1. an animal that estivates; a creature that enters a dormant state during hot or dry seasons
Usage: biology; zoology

Examples

• The lungfish is a well-known estivator that can survive drought by burying itself in mud.
• Many desert estivators reduce their metabolic rate to conserve water during summer.
• Certain snails are estivators that seal themselves in their shells when conditions become too dry.
• The hedgehog, though primarily a hibernator, can also function as an estivator in extremely hot climates.
• Researchers study estivators to understand how animals adapt to extreme environmental stress.