Which animal is known to sleep while standing up and can lock its legs in place to avoid falling over?
Horse
The answer was Horse. Here's the why, the decoys, and the source trail.
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Horses have a special anatomical feature called the "stay apparatus" — a system of tendons and ligaments that locks their legs in position, allowing them to doze while standing without muscular effort. They do lie down for deep REM sleep, but only for short periods.
A good trivia question makes the wrong answers feel close. Here is the clean read on the set.
- Cow - a decoy; it may live near the same topic, but it does not answer this exact clue.
- Horse - correct answer.
- Giraffe - a decoy; it may live near the same topic, but it does not answer this exact clue.
- Elephant - a decoy; it may live near the same topic, but it does not answer this exact clue.
Horse is the one to remember. Horses have a special anatomical feature called the "stay apparatus" — a system of tendons and ligaments that locks their legs in position, allowing them to doze while standing without muscular effort. Horses only need about 30 minutes of REM sleep per day, and they must lie down to get it — making them vulnerable, which is why they prefer to sleep standing up most of the time.
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Sources: Wikipedia — Stay apparatus