October 2006
The Black Bear
Order
Family
Genus and species
Carnivora
Ursidae
Ursus americanus
The American black bear is found in the United
States and Canada and lives mostly in wooded
areas. They are constantly foraging for
food and are often sighted ranging over their hunting area
which may be over 30 sq. miles for the female
and over 200 sq. miles for the male. Even though
they prefer to hunt at night, it is not uncommon to see them hunting
during the day. The black
bear shown in the graphic below is climbing a tree to check a nest
for eggs, a favorite food.
These bears are both carnivores and herbivores,
with berries, nuts, roots, leaves and small animals
being their diet favorites. The story about bears loving honey
is true. Black bears love to climb
trees and rob bees of their honey.
Their thick hair keeps them from being stung too badly, in fact,
these bears will also eat bees. Fish are
also staples in the black bear diet and older bears have
developed a routine to catch more fish. They know the shallower
areas of streams where they can
more easily catch the fish, either with paws or teeth.
Black bears, the smallest bears in North America, are 3 ft. tall at the shoulder and are around
5-6 ft.
in length and weigh between 110 to 325 lbs. when full grown.
The male is quite a bit larger than the
female. They reach sexual maturity in around 6 years for the male and 5 years for the female. The
mating season lasts around 6 weeks, from early June to the middle of July with a
gestation period
of between 7-8 months resulting in up to 5 cubs, with the normal number being 2-3 cubs.
These cubs
are born hairless and blind and spend the cold winter curled up in the den feeding on mother's milk.
They are weaned at around 7-8 months old and spend another year with the mother before they are
old enough and wise enough to stand a fighting chance of survival on their own. The
lifespan of the
American black bear is around 25 years.
Black bears are becoming a nuisance in camping
areas and residential areas near wooded areas where
they spend most of their time. The problem stems from tourists
and campers actually feeding the bears
or leaving bits of food and garbage where it is readily accessible
to the bears. This has given the black
bear a taste for human processed foods and creates
a big problem when the bears become used to
humans and consider them a source for
pieces of fried chicken, barbecued ribs and other delicacies.
Many people are fooled by the apparent tame nature of the cute bears
begging for food, but these
bears are wild animals and are unpredictable....and
are, therefore, dangerous. The following graphic
shows a black bear rummaging through the trash at a camping site.
American black bears are not on the endangered
list and are protected in certain areas of the United
States and Canada. Though they are still allowed to be hunted
in approved areas, there is little danger
of this species becoming endangered any time soon.
Press play below, to hear Black Bear sounds.