What is Black, Brown, White and Blue but still Black Through and Through? American Black Bear Ursus americanus

Fur  Covered in 2 types of hair: soft dense fur for insulation and coarse guard hairs that keep the dense fur clean and dry.  Fur color can be black, brown, blonde, cinnamon, chocolate white and even blue  The best theory behind this is heat regulation  Black colored Black bears favor the eastern forests where there is plenty of shade

 Brown colored Black bears are typically found in western forests where they feed on exposed hillsides during the day  Blue colored or glacier Black bears are found along the southeast coast of Alaska.  All color phases can produce black cubs, but not all cubs stay the same color when they grow into adults.

Geographic Distribution  During the last Ice Age, Black Bears inhabited the forests and plains of what is now the United States and Mexico.  This includes areas around western mountains, the Appalachians, the swamps of the Gulf and the coasts of Florida (Taylor).

 Grizzlies took over the vacant range when the ice retreated, but black bears were able to control grizzly expansion in the forested areas of North America  This is because black bears are smaller and require less amounts of food

Physical Characteristics Adult MalesAdult Females  Full skeletal growth by 7 years  Grow in weight in another 3-4 years  Typically weigh between kg ( lb.)  Nose to Tail: cm (51-75 in)  Height of Shoulder: 100 cm (40 in)  Full Skeletal growth by 5 years  Grow in weight in another 3-4 years  Typically weigh between 45—182 kg ( lb)  Nose to Tail: cm (43-67 in)  Height of Shoulder: 80 cm (31 in)

 Black bears have a “droopy” backside that makes their back legs appear short than their front legs.  Claws range from centimeters (1-1.4 in)  The bigger the ears are, the younger the black bear is.

Diet  During patterns of climate change in the Northern hemisphere, bears adapted to seasonal abundances of food  These include plants, fish, and other animals  When one food source was no longer available, the bears simply switch to another  During the winter, when food supplies are low, bears sleep the barren season away on stored fat

Although they are carnivores by definition, 80-85% of the black bear’s diet consists of plant material. Most of the animal matter they consume are insects, including caterpillars and bees.

Hibernation  To prepare for hibernation, bears will eat up to 3 times more food per day  This “binging” is called hyperphagia  After the feeding stage, bears enter a state of walking hibernation: they are alert, but consume very little  Body systems slow down and blood flow to limbs decreases  By this point, a den site has been chosen, although some bears try out sites for a few days  Dens must be dry, away from danger and fairly cramped

 Heart rate only drops 8-10 beats and body temperature only drops 3-7º C (5-9º F)  How long black bears hibernate depends on their location  Alaskan black bears may hibernate for three-quarters of the year while southern black bears may only sleep for a few days

Dens  Denning order:  1 Pregnant Sows  2 Older sows with cubs  3 Solitary females  4 Sub-adults  5 Adult males  Usually reappear in reverse order  Although they sleep through the entire winter, it is possible to wake a sleeping bear…

Mating  Female black bears reach sexual maturity in the third year  Typically breed in the third year and once every two or three years after that  Finding a mate is harder that it seems: Black bears are solitary animals and would rather avoid each other  When in estrus, a female will wander through her home territory to increase her chances of finding a mate

 Mating usually occurs from May until mid- July  This lengthy season gives the female time to find a mate  Male are capable of breeding around 3-4 years, but do not usually get the chance until about the 8 th year, when they can hold their own against older males.

 Female bears play hard-to-get but during the mating period, the male and female are inseparable  After the mating period, the male and female go their separate ways, usually to find another mate

Mother and Cubs  Female black bears give birth to their cubs during hibernation  This ensures that they are fully developed by the spring and it conserves energy  The mother is half-awake for the birth of her cubs, usually twins or triplets  The cubs weight between grams (16-20 ounces)

 Once hibernation is over, the mother doesn’t eat for 2 weeks ( this is the same for males)  The cubs however continue to suckle through their first year, sometimes into the second  A mother bear will fight to the death to protect her cubs  They will lead their cubs up to 100 km away from the den  When they are in danger, the best escape route it to climb tall trees