Hummingbird
Hummingbirds while in flight have the highest metabolism of all animals, a necessity in order to support the rapid beating of their wings. Their heart rate can reach as high as 1,260 beats per minute.
They also consume more than their own weight in nectar each day, and to
do so they must visit hundreds of flowers daily. Hummingbirds are
continuously hours away from starving to death, and are able to store
just enough energy to survive overnight.
Hummingbirds are capable of slowing down their metabolism at night,
or any other time food is not readily available. They enter a hibernation-like state known as torpor.
During torpor, the heart rate and rate of breathing are both slowed
dramatically (the heart rate to roughly 50 to 180 beats per minute),
reducing the need for food.
