American Black Bear
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus and Species: Ursus americanus
The world's most common and adaptable bear, the black bear uses its versatile arsenal of adaptations to inhabit varied landscapes throughout North America.
Physical Description: American black bears usually have black coats. In western North America, cinnamon-, blond-, and honey-colored bears occur, while white- and bluish- gray-coated animals are found along Canada's Pacific coast. On some animals, a white blaze punctuates the chest. Dexterous toes and lips and a long tongue enable American black bears to gather berries and insects they dig up after ripping open rotting logs or honey combs with their strong, curved claws.
Size: American black bears vary in size depending on sex, food availability and quality, and other factors. Male black bears may grow 20 to 60 percent larger than females, and can grow more than six feet long and weigh up to 650 pounds. Females rarely reach that length, and do not weigh more than 175 pounds. Black bears stand around three feet tall at the shoulder.
Geographic Distribution: American black bears range from Alaska and much of Canada south to mountains in northern Mexico. Historically, they did not inhabit southwestern deserts. Today, they are also gone from large parts of the central and eastern U.S.
Status: Unlike the other seven bear species, many American black bear populations are thriving. Only the isolated Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi populations are listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. However, other unlisted but scattered populations, such as those in Florida, are vulnerable to poaching, habitat loss, and roadkill deaths. Some estimates put the continent's black bear population at about a half million.
Habitat: Highly adaptable and with varied food tastes, the American black bear inhabits a wide range of habitats, including arid scrub, southern swamps, and dense coniferous and deciduous forests.
Natural Diet: The American black bear's diet is varied, but mostly vegetarian, including twigs, roots, berries, young plants, and buds. Insects—from beetles to ants to bee larvae eaten with honey—are also important. Small mammals and fish augment the diet, when they are easily caught.
Reproduction: American black bears mate during the early summer months. Females mature after three to four years, and usually give birth to two cubs, every other year. Young are born in mid-winter in the female's den, and stay with their mothers for about a year (including up to five months in the winter den). Although slow breeders, American black bears reproduce faster than brown bears, which helps them sustain hunting and other pressures.
Life Span: American black bears live up to 32 years in the wild. The Zoo's famous Smokey the Bear lived to about 27 years.
Behavior: In late summer and fall, American black bears wander far and wide searching for high-protein foods such as acorns. They build fat layers, then retreat to a den, dead tree, or thicket to sleep during colder months (or days in warmer, southern areas). Most American black bears are crepuscular—active around dawn and dusk. In areas of heavy hunting, however, they adapt to nighttime hours. American black bears, except for females with young, generally forage alone. Adult males do not tolerate other bears, except during breeding season. Females tolerate other bears except for unrelated females.
A Few American Black Bear Neighbors:
Brown bear (Ursus arctos): In the West, this bear competes for food, and is an occasional predator of black bears.
Bobcat (Lynx rufus): A widespread, lanky house-cat-sized predator that stalks birds, rodents, and other small animals. Bobcats live in a variety of habitats, from forest to marsh to scrub.
Moose (Alces alces): In the north and west, American black bears often share habitat with the largest North American deer. Rarely, the bears catch and eat young moose.
Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos): A mighty, predominantly western, winged predator that hunts rabbits, marmots, and other small animals, and rarely young deer.
Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus): A small forest rodent that, like the American black bear, often seeks acorns and other forest plant matter. Farther west, the eastern chipmunk's shoes are filled by 20 other species of small mammals.
Fun Facts:
Every year or two, a few wandering bears, mostly young males, reach the Washington, D.C., area—which lies some 60 miles from the nearest bear enclaves!
American black bear fur adorns the tall hats of Britain's famed Buckingham Palace guards.
By Howard Youth
Copyright 1999 Friends of the National Zoo.
All rights reserved.
