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Name: Charles F.
Status: other
Age: 30s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 3/18/2004
Question:
When exactly do bears hibernate? Is there a certain temperature? When snow falls?.

Replies:
It depends on the species of bear, area and climate in which the bear lives, and even individual differences between animals. In general bears (and other hibernating mammals) enter hibernation at some point where food supplies dwindle to the point they can no longer accumulate fat and weather has cooled so that the animal expends more energy than it takes in. See also this previous answer to a related question:

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/zoo00/zoo00549.htm

J. Elliott

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