Do you think the Wraith HAVE to hibernate?

[LordMartin]

Do they have to hibernate or do they just choose to? I wonder if the reason they hibernate is because they've run out of food!? What if they were prevented from hibernating, would that harm them? I thinking about how rabbits and hibernate in the north, but don't in the south. Maybe they had to adapt to the limited amount of humans available for feeding.

[chodu82]

yeh i think because their human herd runs out they need to hibernate tosurvive and rebuild human resource

[LiquidBlue]

yeh i think because their human herd runs out they need to hibernate tosurvive and rebuild human resource

The wraith refer to humans as their herd, but such a term seems to refer more to wild herds that are periodically culled by hunters, rather than to a herd of domesticated animals. Certainly there are things that the Wraith could do to insure a more bountiful supply of thire prefered food. Such things could include elimating most diseases that the humans die from, better argicultural methods among the humans; they could even inculcate themselves within the human cultures poising as Gods as do the goa'uld. Of course Wraith as Gods require human sacrifice.

Perhaps it is perceived as to much work. Or perhaps they see themselves as more than just predators requiring the lives of others species, but also as hunters.

But you raise a good question, do they Wraith hibernate simply because they need to to allow the humans to repopulate themselves, or is their another perhaps biological reason.

Maybe they evolved to periodically hibernate on their home planet--perhaps even before they were sentient--just to allow their prey to repopulate, and now it is just a part of being Wraith, even if they could insure a constant food supply.

[Daniel's_twin]

I don't think they could have thought as posing as gods. Remember, when the Wraiths encountered the Ancients (oppopsite to Goa'uld and Tau'ri), the Ancients were just as advanced as the Wraiths. So by the time humans started populating the Pegasus galaxy, the Wraith probably already had their reputation of fear spread around, giving no room for gods and leaving only room for demons to those cultures who are really primitive.

But getting back to the question at hand, yeah I'd have to say that the Wraith do have to hibernate. It's obvious that they can go a long time without food ("Steve" the wraith we captured went for weeks without food), and they can probably go for even longer without. Maybe by hibernating they slow their bodies' functions significantly. Breathing only once an hour and heart beating ony two times every thirty minutes or something? I don't know. I don't pretend to be any kind of expert on any kind of anatomy.

[WraithWarrior]

I think that the Wraith have to hibernate inbetween the times that they strip each planet of human life (their food). This would make me believe that they need to hibernate. As for hurting them if they do not, I am not sure, but they just look like the type of creatures that need to hibernate.

[Erik Pasternak]

I think it's a repopulation thing, because, as we have seen, some stay awake. It's possible that they sleep when the rest are awake, but with no evidence on that topic, we'll just say it's a population issue.

[Ancient 1]

Do they have to hibernate or do they just choose to? I wonder if the reason they hibernate is because they've run out of food!? What if they were prevented from hibernating, would that harm them? I thinking about how rabbits and hibernate in the north, but don't in the south. Maybe they had to adapt to the limited amount of humans available for feeding.

IMHO, the wraith hibernate until a preset time when they know the herds will be flourishing. Then they wake and start culling the herds. Often the simplest theories are the most likely.

[NightGloom]

The major population of the wraith probably have to hibernate, but it's possible for individual wraiths to stay as keepers. They probably do have set times to hibernate, like they can hunt for a set number of years but then the major population has to hibernate to let the human population develop.

[LordMartin]

Yeah I was thinking that they probably run out of food and adapted themselves to hibernate. But that raises an interesting question though. You're tellin' me these guys aren't smart enough to try and increase the size of their "Herds".

I think it's a natural order of life to reproduce and populate. Since we (humans) are intelligent... well somewhat, we grow more food than we need.

Why wouldn't the Wraith just seed more worlds to grow the herd or try exploring a little more?

About the Gods thing, certainly the Goa'uld thought of humans as nothing but slaves or hosts. So to maintain order that enslaved the humans, genetically modified some to carry Goa'uld and prayed on thier primative fears.

Seems like the Wraith aren't interested in any worship at all and aparently they do not need slave labor either. Maybe we'll see some more of thier culture and industrial capabilities later on in the show. Everyone seems to know that they are not Gods.... which I also find interesting.

If one of those things beamed me up TODAY, I might be inclined to think of them as some sort of Demon, Boggy Man or Freddy!