Although black bears are said to hibernate without eating, drinking, urinating, or defecating, most bears in northern regions remain in dens so long that they develop extra large fecal plugs. They seem to be able to use urea (a nitrogen-rich waste product in the blood) to make new protein. Before hibernating, bears need to store energy that will sustain them. The heart rate of a bear during hibernation can slow to a sluggish 9 beats per minute. Even though they are meeting all their energy requirements by metabolizing fats, they do not lose muscle in the process. Once hibernating, bears do not eat, drink, urinate or defecate. You should never feed a bear in the wild. Bears must eat an entire year's worth of food in six months or less in order to survive winter hibernation and continued weight loss in the spring. It’s sad, but it’s all part of nature and the survival of the fittest bear. I mean, how could they with hibernation on the line? Fecal plugs have a light odor that is not unpleasant. By the sixth or seventh month in the den, most of these bears defecate—usually near the den entrance. Bears live off of a layer of fat built up during the summer and fall months prior to hibernation. 'During hibernation, bears can lose 1/4 to … In general, grizzlies won’t turn down any sort of opportunity to eat. They use up to 4,000 kcal per day, mainly body fat, and do not eat, drink, urinate, or defecate. Cows Grizzly bears and black bears generally do not eat, drink, defecate, or urinate during hibernation. They do this by eating berries, which are rich in carbohydrates. When bears enter hibernation, their temperature does drop, but remains above 88°F (31°C). And bears should absolutely not be kept as pets. They reduce oxygen consumption and metabolic rate to a little as 25% of summer rates and breathe once per 15 to 45 seconds. During a black bear’s hibernation, its metabolic rate slows and its temperature may drop, but a safety mechanism prevents it from dropping too low. Bears need to get rid of waste before they hibernate so they are not interrupted with the urge to eliminate while they are sleeping. In captivity, bears can eat multiple smaller meals per day, and they can be given more in the months before they go into hibernation. This is aided by a fecal plug which stops up their colon and is released when they wake. They will change position while in the den, they may awaken and move about, and they … They will need to stock up on food before the hibernation process and will not need to urinate or defecate. They can eat most of the same foods in captivity that they would find in the wild, as well as added vegetables and fruits. 4. Smokey and his brother, Bandit, will not hibernate as bears do in the wold. Some bears gain as much as 30 pounds per week when they are preparing to hibernate. Waste products are produced, however, instead of disposing of their metabolic waste, bears … Smithsonian reports that sometimes, polar bears also eat other polar bears. If bear hibernation has become an issue of debate today, it’s because of the fact that they do not drop their core body temperature like squirrels or other rodents do. Which bears hibernate? Bears appear to maintain their muscle mass and tone during the three to four month hibernation period. Stage 1 — Hibernation of study bears in close dens is continuous dormancy with distinct decreases in heart rate and metabolic rate. Grizzly bears have been known to eat black bears before. Bears become hyperphagic, meaning they eat to store fat that will then be used as energy. Opportunity to eat black bears generally do not lose muscle in the.... Stage 1 — hibernation of study bears in close dens is continuous dormancy with distinct in. His brother, Bandit, will not hibernate as bears do not eat, drink, or... 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