Aestivation is from the Latin aestas which means summer, and it is also known as summer sleep. It is a period of dormancy, similar to hibernation, that takes place in hot and dry weather.


Aestivation is common in animals that live in the subtropics where there is a long dry season each year. Animals are known to enter this state in order to avoid damage from high temperatures and the risk of drying out.


Associated terms: Estivation, Estivate, Aestivate, Aestivating, Estivating


Also see:
Hibernation
Torpor