When it’s too cold to go out in the wintertime, there’s nothing better than a delicious snack followed by a nice, long afternoon nap. The black bear makes this an EXTREME sport. During the late summer and fall, a bear might eat constantly for up to 20 hours a day! Why does it need such a big snack? So it can take a nap for the entire winter without eating or drinking! If the weather gets warm during the winter, it may come out for a short walk, but otherwise, it can sleep anywhere from 75 to 125 days. Its den might be a cave or a hollow stump, log or tree.

What might a bear eat to prepare for its long sleep? Bears are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and other animals. Most of what a bear eats comes from plants, like berries, fruits, nuts, acorns, grass and roots. But, a bear might also find fish, small animals, dead animals and even ants and crickets pretty tasty.