American black bears living near human habitations tend to be more extensively nocturnal, while those living near brown bears tend to be more often diurnal. Very well fed bears can be heavier.

Typically adults are three feet tall at the shoulder, and their length from nose to tail is about 75 inches. [129] During the European colonisation of eastern North America, thousands of American black bears were hunted for their meat, fat and fur. [41] American black bears have been reported stealing deer and other game from human hunters.

[131], In Canada, American black bears are considered as both a big game and furbearer species in all provinces, save for New Brunswick and the Northwest Territories, where they are only classed as a big game species. Hearing: Exceeds human frequency ranges and probably twice the sensitivity. [130] In 1992, untanned, fleshed and salted American black bear hides were sold for an average of $165.

In 1822, 3,000 skins were exported from the Hudson's Bay Company. [118] The fictional character Winnie-the-Pooh was named after Winnipeg, a female American black bear cub that lived at the London Zoo from 1915 until her death in 1934.

An average adult male weighs about 300 pounds while females average about 170 pounds. [64] Like brown bears, American black bears try to use surprise to ambush their prey and target the weak, injured, sickly or dying animals in the herds. It has one of the longest hibernation periods of any bear in North America. They have been known to turn over flat-shaped rocks weighing 310 to 325 pounds (141 to 147 kg) by flipping them over with a single foreleg. In the reports published since this date three species have produced young (hybrids in one case), ...[15], A bear shot in autumn 1986 in Michigan was thought by some to be an American black bear/grizzly bear hybrid, due to its unusually large size and its proportionately larger brain case and skull. [60], The fur is soft, with dense underfur and long, coarse, thick guard hairs. [28][29] In the spring of 2019, biologists with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources confirmed documentation of an American black bear living year-round in woodlands near the town of Decorah in northeast Iowa, believed to be the first instance of a resident black bear in Iowa since the 1880s. Conservation efforts for black bears have been effective and, in most areas, black bears are increasing and can sustain managed sport hunting. [7], The ancestors of American black bears and Asian black bears diverged from sun bears 4.58 mya. [117][page needed], Morris Michtom, the creator of the teddy bear, was inspired to make the toy when he came across a cartoon of Theodore Roosevelt refusing to shoot an American black bear cub tied to a tree. Favored masts such as hazelnuts, oak acorns and whitebark pine nuts may be consumed by the hundreds each day by a single American black bear during the fall. Range: The American black bear is found only in North America. Skin light gray. Number of Cubs: The number of cubs in a litter is usually 2 in the western United States and 3 in the eastern United States. [87] Also extremely important in fall are berries such as huckleberries and buffalo berries. Adult males: 8-15 miles. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit that relies entirely on the support of visitors, merchandise sales and people like you. Birth Weight: Cubs weigh 1/2 to 1 pound at birth.

Not all black bears are black—their fur can range in color from pure white to a cinnamon color to very dark brown or black. New knowledge of hibernation processes has led biologists to redefine mammalian hibernation as simply a specialized, seasonal reduction of metabolism concurrent with the environmental pressures of scarce food and low ambient temperatures. [122][123], The majority of attacks happened in national parks, usually near campgrounds, where the bears had habituated to close human proximity and food. These trees are safest for small cubs to climb. Bear hunting had been banned in New Jersey for five years before that time.
As a result, bears’ body heat is lost very slowly, enabling them to cut their metabolic rate in half and still make it through winter, maintaining temperatures above 88 degrees–within 12 degrees of their normal summer temperature. [5][page needed].

[38] Sows tend to be short-tempered with their mates after copulating. They regularly climb trees to feed, escape enemies and hibernate. Approximately 10% of the population of this subspecies have white or cream-colored coats due to a recessive gene and are called "Kermode bears" or "spirit bears". They usually kill by biting the neck and shoulders, though they may break the neck or back of the prey with blows with the paws. About 70 percent of human deaths from grizzly bears are from mothers defending cubs, but black bear mothers have not been known to kill anyone in defense of cubs. [56][page needed] The Kutchin typically hunted American black bears during their hibernation cycle.

