While human beings get to reach for a wool blanket when nights get cooler in the fall, many other animals rely on the ability to slow down their metabolism to conserve energy. From the tiniest hummingbird to the largest bear, a wide spectrum of creatures rely on torpor and hibernation to get through lean, cold times.

Shayne Halter, a graduate student at the University of New Mexico, will speak on how animals use torpor and hibernation. He’s the featured speaker at the New Mexico Wildlife Federation’s free “Wildlife Wednesday” presentation for September.

Halter’s talk will start at 5:30 p.m., Sept. 10, at Marble Brewery’s Northeast Heights Taproom, at 9904 Montgomery, Blvd., NE, Albuquerque.