No matter how close a man may be to nature, still it remains for him a huge unsolved mystery. This is especially true for animals. It is extremely interesting for people to observe the life and behavior of our “brothers” in the animal kingdom, the fate of which consists of numerous and difficult trials. So, humanity has long been trying to unravel the mystery of why the bear sleeps in winter. It's no secret that harsh winters are one of the most difficult periods in the lives of many animals. It is not surprising that they try to hide, and the instinct of self-preservation works for them . In bears, this is especially evident, since the predator spends cold times in hibernation, thus avoiding frost and bad weather.
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Hibernation is the main feature of bears. In fact, these are unique animals that are somewhat similar to dogs, but have a more developed body structure and can walk on their hind legs. Some of them prefer animal food, while others prefer vegetable. Returning to the question of why the bear sleeps in winter, it should be noted that some species of animals spend the cold season in a pre-prepared den. Others, on the contrary, wander throughout the year.
Reasons for winter sleep
We are interested in why a bear sleeps in winter. The main causes of the unusual phenomenon are the following:
- the animal has great difficulty finding food, especially if it is a species of bear that eats plants;
- the large size of the mammal creates difficulties in movement, as well as the search for the necessary "products" of food in large quantities;
- eating constantly only animal food, the bear will not be able to live long.
Therefore, the mammal instinctively hibernates. Of course, there is a possibility that under the snow there will be berries or other fruits, but they still will not be able to moderate the hunger of a five-kilogram beast. There are other suggestions as to why bears sleep in winter. Females of a polar bear hibernate when pregnant. This process can occur at any time of the year, but most often it happens in the winter, because on unfavorable days the future “mothers” try to preserve their fetus as best as possible.
Autumn chores
Having considered the interesting question of why the bear sleeps in winter, one cannot but tell about the period of preparation for bedtime. Naturally, before hibernation, the animal needs to stock up on nutrients, accumulate a reserve of body fat in order to successfully survive the harsh period. The bear’s favorite treat is cedar cones, especially since they are considered the best bait feed. Young males easily break off branches or climb trees and pluck their favorite food. Some bears feed on stocks made by small animals. Digging their minks, they find nuts, small rodents, eggs, larvae and much more. If the season turned out to be lean, the mammal may not fall into hibernation, which will negatively affect his well-being.
How is everything going?
After preparation, the animal falls into a long hibernation, which can last several months or even six months. It is very interesting to learn about how bears sleep in winter and why they suck their paws. When the mammal falls asleep, his body begins to completely rebuild, as a result of which breathing becomes less frequent, and the heartbeat slows down. It should be noted that charming animals are more likely to be asleep than to sleep soundly, so they can be easily woken up. In this case, the bear will be very angry and unhappy that he was disturbed. It sucks a mammal's paw because a kind of “molting” occurs on its limbs. On the feet there is a very thick layer of skin, which helps the bear to move on a rough surface, when hibernating, this layer is updated (that is, a new one grows), so the animal helps the process and accelerates it, biting the old areas.