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cub of the year, black bear, huckleberry bushes |
The black bear
ranges across forested Canada from Newfoundland to British
Columbia as well
as much of the United States.
A solitary animal most of the year, they pair up briefly during
the mating season. Cubs remain with their mother for about
a year, who protects which prevents them from being killed
by the adult males.
Black bears swim well and
often climb trees to feed on buds and fruit. They have
a keen sense of
smell, acute hearing,
but poor eyesight. They can be seen at any hour of the
day, but are most active at night. When very young, the
cubs cry
when afraid and hum when contented.
Black bears are omnivorous;
their diet consists of about 75 percent vegetable matter,
15 percent carrion,
and 10 percent
insects and small mammals. Their love for honey
is well known, and sweet, ripe corn in autumn also attracts
them.
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Cinnamon black doing a little spring foraging in Yellowstone National Park |
They have few enemies,
but the one they fear the most is the Grizzly. Whenever
their territories overlap,
the latter is
given a wide berth.
Black bears can be found from northern Alaska east
across Canada to Labrador and Newfoundland,
and south through
much of Alaska, virtually all of Canada, and
most of the U.S. into central Mexico .
Prime black bear
habitat is characterized by relatively inaccessible
terrain, thick
understory vegetation, and abundant sources of food
in the form of shrub or tree-borne soft or hard
mast.
The spruce-fir
forest dominates much of the range of the black
bear in the Rockies. Important nonforested areas
are wet meadows,
riparian areas, avalanche chutes, roadsites, burns,
sidehill parks, and subalpine ridgetops.
Black Bear size (85.8 to 899.8 lbs) Length (47.24 to 78.74 in)
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Cinnamon Black Bear on choke cherry hunt Grand Teton National Park |
Black bears are usually black in color,
particularly in eastern North America. They
usually have a pale muzzle which contrasts with their
darker fur and
may sometimes have a white chest spot. Western
populations are usually lighter in color, being more
often brown,
cinnamon, or blonde. Some populations in coastal
British Columbia and Alaska are creamy white or bluish
gray.
Total body length in males ranges from 1400
to 2000 mm, and from 1200 to 1600 mm in females. Tail
length ranges
from 80 to 140 mm. Males weigh between 100
and 300 pounds, females weigh between 90 and 500 pounds.
Black bears are distinguished from grizzly
or brown bears by their
longer, less heavily furred ears,
smaller shoulder humps, and a convex,
rather than concave, profile.
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Black Bear in Huckleberry Patch |
Females reach sexual maturity at from 2 to
9 years old, and have cubs every other year
after maturing. Males
reach sexual maturity at 3 to 4 years old but
continue to grow until they are 10 to 12 years
old, at which point
they are large enough to dominate younger bears
without fighting. Male black bears do not contribute
directly
to their offspring but do indirectly by deterring
immigration of new males, thus ensuring territorial
spacing and reducing
the amount of competition for food.
Black bears can live to 30 years in the wild
but most often live for only
about 10, primarily because of encounters
with humans. More than 90% of
black bear deaths after the age of 18 months are the
result of
shootings, trapping,
vehicle collisions, etc.
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| Standing black bear seeing what he can see above the sagebrush before he proceeds |
Black bear cubs remain in the den with their
sleeping mother and nurse throughout
the winter. When the family
emerges in the spring the cubs
weigh between 4 and 10 pounds. They are usually weaned
at around
6 to 8 months
of age, but remain with the
mother and den with her during their second winter of
life,
until they are about 17
months old. At this time the
mother forces the young out of her territory. They may
weigh
between 15 to 100 pounds at
this point, depending on food supplies. Black bear mothers
care for their young
and
teach them necessary
life skills throughout the time
that their cubs are with them.
Male black bears do not contribute
directly to their offspring but
do indirectly by preventing
new males from
moving into the area. This makes
it less likely for the young or
mother to encounter an aggressive
male or have
to compete with new bears for
food.
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Cub of the year taking a flying leap to the ground from a tree |
Longest known life span in wild
30 years (high)
Expected life span in wild
10 years (average)Black bears can live to 30
years in the wild but most
often live for only about 10, mostly
because of encounters with
humans. More than 90% of black bear deaths after
the age of 18
months are the result
of gunshots, trapping,
motor vehicle accidents, or other interactions with
humans. Behavior
Black bears are generally
crepuscular, although breeding
and feeding activities
may alter this
pattern seasonally.
Where human food of garbage
is available, individuals
may become distinctly diurnal
(on roadsides) or nocturnal
(in campgrounds). Nuisance
activities
are usually associated
with sources of artificial
food and the very opportunistic
feeding behaviors of black
bears.
