Final answer:
Bears hibernate as an instinctive behavior in response to environmental changes, specifically weather conditions, to conserve energy when food is scarce, which is an example of an annual innate behavior cycle.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bears typically hibernate for half of the year in response to changes in the weather. This behavior is an example of an innate behavior, more specifically referred to as a instinct. Unlike a reflex, which is a simple, quick, and involuntary response to a specific stimulus, an instinct involves more complex patterns of behavior and is the result of a wider range of triggers such as environmental changes, including those related to the weather. The tendency for bears to hibernate is triggered by environmental cues which signal the approach of colder seasons. This allows bears to conserve energy during times when food is scarce.
Hibernation itself is a state where the animal's metabolic processes slow down, and although bears do not enter a full hibernation like some smaller mammals and other animals, they do go into a state of deep sleep. Behaviors like hibernation and migration occur in yearly cycles and are critical for the survival through periods of extreme changes in availability of resources or environment conditions.