Daytime Dozing: Which Animals Sleep Through The Day?

Animals have diverse sleep habits, with some sleeping for only a few hours a day, while others spend up to 20 hours a day asleep. Captive koalas, for instance, sleep for up to 22 hours a day, while wild koalas sleep for around 14 hours. Sloths, armadillos, bats, and cats are also known for their long sleep durations, with some sleeping for up to 16-20 hours daily. On the other hand, animals like sheep, giraffes, and elephants are considered some of nature's most successful power nappers, with elephants sleeping for an average of just two hours per day.

Captive koalas sleep up to 22 hours a day

Captive koalas have been known to sleep for up to 22 hours a day, leaving just two hours for activity. This is in stark contrast to the common perception of sloths as the laziest animal. While koalas sleep so much, they are not lazy. Their diet of eucalyptus leaves is hard to digest and provides little energy output, so they need this rest to conserve energy. In fact, koalas and gliders are the only mammals that can tolerate the toxins in gum leaves.

In the wild, koalas sleep for closer to 14 hours a day, but they also fit in five hours of relaxation. This means that wild koalas are still sleeping for up to 19 hours a day. The average lifespan of a koala in the wild is about 10 years, but in zoos, where they receive regular veterinary attention and don't have to search for food, they can live much longer. The oldest koala on record was a female called Sarah, who lived to 23 years old at Lone Pine Sanctuary in Queensland, Australia.

Koalas are not permitted to be kept as pets anywhere in the world. They are wild animals and are better off in their natural habitat of eucalyptus forests. The only people who are allowed to have a koala in their possession, other than suitably authorised zoos, are scientists and people caring for sick, injured, or orphaned joeys (baby koalas). These carers must have a special permit and return the animals to the wild as soon as they are ready.

The Australian Koala Foundation's research indicates that the koala is at risk of extinction. In contrast to the millions of koalas that were thought to be present at the time of European settlement, the AKF believes that there could be fewer than 80,000 remaining today, possibly as few as 43,000.

Sloths sleep up to 20 hours a day

Sloths are one of the slowest-moving animals on Earth, and they also sleep a lot. On average, sloths sleep for about 15 hours a day. However, some estimates put this number at 18 to 20 hours, which is closer to the amount of sleep that captive koalas get. In the wild, koalas sleep for about 14 hours a day, but they also fit in five hours of relaxation.

Sloths are mammals that live in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. They spend most of their time curled up or hanging upside down from branches. In fact, sloths will sleep, eat, mate, and even give birth upside down! Sloths are mostly nocturnal, sleeping during the day and waking up at night to eat.

The reason sloths sleep so much may have to do with their diet. They eat leaves, fruit, and some select fresh green shoots, although they are mostly herbivorous. Their diet is low in calories, and they have very slow metabolisms to match. Their metabolic rate is only about 40-45% of what would be typical for their body weight. This means that sloths need to be frugal with their energy use, so they move slowly and don't wander far from their small home ranges.

The algae that grow on their coarse fur may also play a role in their sleep habits. The green tint of the algae helps sloths blend in with their leafy surroundings, but it also attracts ticks, mites, beetles, moths, and other creepy crawlies. This little ecosystem is so unique that some species, like the sloth moth, live exclusively on sloth fur!

While sloths may be known for their lazy reputation, they are actually quite strong. They use their 3- to 4-inch-long claws and teeth to defend themselves against predators such as jaguars and eagles. And despite their slow movements on land, sloths are surprisingly nimble in the water, using a doggy paddle to move around.

Bats sleep for 19.9 hours a day

Bats are known for their long sleep patterns, with some sources claiming they sleep for up to 20 hours a day. Bats are nocturnal, which means they are most active at night and sleep during the day. This behaviour is likely an adaptation to avoid predators, as the darkness of night provides some protection from them.

Bats typically emerge from their roosts at dusk to search for food and water. They feed for about an hour or two, then rest before feeding again before dawn. Bats return to their roosts in the early morning, usually spending the daytime hours inside a secluded shelter, hanging upside down, grooming, sleeping, and socialising.

The little brown bat (*Myotis lucifugus*) and the big brown bat (*Eptesicus fuscus*) are two species that have been studied extensively for their sleep habits. The little brown bat, in particular, has been found to sleep for approximately 19.9 hours a day at a temperature of 33°C. This sleep duration, however, is temperature-dependent and can vary significantly with changes in ambient temperature. For example, at 26°C, the little brown bat's sleep duration decreases to 11 hours.

The choice of species in sleep studies is crucial, as there is evidence of considerable variation in sleep duration between different species of bats. The cave nectar bat (*Eonycteris spelaea*) and the greater short-nosed fruit bat (*Cynopterus sphinx*), for instance, have been found to sleep for shorter durations of around 14-15 hours per day.

Bats' sleep habits are also influenced by factors such as social environment, diet, and the presence of torpor, a state of reduced metabolic activity that helps them conserve energy. Overall, bats are fascinating creatures that play an essential role in the environment, and their sleep patterns provide valuable insights into sleep function and evolution.

Cats sleep for 14-16 hours a day

Cats are known to sleep for a large portion of the day, with adult felines sleeping between 12 and 16 hours in a 24-hour period. This averages out to about 14 to 16 hours of sleep per day, making them one of the sleepiest animals around.

There are several reasons why cats sleep so much. Firstly, they are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk. This is when their hunting instincts kick in, and they may become more energetic as they prepare to hunt or play. As predators, cats expend a lot of energy during these activities, and sleeping helps them conserve energy for when they need it.

Secondly, cats sleep a lot due to their life stage. Kittens, for example, need up to 20 hours of sleep per day as they are still growing and developing. On the other hand, senior cats tend to sleep more due to health issues or reduced mobility.

The weather can also impact a cat's sleep patterns. On cold or dreary days, cats may sleep more to stay warm and conserve energy. Additionally, indoor cats tend to sleep more than outdoor cats as they have fewer stimuli to keep them occupied.

Cats may also sleep more if they are stressed, anxious, injured, or bored. Changes in their environment, such as new family members or altered feeding times, can cause stress and anxiety, leading to increased sleep. If a cat is injured or unwell, they may sleep more to rest and recuperate. Boredom can also lead to excessive sleeping, and this can result in other problematic behaviours such as meowing, destruction of property, and over-grooming.

Overall, while cats may seem like they sleep all day, this behaviour is normal and even beneficial for their health and well-being.

Badgers sleep for 14 hours a day

Badgers are nocturnal mammals that sleep for around 14 hours each day. They live in underground burrows called setts, which can be up to 30 metres long and are often shared with other badgers. These setts are usually dug into sloping ground in woods or coppices bordering pastureland.

Badgers are very clean animals and always deposit their droppings away from their sett. They also frequently change their bedding, which consists of straw, bracken, and dry leaves. They collect these materials with their forepaws and shuffle backwards into the sett. They also have a "scratching tree" near their sett, which they use to sharpen their claws for digging.

Badgers are social animals and enjoy spending time with each other. They play and groom each other, and they recognise members of their group by scent. They use the glands beneath their tails to secrete this marking scent.

On average, badgers leave their setts at 7 pm and return around 4 am. They are most active between 8 pm and 3 am, with their daily activities averaging eight hours of their day. Their activity levels are influenced by temperature and season, and they do not hibernate but instead enter a state of torpor during winter, reducing their metabolic rate and body temperature to conserve energy.

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