Bears’ Mysterious ‘Fecal Plug’
The fecal plug has long been one of the mysteries of bear hibernation. Early observers described it as a dense plug of unidentified material, fibrous plant material, and bear hair….
Read More
Hibernation
Strong Arm Tactics
New Scientist News Service, February 21, 2001, Andy Coghlan Bears hardly lose any muscle when they hibernate, say zoologists at the University of Wyoming. Their findings could lead to new…
Read More
Hibernating Bears Conserve Muscle Strength
Science Daily (Apr. 25, 2007) — A new study measured strength and endurance of hibernating black bears. T.D. Lohuis and his coauthors found that black bears in hibernation lose only…
Read More
Researcher Discovers Clues to Bear Bone Strength
Science Daily, Dec. 29, 2003. From Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 206. Inactivity is a prime cause of osteoporosis in most animals, including humans. A notable exception is the black…
Read More
The Cub Probe
The cub probe is an Aqua-Vu Infra-red Underwater Camera donated by Jeff Zernov of Nature Vision, Inc. (Baxter, MN) and adapted for den use by TV producer Doug Hajicek. It…
Read More
Whiteheart Den Cam
In fall 1999, Whiteheart gave researchers and the public the first views of how bears behave in the darkness of their dens when no one is around. Whiteheart denned 120…
Read More
Will Snow Accumulate on a Black Bear’s Back?
Yes, snow accumulates on black bears at ambient temperatures below approximately 19 degrees Fahrenheit. The photo shows a 3-year-old female black bear in an open den. The temperature is 9…
Read More
How Do Chipmunk and Black Bear Hibernation Differ?
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…
Read More
Heat Loss in Dens
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…
Read More
Do Black Bears Hibernate?
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…
Read More
Help support the North American Bear Center
We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit that relies entirely on the support of visitors, merchandise sales and people like you. We do not receive any state or federal funding.
Help support our mission.
Donate Now
We use cookies to offer you a better experience, analyze site traffic, and serve targeted advertisements. By continuing to use this website, you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with our privacy policy. X