American Black Bear - Ursus americanus |
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 Characteristics Range Habitat Diet Life Cycle Behavior |
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Characteristics) The American black bear is the smallest North American bear. It is usually black with a tan muzzle and a white patch on its chest. Black bears in the west may be cinnamon brown and in parts of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory in Canada the black bear may even be silver gray or white. ) The black bear has small, rounded ears, and inch long claws on its feet. The black bear doesn't have a large shoulder hump like the brown or grizzly bear. The black bear stands about three feet from shoulder to feet and its 4-6 feet in length. Males are usually much larger than females. The male usually weighs between
130 to 350 pounds, but it can be as large as 600 pounds. The
female weighs 90 to 175 pounds.
RangeThe black bear has a large range that includes most of the United States and Canada south to Mexico.Habitat) The black bear is found in a variety of habitats that include tree-covered areas and meadows. It requires areas with lots of vegetation for cover and shrubs and other plants for food. It can be found in mountain areas, swamps and forests. The black bear has a home range of about ten square miles. The home range of the male is usually larger than the home range of the female. |
Diet) Although the black bear is in the carnivora order, it is an omnivore and most of its diet is made up of plants. It eats twigs, buds, leaves, nuts, roots, fruit, corn and berries. It also eats bees and honey and it tears up rotting logs to get at grubs, beetles and insects. The black bear also catches fish and small to medium-sized mammals and eats carrion.
) In the summer the black bear eats
lots of foods like berries that are rich in carbohydrates. The black bear can gain as much as 30 pounds a week in the summer! It needs the extra weight to survive in the winter! ) In the colder parts of its range goes into hibernation.
It curls up into a ball and places its head between its front paws in a cave, under the roots of a fallen tree, in a crevice, in a hollow tree or logs or in a den it digs out and goes to sleep! During hibernation, the black bear's heart beat slows to conserve energy. The black bear can be roused during hibernation, although it may take it a while for it to wake up! In the warmer parts of its range, the black bear can be active year-round. Life Cycle) The black bear mates in the June and July. The female gives birth to 1-5 cubs in January or February. The cubs are naked and blind at birth and weigh only 7 ounces! By the spring the cubs weigh about ten pounds and will begin to explore their environment with their mother. The cubs learn how to find food and survive from their mother during the spring, summer and fall.
They cubs are weaned when they are 6-8 months old but stay with their mother through the winter. In the spring, they will leave to form their own territory.
Behavior) Except for during the mating season and when raising young, the black bear is a solitary animal. The black bear is usually
crepuscular. That means it is active in the early morning and in the evening! It can run at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour and it is an excellent swimmer. It can also climb trees. The black bear has poor eyesight but it has an excellent sense of hearing and a keen sense of smell.Image Credits: Clipart.com unless otherwise noted
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