It has been a known fact that bears take to their caves with
full bellies when the cold winter months come for a long sleep. However, what
about those bears who thrive in the winter months living in a snowy environment?
Polar bears were thought to enter a “walking hibernation” during the warm
summer months to conserve energy and keep their body temperature at normal
rates. Since food supply for these bears is much harder to come by when on land
compared to seal hunting on the ice a form of “walking hibernation” seems to be
an effective method. A biologist at the University of Wyoming, Dr. John P.
Whiteman has been researching these creatures by inserting devices in a total
of 10 polar bears found in the wild. These devices and collars were used to
track the bear’s body temperature, the location, and the physical activity of
the bears all during the summer months. The scientist has many more years of
work ahead but his results so far show that polar bears are not taking any measures
to reduce energy output or body temperature, which is what commonly happens
when bears on the land hibernate. These polar bears in the summer months have
been found to reuse chemicals within their bodies that is usually released as
waste in order to help their bodies stay healthy during their fasting months.
Also, the bears use the cold waters in order to cool their large bodies that
are used to cold temperature.
The idea of a type of bear not hibernating is a strange
thing to take it but many do not consider the fact that polar bears find the
winter months to be ideal conditions. Polar bears are very different than other bears from their diet, environment, and colors making it understandable that they do not follow the same hibernation pattern or any pattern at all.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/17/science/polar-bears-dont-go-into-hibernation-like-state-in-summer-researchers-say.html?action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0
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