By feeding arctic ground squirrels special diets, researchers have found that omega-3 fatty acids, common in flax seed and fish oil, help keep the animals warmer in deep hibernation.
By feeding arctic ground squirrels special diets, researchers have found that omega-3 fatty acids, common in flax seed and fish oil, help keep the animals warmer in deep hibernation.
A University of Alaska Fairbanks-led study fed ground squirrels either a diet high in omega-3s or a normal laboratory diet, and measured how the animals hibernated afterward. Researchers found that the omega-3 diet helped the animals hibernate a little warmer than normal without negatively affecting hibernation. The omega-3 diets also increased the amount of a heat-producing fat, called brown adipose tissue, the animals pack on.
The discovery could add more understanding about how hibernation works and why animals eat some types of foods. The study was published Jan. 14 in the journal Scientific Reports.
“Arctic ground squirrels have an innate ability to withstand harsh subzero temperatures for an incredible amount of time,” says Monica Mikes, who at the time of the study was an undergraduate researcher at UAF and a scholar in the university’s Biomedical Learning and Student Training program.
Read more at University of Alaska Fairbanks
Image: Two wild arctic ground squirrels touch noses in the northern Brooks Range during summer. (Credit: Photo by Rhiannan William)
