Polar bear energy storage

How do polar bears acquire energy?

This highlights the disparity in the energetic windfall polar bears acquire through energy-dense marine mammals relative to terrestrial-based resources 19, 37. Bears in a long-term fast such as hibernation primarily metabolize body fat and experience minimal changes in lean body mass 42, 43.

Do polar bears save energy?

J. P. Whiteman, H. J. Harlow, G. M. Durner, R. Anderson-Sprecher, S. E. Albeke, E. V. Regehr, S. C. Amstrup, M. Ben-David, Summer declines in activity and body temperature offer polar bears limited energy savings. 349, 295–298 (2015).

How does food availability affect polar bear body condition?

The combined effects of decreasing food availability and increasing energetic demands are predicted to result in decreasing polar bear body condition and a consequent cascade of demographic effects (Stirling and Derocher, 1993, Derocher et al., 2004, Wiig et al., 2008).

Do polar bears have more energy demands in the spring?

We found that polar bears in the spring exhibit greater energetic demands than those of previous predictions (13, 14) both for maintenance functions and locomotion.

Do polar bears lose energy?

Reduced insulation from thinning of fur and subcutaneous fat could also cause temperature declines, although warm summer conditions could counteract insulation loss. Hence, gradual declines in the summer core temperature of polar bears suggest reductions in energy expenditure typical of food-deprived mammals (24).

Are polar bears active on sea ice?

These activity rates are similar to those observed for adult and subadult polar bears on the summer sea ice (34.6% of the time active) (8) but are greater than observations from a breeding adult female polar bear on the spring sea ice (26.7% active) (32).