Chipmunk hibernation Black bear hibernation Preparation Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) store food in a burrow system. Preparation Black bears (Ursus americanus) store body fat. Den temperature Temperatures remain mostly above…
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In 2003, the BBC phoned researchers for help with a documentary using new thermal imaging technology. The telephone conversation sounded something like: BBC: “We’re looking for someone dumb enough to…
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Short answer: yes. When people defined hibernation simply in terms of temperature reduction, bears were not considered hibernators. However, when biologists discovered the many metabolic changes that let black and…
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Before researchers from the Wildlife Research Institute videotaped 3-year-old June digging this den in Eagles Nest Township, Minnesota, they had no idea some bears made dens so early—July 19, 2004….
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The annual cycle of black bear activity and hibernation has five stages: 1. hibernation 2. walking hibernation 3. normal activity 4. hyperphagia 5. fall transition Bear in den The stages…
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Color is not reliable for differentiating brown bears from black bears because both species have many color phases. Black bears occur in many hues of brown, and even shades of…
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Black bears are ruled by fear and food—in that order. Researchers are frequently amazed at how cautious these powerful animals are about tiny unidentified rustling sounds of red squirrels, mice,…
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No Dogs can be aggressive, territorial, and prone to attack. Black bears are generally restrained, non-territorial toward people, and prone to retreat. Many people imagine bears as oversize attack dogs…
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No more than people are related to bears or pigs. Bears, pigs, and people all have omnivorous diets. They all have broad “bunodont” cheek teeth to crush a variety of…
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The bear on the left, a medium-sized male reaching for the backpack is taller than most female black bears. He stands about 6 feet to the tip of his up-stretched…
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