Hibernation — The Long Sleep

Hibernation is when an animal goes into a very deep sleep for the whole winter! During hibernation, the animal's body slows way down. Its heart beats very slowly. Its body temperature drops. It breathes very slowly. It does not eat, drink, or even go to the bathroom for months! The animal lives off the fat it stored in its body during the fall when it ate extra food. Hibernation helps animals survive winter when food is hard to find.