hibernating

The fungus invades the skin tissue of hibernating bats and causes them to wake too often or too early during winter, depleting their precious fat stores when there’s scant food.

"Minimizing disturbance to bats when they are hibernating or raising young is critical," Loeb said.

It was also winter in the story, and a drunken sergeant was saying things that were foolish and wise and funny—he wished he were hibernating instead of warring.

For instance, the increase in temperatures prevented bats from hibernating in the provinces of Tarragona.

Finally, the researchers wanted to understand the changes that occur at the protein level during the different hibernating phases.