Hibernating bears do not urinate for months
Hibernating bears recycle waste urea into new proteins, allowing them to go months without urinating, preserving muscle mass and water during their long sleep.
Black and grizzly bears perform an amazing biological trick during hibernation: they don't urinate for up to seven months. Instead of expelling waste, their bodies recycle urea, a byproduct of protein breakdown, back into amino acids. These are then used to build new proteins, helping bears maintain muscle and prevent atrophy while they sleep.
There's more to this story — open the app to keep reading.
Continue Reading in App
1 more paragraphs · plus a 3-question quiz