Many species prefer to adopt better survival strategies whenever weather changes occur. Either some creatures will shift to warmer places, or take into account some other survival strategies. This happens because these species want to endure weather conditions better. Because bears also reside in polar extremes and chilly climates, they adopt several strategies for their survival. If any animal or species hibernates, they are trying to keep themselves coveted in a chilly atmosphere and to do away with extended scarcity for months. It raises an extreme curiosity in human beings about how long do bears hibernate. So, in this post, we will try to gauge certain facts about the extent of bear hibernation.
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How Long Do Bears Hibernate-Let’s Understand the Behaviour
There has been a curiosity in scientists to know the facts regarding why bears hibernate and if they hibernate, they do so for how much time. Well, it is important to understand that not all bears hibernate, only a few of them hibernate because of some reasons. Much scientific research indicates that Panda bears, sun bears, or Mexican black bears either do not hibernate at all or else, they are capable of hibernating in some exclusive conditions only. Here are some key points to consider about how long bears hibernate.
1) Bears Hibernate for a few months to years
Hibernation puts bears in a dominant state. It is a state for species to match the outer temperature and keep their body starved of food for so much time. But all bears do not hibernate, some bears either hibernate only for a few days, a few months, or even a few years. This will make the process of bear hibernation effective.
2) The extent of hibernation is different from bear to bear
Not every bear hibernates in every circumstance. Therefore, only a few bears can hibernate in some conditions, while others can not. Also, the extent of hibernation depends on the individual conditions of the bears. If a pregnant bear hibernates, they will do it for a long period. Hibernation for a long period helps them to nurture and give birth to their cubs in an optimal condition.
3) Bear’s Hibernation is different for different species
As we have already discussed, the extent of bear hibernation is quite different from one bear to the other. It depends on the origin of species, and their habitats as well. For example, grizzly bears in North America hibernate in the winter season. Their hibernation extent is from four to seven months. This type of bear species in North America is active in the summer season. However, during their hibernation, these grizzly bears do not consume food during the process of hibernation.
4) The Behavior of Bears is different during hibernation
When we examine how long bears hibernate, it is also crucial on their part to understand their behavior during hibernation. Scientific research says that bears do not lose their energy during the hibernation process, unlike other species. Bears do not necessarily sleep all the time during hibernation. It is common that either they will drink or eat in the hibernation process. Apart from that some bears such as grizzly bears do not defecate in their hibernation process.
5) Bear Hibernation depends on Parental status
A study published in 2017 reveals that the extent of bear hibernation depends on varied factors. So, we cannot generalize any particular statement about bear hibernation. The study reveals that the extent of hibernation of 51 female black bears was tracked. This study has led to some amazing findings. The extent of bear hibernation was different, ranging from four months to more than seven months. Their parental status as well as their age also had an impact on their hibernation status. For Instance, the old age bears hibernate more than the young ones. The female bears with their cubs also hibernated for a long time.
6) Hibernation also affects the heart rate of Bears
We have understood that the extent of bear hibernation is different from one species to the others. But here are some accompanied changes in bears during hibernation that we cannot overlook. For example, hibernation also affects the heart rate of bears. It drops slowly to 8 times a minute which is very slow for any animal species. Contrary to it, a healthy human’s heart often beats 60 to 100 times a minute.
7) During Hibernation Bear’s physical activity is Quite Slow
The extent of hibernation brings out a lot of changes in bears. They tend to show very little physical activity during hibernation. Whatever time they take to hibernate, during the entire period, they are dormant in the entire period and this helps them to restore their energy after the hibernation.
8) In Hibernation Female Bears give Birth to Cubs
Anonymous scientific research says that female bears give birth to cubs during hibernation. And the baby bears are nurtured in the den till the spring season arrives. So, based on various research studies, we can say that how long bears hibernate will depend from species to species. Apart from this, before hibernation, they accumulate large food sources that help them conserve energy during the process of hibernation.
The Closing Thoughts
How long do bears hibernate solely depends upon several factors. For example, the extent of hibernation of a female black bear can be different from Grizzly bear. Apart from that, the behavior of bears during hibernation is slightly different from the hibernation of other species. Therefore, we cannot expect a universal timeline for the hibernation of bears. It is quite different from one bear to the other.
