Bears enter a lighter state of sleep called torpor. They live off of a layer of fat which was built-up during summer and autumn. Knowing the difference between a grizzly bear and a black bear … 2. Bears typically give birth in late January to early February and a litter size is between one and six … 10 unexpected facts about bear hibernation. Hibernation is a voluntary state an animal enters to conserve energy, when food is scarce, and minimize exposure to the winter elements. Black bears don't entirely sleep or rest for the entire day, and amazingly female bears give birth over the winter while hibernating. As winter weather rolls in, black bears are bedding down for hibernation. Their heart rate slows from 50 beats per minute to about 10 beats per minute. If conditions one year were favorable to a longer growing season, and a mild autumn, they would probably enter hibernation later. Kim Titchener, the founder of Bear Safety and More, says startling bears out of hibernation is rare, but it has happened from time to time in Alberta. Rick Stronks, the chief naturalist at Algonquin Provincial Park, shares some interesting facts about these seasonal deep sleepers: 1. Black bears are masters of adaptation Hibernation is their way of surviving a long winter when there’s little food available. If you are visiting here, you can help our conservation efforts by reporting your bear sightings. As noted, hibernation occurs when food becomes scarce, so it would be different each year. While black bears in the southern United States hibernate for 4 to 5 months, those in southern Canada and northern United States hibernate for up to 8 months. Grizzly bears and black bears generally do not eat, drink, defecate, or urinate during hibernation. Some other economists also believe the Bank of Canada will hibernate … Comparing Black Bears and Grizzly Bears. Parks Canada wildlife specialists collect data on where bears spend their time in the national parks. So, if they hibernate for 6 months in MN, they probably hibernate for longer than that in parts of Canada. Bank of Canada to signal long hibernation (as bears will do) Michael Babad. Bears maintain a body temperature close to normal during hibernation which lets them react to danger and sources of food faster than many other hibernating animals. Grizzly Bear In contrast, grizzly bears ( Ursus arctos horribilis ) hibernate for 5 to 7 months depending on food availability in their natural habitat. Herein lies the main difference in bear and rodent hibernation. Bears do not go into complete hibernation the way rodents do. And it can be hard on the bear. Bears have the ability to remain stationary for longer periods than rodents without feeding or eliminating waste. Their body temperature drops by only 7 or 8 degrees centigrade (instead of freezing like a ground squirrel). 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