Search


	Podcast:		Local Features by WXPR
	Episode:		How Black Bears Hibernate
	Category:		Government & Organizations
	Duration:
	Publish Date:		2017-12-28 09:20:15
	Description:		Black bears are easily one of our most interesting wildlife species. In this episode of Wildlife Matters , the Masked Biologist discusses some of what is going on in the life of a bear in the midst of Winter. Black bears are a continual source of questions for folks who contact me for information. The calls tend to taper off somewhat in the winter, naturally, as bear activity slows to a crawl. However, any winter observation of a bear or a bear den gets a lot of attention and will trigger a number of calls. Black bears enter their dens in early winter. They drop into a deep sleep, which slows their metabolism and allows them to live off their body fat stored through the summer and fall months. True hibernation by mammals like chipmunks and groundhogs includes lowering body temperature to near freezing. Bears do not enter true hibernation, but more of a winter sleep, or torpor . Torpor allows them to rouse more easily than true hibernation, so they reposition, groom themselves, give
	Total Play:		0