Where do black bears hibernate?

It is a common misconception that bears hibernate during the winter. While bears tend to slow down during the winter, they are not true hibernators. Black bears, Grizzly bears and Brown bears do go into a deep sleep during the winter months, known as torpor. read more

People have called black and grizzly bear hibernation torpor, winter sleep, dormancy, and carnivorean lethargy. The leading physiologists now simply call it hibernation. References: Ahlquist, D. A., R. A. Nelson, D. L. Steiger, J. D. Jones, and R. B. Ellefson. 1984. Glycerol metabolism in the hibernating black bear. read more

They redefined mammalian hibernation as a specialized, seasonal reduction in metabolism concurrent with scarce food and cold weather (Watts et al. 1981). Black bears are now considered highly efficient hibernators. Hibernators the size of chipmunks hibernate differently. read more