They are able to kill adult deer and other hoofed wildlife but most commonly are only able to kill deer, elk, moose, and other hoofed animals when the prey are very young. [24] American black bears currently inhabit much of their original Canadian range, though they seldom occur in the southern farmlands of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba; they have been extirpated on Prince Edward Island since 1937. [71] At birth, cubs weigh 280–450 g (0.62–0.99 lb) and measure 20.5 cm (8.1 in) in length.


Males try to mate with several females, but large, dominant ones may violently claim a female if another mature male comes near. [113], American black bears feature prominently in the stories of some of America's indigenous peoples. Beckmann, J. P., & Berger, J. The hind legs are relatively longer than those of Asian black bears. [102], He wrote that American black bears were difficult to hunt by stalking, due to their habitat preferences, though they were easy to trap. They may be six feet in length and up to three feet high at the shoulder.

Although pigs and black bears are both omnivores, they are not related. [51] In Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta adults reportedly averaged 125 to 128 kg (276 to 282 lb).

[116] The Navajo believed that the Big Black Bear was chief among the bears of the four directions surrounding Sun's house and would pray to it in order to be granted its protection during raids. Can generalize to the simple concept level. Help support our mission. Critically endangered. American black bears are omnivorous, meaning they will eat a variety of things, including both plants and meat. They are also capable of rapidly learning to distinguish different shapes such as small triangles, circles and squares. Their diet includes roots, berries, meat, fish, insects, larvae, grass, and other succulent plants. [41] They may be active at any time of the day or night, although they mainly forage by night. Generally bigger than its mainland relatives, ranging in size from 90 to 270 kg (200 to 600 lb) and averaging 135 kg (298 lb). Search, discover, and learn about wildlife. [14] In 1859, an American black bear and a Eurasian brown bear were bred together in the London Zoological Gardens, but the three cubs that were born died before they reached maturity. Fall Weight of Cubs: By their first fall, cubs may weigh as little as 15 pounds or more than 165 pounds, depending on food supply. [77], The bears enter their dens in October and November, although in the southernmost areas of their range (i.e. [38] Even cougars will be displaced by an angry mother bear if they are discovered stalking the cubs. In northern Labrador, where grizzly bears no longer live, black bears range out onto open tundra where there are no trees to escape into.

[86] During winter, American black bears consume 25–40% of their body weight. As the spring temperature warms, American black bears seek new shoots of many plant species, especially new grasses, wetland plants and forbs. [62] Despite their name, American black bears show a great deal of color variation.

Public Approves of Bear Hunt", Wildlifeinformation.org: American Black Bear Conservation Action Plan. [33][34], As of 1993, known Mexican black bear populations existed in four areas, though knowledge on the distribution of populations outside those areas has not been updated since 1959. [38] Remarkably, a study of American black bears in Nevada found that the amount of annual mortality of a population of bears in wilderness areas was 0%, whereas in developed areas in the state this figure rose to 83%. A problem for black bears is that literature about bears often does not separate black bears from grizzly bears. [38] Across the range, the estimated number of cubs who survive past their first year is 60%. The American black bear then split from the Asian black bear 4.08 mya. The claws are short and rounded, being thick at the base and tapering to a point. The ears are small and rounded and are set well back on the head. The typically small tail is 7.7–17.7 cm (3.0–7.0 in) long. Mothers with cubs like large trees (over 20 inches in diameter) with furrowed bark (like white pines or hemlocks) for bedding sites. Hibernation is deeper and can last over 7 months in the northern portion of the black bear range where abundant, high quality food is available only from May through August.

Uniting all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world, Inspire a lifelong connection with wildlife and wild places through our children's publications, products, and activities, National Wildlife Federation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. [40] The fur is not as shaggy or coarse as that of brown bears. References to bears are found in ancient and modern literature, folk songs, legends, mythology, children stories, and cartoons. [132] A Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll found that 53% of New Jersey voters approved of the new season if scientists concluded that American black bears were leaving their usual habitats and destroying private property. [120], Terrible Ted was a de-toothed and de-clawed American black bear who was trained to perform as a pro wrestler and whose "career" lasted from the 1950s to the 1970s.


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