by inactivity and a lowered metabolic rate, that is entered in response to high temperatures and arid conditions. It takes place during times of heat and dryness, the hot dry season, which are often the summer months. Invertebrate and vertebrate animals are known to enter this state to avoid damage from high temperatures and the risk of desiccation. Both terrestrial and aquatic animals undergo aestivation. The fossil record suggests that aestivation may have evolved several hundred
The Summer of the Ubume The Summer of the Ubume The Summer of the Ubume (姑獲鳥の夏, "Ubume no natsu") is a Japanese novel by Natsuhiko Kyogoku. It is Kyogoku’s first novel, and the first entry in his Kyōgōkudō series about atheist onmyōji Akihiko "Kyōgōkudō" Chūzenji. It has been turned into a live-action feature film. "The Summer of the Ubume" is told from the perspective of freelance writer Tatsumi Sekiguchi, who is investigating rumors of a woman at the Kuonji Clinic who has remained pregnant for twenty months after the disappearance of her husband. He seeks advice and help from his close friend Akihiko Chuzenji, whom