Six Months of Sleep

19 Six Months of Sleep In North America, black bears wander the wilderness as they have done for thousands of years. These majestic animals can weigh more than half a ton, and are feared by many humans. Black bears are omnivores, meaning they eat both meat and plants, though ncarly three-quarters of their diet is plants. This poses a problem for black bears living in the parts of North America where winter lasts for many months. The plants die off during the winter, and there isn't enough to eat. So, what do black bears do to survive during the winter? Strange as it may sound, they go to sleep for up to six months. How do they do it and why don't they starve to death during this time? Black bears hibernate during the winter. They find a safe place, such as a cave or a hole in a big tree. They crawl inside as winter begins, and they go into a sleep known as a “ stupor" .

But there is much to do before they fall asleep. For weeks, they eat, and eat, and eat. A black bear can gain up to twenty kilograms of weight per week during this time. The bear gets fatter and fatter as the autumn turns to winter. Then, the bear goes to its sleeping place. As it falls asleep, its heart rate and breathing slow down. Soon, it is fast asleep. It's able to survive during this long sleep because of its fat. By the end of the six months of sleep, the bear is very skinny. Female bears have their cubs while they are hibernating. The babies are born and begin to feed on their mother's milk. They stay close to their mother for warmth. The sleeping bear even gets some exercise during this long hibernation. Every day, the bear's whole body begins to shake. It shakes in a way that makes every muscle work. As the long northern winter ends, black bears begin to wake up. Imagine how hungry they are! Slowly, they crawl out into the spring weather. There are new plants and berries everywhere. The bears eat and eat to gain back all the weight they lost while sleeping for six months. Nature is perfect in many ways.