An elephant never forgets... or sleeps
Not content to simply monitor every possible human measurable, scientists have developed activity trackers to study how elephants sleep in the wild.
Philips Actiwatch devices are being used on the animals in Botswana, with the hope that tracking their rest hours can lead to a better understanding of how humans sleep. The Actiwatch measures sleep quantity and sleep schedule variability via a very sensitive accelerometer.
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Professor Paul Manger from Wits University and his team removed the watch bands before insulating them with biologically inert wax and electrical tape and attaching them to the elephants’ trunks.
By looking at activity tracking and GPS, researchers discovered the elephants slept for an average of two hours per day, with most of this coming while standing up.
The mammals would only be found lying down for around an hour every three or four days, and could go without rest for up to 48 hours if the threat of a predator or poacher was present. In order to remain safe, the elephants would walk miles away from danger.
“Understanding how different animals sleep is important for two reasons,” Manger said. “First, it helps us to understand the animals themselves and discover new information that may aid the development of better management and conservation strategies, and, second, knowing how different animals sleep and why they do so in their own particular way, helps us to understand how humans sleep.”
So how does this research differ from that of other elephants? Well, previous studies have shown zoo elephants sleep for around four hours per day, with this coming through standing or lying down. If the fresh findings are confirmed, wild elephants will have the shortest-known sleep time of any land mammal.
So there you have it, folks — maybe you don’t need that eight hours after all. Just opt for a standing up power nap like the elephant.
