While most of us feel like waiting out the chilly winter under a big, fluffy duvet, bears’ hibernation takes cold-weather sleep to a whole new level. Here are some cool facts you may not have known.
Featured Video
10 unexpected facts about bear hibernation
Published: November 30, 2018
1 / 12
10 unexpected facts about bear hibernation
While most of us feel like waiting out the chilly winter under a big, fluffy duvet, bears’ hibernation takes cold-weather sleep to a whole new level. Here are some cool facts you may not have known.
Photo by Luca Pape/Shutterstock
2 / 12
Only pregnant polar bears hibernate
While both male and female brown and black bears hibernate, only pregnant polar bears den up for the winter.
Photo by Sergey Uryadnikov/Shutterstock
3 / 12
Bears act a little funny once they wake up
Bears stay in a state of "waking hibernation" for several weeks after they wake up. They may act like they're drunk, or really, really tired.
Photo by Erik Mandre/Shutterstock
4 / 12
Bears burn up to 4,000 calories a day while hibernating
Bears fatten up a lot before going into hibernation. In fact, a hibernating adult male may have more than a million calories stored.
Photo by Alexey Suloev/Shutterstock
5 / 12
Hibernating bear mamas wake up to give birth
Bears sleep all winter — but pregnant females will wake up to give birth. If she hasn't stored up enough energy, though, she won't have cubs that year.
Photo by Susan Kehoe/Shutterstock
6 / 12
Bears don't hibernate because of the cold
Bears can handle the cold, but they can't survive without food. Because food is scarce in the winter, they hibernate instead. In places where food is available during the winter, bears won't hibernate.
Photo by CherylRamalho/ Shutterstock
7 / 12
Bears' winter sleep isn't "true" hibernation
Unlike rodents, who face the risk of freezing to death during the winter, bears' body temperatures go down less than 10 degrees.
Photo by Raj Krish/Shutterstock
8 / 12
Bears' heart rates slow waaaaay down
During hibernation, a bear's heart rate goes from 50 to 10 beats per minute.
Photo by Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH/Shutterstock
9 / 12
Bears don't wake up during hibernation (even to go to the bathroom)
During hibernation, a bear re-absorbs its feces and urine — so it never needs to get up to pee in the middle of the night.
Photo by Susan Kehoe/Shutterstock
10 / 12
Bears lose a lot of weight while hibernating
Bears lose between 25 and 40 per cent of their body weight while they sleep the winter away.
Photo by Sergey Uryadnikov
11 / 12
Bears grow new paw pads while they sleep
A bear will lose its paw pads during hibernation, and new ones will grow.
Photo by theskaman306/ Shutterstock
12 / 12
10 unexpected facts about bear hibernation
While most of us feel like waiting out the chilly winter under a big, fluffy duvet, bears’ hibernation takes cold-weather sleep to a whole new level. Here are some cool facts you may not have known. Featured Video
Photo by theskaman306/ Shutterstock
Comments