Bears could self-medicate in opposition to ticks by rubbing in opposition to timber

Brown bears usually scratch their backs on timber, abandoning chemical alerts to different bears. Now, it appears the act additionally helps defend them from ticks

By Jake Buehler

Bears that rear as much as scratch their backs in opposition to a tree trunk smear themselves with pungent resin, presumably preserving bloodsucking parasites at bay.

Brown bears (Ursus arctos) frequently scrape their necks, chests and backs in opposition to timber. The behaviour is commonly regarded as chemical communication with different bears, via the animals depositing their very own odours or selecting up a coating of fragrant resin. Bears may even gravitate in the direction of smellier choices for tree-rubbing, reminiscent of creosote-treated energy poles.

However since many odoriferous plant oils and different substances have anti-fungal …