American Black Bear
Scientific Name: Ursus americanus
Alternate Name(s): black bear
Distribution: northern North America across Canada and Alaska, south to Montana and California on the west coast, and the Great Lake and New England states on the east coast
Habitat: up to 3000 meters; forests, swamps, tundra
Life Span: 10-30 years
Size: length 1.4-2 meters (males); 1.2-1.6 meters (females)
Weight: 50-410 kilograms (males); 40-240 kilograms (females)
Coloring: black body, light-colored muzzle; sometimes has a white chest spot
Eyes: small, round, dark-colored
Diet: plants (roots, buds, fruits, nuts, berries, pine seeds), insects (ants, yellow jackets, moths), fish (salmon), mammals (caribou, elk, deer, moose, squirrels, armadillos, rabbits, domestic livestock), birds (grouse, eggs), carrion, human foods (garbage, birdseed, oats, corn, apples, honey); accumulates fat in the fall in preparation for hibernation, mostly from fruits and nuts
Predator(s): cougars, gray wolves, grizzly bears, other black bears, humans
Behavior: diurnal, nonmigratory, territorial
Reproduction: breeding season June to July; gestation time 70 days; each litter between 1 and 5 cubs, each cub weighs between 2 and 5 kilograms; bears take a new mate every year
Hibernation: up to 7 months in dens under logs or dense cover, in tree cavities above the ground, or in caves underground
Conservation Status: least concern (IUCN 3.1); population increasing
Major Threats: man-made roads lead to road collisions and limit black bear movement
Conservation Actions: careful regulation of hunting
Other Notes: smaller and have longer, less heavily furred ears and smaller shoulder humps than brown bears; when hunting, usually goes for the easy-to-catch prey (those affected by age, illness, injury)
Interesting Facts:
Alternate Name(s): black bear
Distribution: northern North America across Canada and Alaska, south to Montana and California on the west coast, and the Great Lake and New England states on the east coast
Habitat: up to 3000 meters; forests, swamps, tundra
Life Span: 10-30 years
Size: length 1.4-2 meters (males); 1.2-1.6 meters (females)
Weight: 50-410 kilograms (males); 40-240 kilograms (females)
Coloring: black body, light-colored muzzle; sometimes has a white chest spot
Eyes: small, round, dark-colored
Diet: plants (roots, buds, fruits, nuts, berries, pine seeds), insects (ants, yellow jackets, moths), fish (salmon), mammals (caribou, elk, deer, moose, squirrels, armadillos, rabbits, domestic livestock), birds (grouse, eggs), carrion, human foods (garbage, birdseed, oats, corn, apples, honey); accumulates fat in the fall in preparation for hibernation, mostly from fruits and nuts
Predator(s): cougars, gray wolves, grizzly bears, other black bears, humans
Behavior: diurnal, nonmigratory, territorial
Reproduction: breeding season June to July; gestation time 70 days; each litter between 1 and 5 cubs, each cub weighs between 2 and 5 kilograms; bears take a new mate every year
Hibernation: up to 7 months in dens under logs or dense cover, in tree cavities above the ground, or in caves underground
Conservation Status: least concern (IUCN 3.1); population increasing
Major Threats: man-made roads lead to road collisions and limit black bear movement
Conservation Actions: careful regulation of hunting
Other Notes: smaller and have longer, less heavily furred ears and smaller shoulder humps than brown bears; when hunting, usually goes for the easy-to-catch prey (those affected by age, illness, injury)
Interesting Facts:
- Female American black bears give birth as they hibernate. The cubs cuddle up next to her to stay warm and nurse as she sleeps.
- Not all black bears are black. Some are brown, cinnamon, or blond, and can even be white or bluish-gray.
- The American black bear is the mascot of the University of Maine.