The cubs stay with their mother all summer and hibernate with her over the winter. The smallest bear species is the sun bear which can weigh around 60 to 170 lbs, but some larger bears can reach over 1,000 lbs.These physical characteristics make it one of the largest land animals on the planet. Bears that eat human food can lose their preference for natural food sources and their fear of humans. This is because the diversity of species is great. The Colorado Division of Wildlife would like to inform us that the bears are now emerging from hibernation and they extremely hungry. But do not feed the bears! Herein lies the main difference in bear and rodent hibernation. Hibernation Period: 5 – 7 months Although bears are famously known for hibernating, like many of the hibernators not all bears hibernate. Especially bears in warmer climates like the Andian Bear, where they can find plenty of food all year round, so they have little reason to hibernate. Fish and Wildlife will monitor the bears to make sure there is enough food at that location for the bears to come out of hibernation. Bears . 6. It's a sure sign of spring: Bears are coming out of hibernation in search of food. When bears hibernate, their body temperature drops from 38 C to 33 C, and their heart rate goes from 50 beats a minute to 10. In what is typical behavior for bears, it can sometimes catch humans off guard. Bears lose half their body fat while hibernating. While its early in the season, we want to make sure these opportunistic animals do not turn to some “easy fixes” when searching for food. Hibernation. 2. Bears worldwide are coming out of hibernation a month or more ahead of schedule -- and scientists are blaming one of the hottest winters on record. Their body temperature drops by only 7 or 8 degrees centigrade (instead of freezing like a ground squirrel). Make sure to always practice bear safety when storing food. The following spring, she pushes them out of the den to be on their own. NPS Photo / Harlan Kredit. It can last a few weeks in warmer parts of North America to 6 months for bears in Alaska (NPS 2015). Hibernation is a response to a shortage of food, decreasing temperatures and snow on the ground. Bears are land mammals which can reach between 1.3 and 2.8 meters high. When people defined hibernation simply in terms of temperature reduction, bears were not considered hibernators. Most bears hibernate or den during the winter months. Their heart rate slows from 50 beats per minute to about 10 beats per minute. In northern areas of the U.S. and Canada, bears hibernate as long as 8 months without moving from their den. Black Bear den . Bears have the ability to remain stationary for longer periods than rodents without feeding or eliminating waste. Bears do not go into complete hibernation the way rodents do. 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