Why do animals hibernate in winter?

Answer: Food is scarce, save energy

Too cold to move around — Wrong. Many animals are active in cold weather. Hibernation is about food availability, not temperature alone.

Food is scarce, save energy ✓ — Correct! Hibernation lets animals survive when food is scarce. They drastically slow metabolism—some heartbeats drop from 200 to 5 per minute! Body fat provides energy until spring brings food again.

Hiding from winter predators — Wrong. Hibernating animals are actually more vulnerable to predators, not safer. They hibernate to conserve energy when food is scarce, not to hide from predators.