Bears - Pictures

Bears

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Bears - Reproduction

Female Bears become sexually mature when they reach the weight of about 100 pounds. This means that they are strong enough for pregnancy. At four years old, the female bear usually mates every other year and produces one to three cubs.

Mating season in bears occurs in May and June. In a fight for a female, the younger males lose out to the bigger and more aggressive older bears. A gestation period lasts for 225 days. The litter size is 1-5 cubs. The mother nurses her cubs for about a year.

Bears - Hibernation

In winter, the food supply is scarce. Bears spend the winter in hibernation, a dormant sleep-like state. During this period, a bear cuddles up in its cave. In order to survive this long winter period, the bear accumulates fat to build up its body weight.

During the hibernation period, the bear's body undergoes considerable changes. For instance, the animal's heartbeat drops from fifty-five beats per minute to ten beats per minute. The body temperature drops from five to nine degrees below normal.

In spring, males emerge from their dens first. Then come females and cubs. While in a den, bears lose a lot of their weight. Dens of bears are often covered with leaves, grass, or pine needles.

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