When people defined hibernation simply in terms of temperature reduction, bears were not considered hibernators. The Colorado Division of Wildlife would like to inform us that the bears are now emerging from hibernation and they extremely hungry. Bears have the ability to remain stationary for longer periods than rodents without feeding or eliminating waste. NPS Photo / Harlan Kredit. 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. Their heart rate slows from 50 beats per minute to about 10 beats per minute. Their body temperature drops by only 7 or 8 degrees centigrade (instead of freezing like a ground squirrel). 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. 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. The cubs stay with their mother all summer and hibernate with her over the winter. Herein lies the main difference in bear and rodent hibernation. Make sure to always practice bear safety when storing food. In northern areas of the U.S. and Canada, bears hibernate as long as 8 months without moving from their den. Bears lose half their body fat while hibernating. It's a sure sign of spring: Bears are coming out of hibernation in search of food. 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. Bears do not go into complete hibernation the way rodents do. Bears are land mammals which can reach between 1.3 and 2.8 meters high. Bears . The following spring, she pushes them out of the den to be on their own. 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