For example, chipmunks can reduce their heartbeat from beats per minute to a measly 4 beats per minute during hibernation. True hibernators only fully wake every few weeks to eat small amounts of stored food and to pass waste. These animals can dramatically drop their body temperature to below freezing—salty body fluids work to prevent tissue crystallization in particularly cold temperatures.
The difference is accounted for by the size of the animal. With a small body size comes large opportunity to adapt to winter conditions much easier than larger animals.
But would you really want to, anyway? Friday, February 19, What is hibernation? A grizzly bear catches some shut eye. Where do bears sleep? What other animals sleep through the winter? This mouse lemur isn't quite ready to hibernate yet. The den entrance is just large enough for the bear to squeeze through so it will cover quickly with insulating snow. Rapidly gaining weight and then lying still for several months is not generally considered a recipe for fitness, yet most bears remain healthy during hibernation.
Biologists are studying hibernation in the hopes of preventing osteoporosis and Type II diabetes, helping those suffering from kidney failure, and prolonging the viability of human organs for transplant. Yellowstone bears go months without performing the usual bodily functions, and their breathing and heart rates slow significantly.
Nov Bear Hibernation: 5 Fun Facts. November 2, Bears , Wildlife. Another key difference is waking up from hibernation. Most animals that hibernate, like squirrels, wake up gradually. However, bears can wake up instantly from their deep sleep. Due to these differences, some people argue that bears do not truly hibernate. Instead, they use distinct terms for what bears do such as winter sleep, carnivoran lethargy, torpor, and dormancy. Still, it is widely accepted by physiologists to label bears as hibernators.
Different species of bears hibernate for slightly different lengths of time, based mostly on their climate. Black bears can hibernate for up to seven and a half months without drinking water, eating food or defecating.
Grizzly bears typically hibernate between five to seven months. Mexican Black Bears usually do not hibernate at all or will hibernate for just a few weeks out of the year. Due to a warm environment, hibernation is not necessary for these bears. Alaskan Brown Bears can hibernate from five to eight months. As Alaskan Brown Bears are found in a colder climate, they typically spend a long time in hibernation compared to other bear species.
Bears naturally come out of their state of hibernation when the weather turns warmer.
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