Animals That Sleep Standing Up
Animals

Animals That Sleep Standing Up

There are a large number of animals in the world which have unique features. And in some species, this is the ability to sleep standing up, and without experiencing any discomfort at the time of awakening. It turns out that these animals spend almost their entire life on their feet, maintaining an upright position. Why then don’t their limbs get tired while they sleep standing up?

Which animals sleep standing up?

There are several main types of animals that prefer to sleep in a standing position. It is proved that horses are able to maintain an upright position throughout their lives. However, some individuals may periodically lie down on the ground and fall into a “rapid sleep”. But even if the horse will continuously sleep standing up for several years, this will not affect its health, strength and well-being.

Elephants also sleep mostly standing up. Gray giants can stand still for hours, allowing their bodies to rest. Only baby elephants periodically sleep in a lying position. Obviously, in young individuals, the body is not yet developed enough to be continuously on its feet. However, even among baby elephants, there are those who do not lie down on the ground from an early age.                                                                          Giraffes don’t mind taking a nap in a standing position, but this behavior is less common than in horses and elephants. Obviously, the animal’s body is not fully adapted to this. This is also hinted at by the fact that before going to bed, an individual can put his head between two branches, leaning his neck on the trunk of a tree. This reduces the load on the legs during sleep.

Why their legs don’t get tired?

It turned out that their knee is equipped with a special mechanism that secures the joints in a stationary position. This prevents the possibility of bending the leg, so that the animal can stand during sleep for a very long time.

As soon as the horse falls asleep, the knee joints are automatically fixed in a stationary position. The animal does not require additional effort to stand on its limbs. As soon as the horse wakes up, the joints regain their elasticity, and the animal can move without feeling any tiredness. Scientists believe that elephants and giraffes are equipped with the same mechanism.

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