DelGiudice G D, Rogers L L, Allen A W, Seal U S
Research Service, U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417.
J Wildl Dis. 1991 Oct;27(4):637-42. doi: 10.7589/0090-3558-27.4.637.
We compared weights and hematological profiles of adult (greater than 3-yr-old) female black bears (Ursus americanus) during hibernation (after 8 January). We handled 28 bears one to four times (total of 47) over 4 yr of varying mast and berry production. Mean weight of lactating bears was greater (P less than 0.0001) than that of non-lactating females. White blood cells (P less than 0.05) and mean corpuscular volume (P = 0.005) also differed between lactating and non-lactating bears. Hemoglobin (P = 0.006) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (P = 0.02) varied among years; values were lowest during 1975, following decreased precipitation and the occurrence of a second year of mast and berry crop shortages in a three-year period. Significant (P less than 0.05) interaction between reproductive status (lactating versus non-lactating) and study year for hemoglobin, red blood cells, and packed cell volume, and increased mean corpuscular volume, suggested a greater nutritional challenge for lactating females compared to non-lactating females during the 1975 denning season. Our data suggest that hematological characteristics of denning bears may be more sensitive than weights as indicators of annual changes in nutritional status; however, other influential factors, in addition to mast and berry crop production, remain to be examined.
我们比较了成年（3岁以上）雌性黑熊（美洲黑熊）在冬眠期间（1月8日之后）的体重和血液学指标。在4年不同的橡子和浆果产量期间，我们对28只熊进行了1至4次处理（共47次）。哺乳期母熊的平均体重比非哺乳期母熊更大（P<0.0001）。哺乳期和非哺乳期母熊的白细胞（P<0.05）和平均红细胞体积（P = 0.005）也存在差异。血红蛋白（P = 0.006）和平均红细胞血红蛋白浓度（P = 0.02）在不同年份有所变化；1975年的值最低，当时降水量减少，且在三年期间出现了第二年的橡子和浆果作物短缺。在血红蛋白、红细胞、血细胞比容方面，生殖状态（哺乳期与非哺乳期）和研究年份之间存在显著（P<0.05）的相互作用，并且平均红细胞体积增加，这表明在1975年的冬眠季节，哺乳期母熊比非哺乳期母熊面临更大的营养挑战。我们的数据表明，作为营养状况年度变化的指标，冬眠熊的血液学特征可能比体重更敏感；然而，除了橡子和浆果作物产量外，其他影响因素仍有待研究。
