74 The Vertebrate Organ Systems 



Associated with the gonads (the ovaries and testes) in both sexes 

 are fingerhke, yellow projections, the fat bodies. These consist largely 

 of stored fat and are used as a reserve food store. These become very 

 large before hibernation and before the breeding season. During the 

 breeding season, the males eat practically no food and must rely upon 

 this stored fat. The females withdraw this fat to produce the yolk of 

 the eggs. At the end of the breeding season, these fat bodies are so 

 reduced as to be scarcely visible. 



