INTERESTING BLACK BEAR INFORMATION
Scientific Name: Ursus americanus
Hibernation: Prior to hibernation bears add four inches of fat, gaining two to three pounds a day. They also...
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do not eat
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do not urinate
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do not defecate
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curl up to conserve heat
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change position in den
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may be aroused and attack an intruder
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slough paw pads
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lose weight (15% to 30%)
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metabolism slows
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digestive organs and kidneys shut down almost completely
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Uses 4000 calories/day from their fat reserve
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Poisonous wastes, by-products broken down
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Heart rate 20 to 30 beats per minute (normal 70/min) This is with Buffy.
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Normal body temperature is over 100, in hibernation it drops only a few degrees.
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Some southern populations do not hibernate during mild winters, bears of Louisiana, Florida, and Arizona sleep only a few days at a time in a den.
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Breathing: 6-10 respirations per minute
Diet: Frogs, fish, ants, invertebrates, small vertebrates, crayfish, grubs, carcasses, bees, eggs, human garbage, berries, mushrooms, grasses, fruits, nuts, seeds, honey, herbs, cambium (underbark), acorns, melons, vegetables.
Range: 3.6 to 108 square miles
Speed: 25-30 mph
