How do Japanese black bears stand during spring to summer? - A study on their behavioral ecology-

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24380088
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Forest science
• Research Institution: Ibaraki Nature Museum
• Principal Investigator: YAMAZAKI Koji ミュージアムパーク茨城県自然博物館, その他部局等, 首席学芸員 (40568424)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TSUBOTA Toshio 北海道医大学, (連合)獣医学研究科, 教授 (10207441) ; KOIKE Shinsuke 東京農工大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究員), 講師 (40514865) ; SHIMIZU Keiko 岡山理科大学, 理学部, 教授 (90135616)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MAZAKI Takashi 森林総合研究所 ; KORI Mari 森林総合研究所 ; KOZAKAI Chinatsu 神奈川県生命の星, 地球博物館 ; NAKAJIMA Ami 東京都多摩動物公園 ; NEMOTO Yui 東京農工大学
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: ツキノワグマ / 行動生態 / 栄養状態 / 繁殖 / 生理

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Most of the behavioral studies on Japanese black bears have been done during autumn at their hyperphagia period. In this study, we have tried to understand the bear behavioral ecology from spring to summer just after their hibernation time, using some newly developed equipment which will able to measure bear physiological status. In the results, we confirmed that the activity level, deep body temperature, and heart rate were being declined in summer. In the spring, bears could feed on new leaves which contained low fibers and high protein in short period, but there were very limited food resources in summer. Therefore, the bears went into like a walking hibernation status in summer, and seemed to be avoided energy losses. Our study can be useful for understanding bear intrusion around human habitation in summer which was not possible to be explained in terms of acorn production level in autumn.

Free Research Field

森林生物