Do bears hibernate in the southern states? (cold, wildlife, wild)

[kanhawk]

I know bears hibernate for the winter, but what about in the south where the winter is very mild. Do they stay active all year round?

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by kanhawk

I know bears hibernate for the winter, but what about in the south where the winter is very mild. Do they stay active all year round?

Black bears (which are the kind found in the south and east) do not hibernate the way the larger brown (grizzlie's) or polar bears do.

Their hibernation is different, more of a slowing down of their metabolism so that they require less food and activity. But they don't curl up in a den somewhere and sleep for months on end and are spotted year round.

This article may be helpful to you: http://www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/S...bernation.aspx

[jtur88]

Simplistically, Hibernation is not an absolute phenomenon that works the same in all species. Obligate Hibernation occurs in animals that always hibernate, regardless of the conditions, and Facultative Hibernation in animals that go into hibernation only when circumstances lead them to that strategy. Many species (such as bears) fall into a gray area between the two.

[PJSaturn]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Simplistically, Hibernation is not an absolute phenomenon that works the same in all species. Obligate Hibernation occurs in animals that always hibernate, regardless of the conditions, and Facultative Hibernation in animals that go into hibernation only when circumstances lead them to that strategy. Many species (such as bears) fall into a gray area between the two.

Fascinating! I love bears - from a distance, of course.

I used to see a lot of black bears during family vacations in Minnesota and Michigan's Upper Peninsula when I was growing up. Like OP, I'd often wondered whether bears in warmer climates hibernate.

Thanks for the info, jtur.

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[skoro]

They do in New Mexico. But the winters in the mountains (where the bears are) can be colder than most folks would think. They tend to be short, though.