Black Bear

Ursus americanus

Black bears are the most common North American bear, living in forested areas. They are also the smallest of North American bears.

Black bears are 2-3 tall feet at the shoulders and 4-6 feet long from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. Males are larger than females and weigh 300 lbs or more.

The Black bear has a 20-25 year lifespan.

The color of black bears can range from black to white. On Kermode Island and in British Columbia the bears go through a phase were their fur is a creamy white color. Black, brown and cinnamon are the three most common colors in Alaska. Some bears have a patch of white fur on their chest.

Black bears can be distinguished from brown bears by looking at their facial profile, claws and body shape. They have a straight profile, with larger more pointy ears than a brown bear. Black bear claws and prints are smaller than a brown bear. Brown bears are larger than black bears and have a distinctive hump on their back.

Male & female black bears will not tolerate each other, unless it’s time to breed. In fact black bears are solitary; mothers with cubs are the only exception. Mating occurs in June & July. The fertilized egg does not implant in the uterus and begin to develop until the fall. This is called delayed implantation and ensures that the cubs are born when they have a greater chance of surviving. This delay prevents cubs from being born at the beginning or middle of winter, when food is scarce. The gestation period is seven months. One to four cubs are in a littler. The cubs are born blind, mostly hairless & weigh .4kg. When the cubs come out of their den in May, they weigh about 2.3 kg (5 lbs) and have very fine fur. The cubs spend their first year with their mother.

Black bears spend the winter months hibernating. Their metabolism slows down, their body temperature drops and the bears sleep, but can be woken. Bears have been known to occasionally come out of their dens in the winter. This is very rare and only happens in the southern parts of Alaska.

Bears are omnivores, eating grass, berries, roots, mammals, bird eggs, fish, and insects. Bears are very opportunistic, eating whatever they can find. This is why it’s so important, to put garbage in its proper place & never leave food sitting out. Bears can easily be conditioned to look to humans for food, which is not a good situation for the bears or people.

Black bear cubs could be at a slight risk of being killed by cougars & wolves, but both adults and cubs are most likely to be killed by humans. The best hunting areas for black bears in Alaska are in Prince William Sound.

Resources:

mountainnature.com How do you distinguish a black bear from a grizzly bear?
http://www.mountainnature.com/wildlife/Bears/BearID.htm

nationalgeographic.com Mammals; black bear.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/black-bear.html

Alaska Department of Fish & Game
Black bear fun facts.
http://www.wc.adfg.state.ak.us/index.cfm?adfg=funfacts.blackbear
Black Bear
http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/biggame/blkbear.php

Defendersofwilidlife.com Black bear information.
http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/black_bear.php