During periods of inactivity,
black bears utilize bed
sites in forest habitat;
these sites generally consist
of a simple shallow depression
in the forest leaf litter.
Black bears are
normally solitary animals
except for female groups
(adult female and cubs),
breeding pairs in summer,
and congregations
at feeding sites. In areas
where food sources are
aggregated, large
numbers of bears congregate
and form social hierarchies,
including non-related animals
of the same sex that travel
and play together.
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Huge Black Bear in Grand Teton National Park |
Territories are established
by adult females during
the summer. Temporal spacing
is exhibited
by individuals
at other times of the year
and is likely maintained
through a dominance hierarchy
system. Males establish
territories
that are large enough to
obtain food and overlap
with the ranges of several
females. The highly evolved
family
behavioral relationships
probably are the result
of the slow maturation
of cubs and the high degree
of learning
associated with obtaining
food and navigating through
large territories. Black
bears possess
a high level of
intelligence and exhibit
a high degree of curiosity
and exploratory behaviors.
Although black bears are
generally
characterized as shy and
secretive animals toward
humans, they exhibit a
much wider array
of behaviors
than originally thought.
Black bears have extraordinary
navigational abilities
which
are poorly understood
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Cinnamon Black Bear, Grand Teton National Park |
Throughout their ranges
in North America,
black bears consume primarily
grasses and forbs
in spring, soft mast
in the form of shrub
and tree-borne fruits in summer,
and a mixture of hard
and soft mast
in fall. However,
the availability of
different food types varies regionally.
Only a small portion
of the diet
of bears consists
of animal matter, and then
primarily in the form
of insects and beetles.
Most vertebrates
are consumed in
the form of carrion.
Black bears are not active predators
and feed on vertebrates
only if the
opportunity exists.
The diet of black
bears is high
in carbohydrates and low in proteins
and
fats. Consequently,
they generally
prefer foods
with high protein or fat
content,
thus their propensity
for the food
and garbage of
people. Bears
feeding on a
protein-rich food source show significant
weight gains
and enhanced fecundity.
Spring, after
the bears' emergence from
winter dens,
is a period of relative
food scarcity.
Bears tend
to lose
weight during
this period and continue
to subsist partly
off of body
fat stored during the preceding
fall. They take advantage
of any succulent
and protein-
rich foods available;
however, these
are not typically
in sufficient
quantity to maintain
body weight.
As summer approaches, a variety
of berry crops
become available.
Summer is
generally a period
of abundant and
diverse foods for black bears,
enabling them
to recover from the energy deficits
of winter and
spring. Black
bears accumulate large fat
reserves
during the fall,
primarily from fruits, nuts,
and acorns. Primary
Diet: omnivore
.Predation
Known predators
* humans
* gray wolves
* mountain lions Black
bear cubs may
be at risk of
being killed
by large
predators, such
as wolves and
mountain
lions. However,
most black
bears that are
killed, young
and adults,
are killed by
humans.
Ecosystem
Roles
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| Cinnamon Black Bear Cub, Yellowstone National Park |
Black bears
are important
in
ecosystems
because
of their
effects
on
populations
of insects
and fruits.
They help
to disperse
the seeds
of the plants
they eat
and
consume
large numbers
of colonial
insects
and moth
larvae.
They sometimes
take small
and
large mammals
as prey,
such as
rabbits
and
deer. Economic
Importance
for Humans:
Negative
Some
bears have
become
troublesome around
camps
and cabins if
food
is left
in
their reach. Black
bears
have severely
injured
and
sometimes even killed
campers
or
travelers who feed
them.
However, the
danger
associated with
black
bears is sometimes
overstated,
fewer
than
36 human deaths
resulted
from
black bear encounters
in
the 20th century.
Black
bears
are generally
very
timid
and, unlike grizzly
bear
females, black bear
mothers
with
cubs
are unlikely
to
attack people.
When
black bear
mothers
confront
humans,
they
typically send
their
cubs up a tree
and
retreat or bluff.
People
who live in or
visit
areas
with black
bears
should be aware
of
the appropriate precautions
for
avoiding black bear
encounters.
People
have
intensively
hunted
Black
Bears for
trophy
value
and
for
various
products,
including
hides
for
clothes
or
rugs,
and
meat
and
fat
for
food.
In
most
of
the
states
occupied
by
black
bears,
they
are
treated
as
game
animals,
subject
to
regulated
hunting.
An
estimated
30,000
individuals
are
killed
annually
in North America.
Relatively few
skins
go
to
market
now,
as
regulations
sometimes
forbid
commerce
and
there
is
no
great
demand.
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Yellowstone Park Rivers 
