Black bears are shy and normally avoid people. American black bears are found in Canada, Mexico and North America. Comparable to both dogs and cats, bears have the ability to sense a present danger up to a mile away and like the feline and K9 crowd, black bears can sense friend or foe more by what they can smell, than see. Bears climb trees for safety, to rob beehives, to look around, to take a nap or just for the sake of it. Black Bears, also known as the American Bear (Ursus Americanus), are the most common single bear species. The head is small but is supported by a strong neck. What do they like to eat? Over the next three years they will grow to their full adult weight, totally maturity at about 4 years old. While other subspecies of the American black bear can have different coat colors from black to blonde to cinnamon, Florida black bears are black … Baby cubs are also voracious eaters. Black bear anatomy includes a straight face and flat shoulders. The medulla structure of the hair was vacuolated: it had a combination of large and small holes. After roughly 8 to 10 weeks, the cubs weigh about 5 pounds and can journey out of the den with their mother. It’s only natural for Black Bears to live a long healthy life in the wilderness they inhabit: yet bear-human conflicts due to food sources and encroachment have interfered with the natural design of the bears plan, creating endangerment and decline for these Southern Appalachian Bear residents. Records of human attacks are rare. CHARACTERISTICS. Female bears will rub against trees or other wood surfaces to make known their intentions for mating, staying close to their bait per-se for the arrival of male bears. It’s best to remember that Black Bears can run at speeds up to 30-miles an hour, climbing a tree won’t help you, bears are great climbers and water won’t help you either, black bears are good swimmers. The mating ritual of Black Bears consist of male bears rubbing against trees, stripping off tree bark, biting trees or other wood surfaces in order set a scent that will attract female bears. The polar bear has many different unusual characteristics but the most common is. As intelligence goes some scientist believe they’re nearly as bright as primates. Baby black bears are born and live in the safety of the mother's den during winter. up for the Blue Ridge Highlander Newsletter, Messages from the Mountains The American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) also known as the North American black bear is the most common bear species native to North America.It lives throughout much of the continent, from northern Alaska south into Mexico and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.This includes 41 of the 50 U.S. states, all Canadian provinces except Prince Edward Island, and portions of northern … At times when the mother needs to forage for her young cubs without their interference, she’ll send her cubs up a nearby tree in a good feeding area, keeping a close eye on her cubs. Black bears come in more colors than any other North American mammal. They have round ears perched on broad heads. Still one should not get too close or feed them. Black Bears have great paw dexterity with their front feet, allowing them to be firm and gentle. Black Bear cubs learn what’s proper to eat, and what’s poison, by sniffing their mother’s breath to determine what they should consume. They wake up at times after long periods of sleep and will leave the den for short strolls then return for more deep sleep. Mothers have their cubs when in hibernation and can always sense an intrusion. It has ears that are often pointed and a short tail. If given the opportunity they will attack (or threaten) other predators to scavenge their prey. With anthills they put their paw out along the anthill and allow the ants to cover their paws then lick the ants up. Female Black Bears, known as “sows,” mate once every two years, males mate annually. A bear might attack if they feel their cubs are in danger, if the bear feels personally threatened or if it’s a habitual bear looking for human food and is willing to take what it wants. black bear characteristics Essay Examples. Many facts including growth rate, habitat, time of year, diet, and gender determine how big a bear will grow. Cubs from 1 to 3 per litter are born in winter dens from mid January to mid February and weigh about 8 ounces or more and are totally dependent on their mothers. Black Bears usually begin breeding between 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 years of age. They can run for short distances only. * Brown Bear * Kodiak Bear * Sun Bear * Kermode Bear * Sloth Bear * Moon Bear * Spectacled Bear * Bear Cruelty *. Black bears in the west may be cinnamon brown, and in parts of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory in Canada the black bear may even be silver-gray or white. They grip their prey with their sharp teeth or claws. •They have a keen sense of smell (a bear's sense of smell is seven times greater than a bloodhound's) and good hearing. Privacy Prohibited seasons. But they have adapted to many different habitats. Long, curved front claws are adapted for climbing (Davis and Schmidly, 1994). All bears, mothers bears included, have excellent dexterity within their paws, both firm and soft. It is usually black with a tan muzzle and a white patch on its chest. Their scent can also show signs of gender, it can send out mating offers and express emotions such as fear. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae Physical Characteristics. And what do they like to smell the most? Adult male Black Bears will devour cubs that wander away from their mothers or cubs separated due to their mother’s unexpected death. Fur color can vary from black to chocolate brown with gray combinations. Black bear facts. The warmer southern Appalachian’s (southern Blue Ridge Smoky Mountain) regions may cause mother bears to be more alert and aware when giving birth. Their powerful hind legs add to their speed and climbing strength and they have excellent balance, a trait they learned as cubs. A pregnant sow will gain an additional 30 to 50 % of her body weight eating as much as 4 times the normal. 1. This gland guides the cubs to the proper things to eat and verifies they are eating the same as their mothers are. Their normal skin is a black color and is covered with white fur. Even if you see a cub left on their own, chances are the mother could be lurking close by and will perform a mock-attack or an actual attack if she senses danger. They make their way up the tree in a spiral motion before descending rump first until their bottoms make contact with the forest floor. If that doesn’t intimidate, the bear then makes rapid snaps of its jaw and pops it lips together. Asiatic black bear Southeast Asia and East Asia are home to three bear species: 1) the sloth bear of the Indian subcontinent; 2) sun bears (also known as Malayan bears) of southern Asia; and 3) moon bears (also known as Asiatic black bears) bears of Asia. map... Sign At the top of the food chain they are not picky about their diet. At maturity they can weigh as little a 200 pounds to as much as 600 pounds. At maturity they can weigh as little a 200 pounds to as much as 600 pounds. Trees or man-made structures can retain the scent for 3 or 4 weeks. Black Bears go into a winter sleep though their body temperature and metabolism stay near normal. An average adult male weighs about 300 pounds while females average about 170 pounds. Black bears are not true hibernators. They also eat ants, grubs, termites, beetles, and other insects. A common application of Black Bear scent last 24 to 48 hours as they intentionally rub their oils on rocks. Black bears are large - They have erect, rounded ears; a long, narrow, brown muzzle; and a short tail. Relatively little is known about these bears. They put on weight quickly. There are 80 different North American Bear species; many of these are considered variants of the brown and grizzly bear. They are extremely shy creatures not necessarily ferocious by nature. For more information concerning Black Bears of the Blue Ridge Smoky Mountains, continue to read our featured stories within the Highlander’s  “Black Bears of the Blue Ridge Smoky Mountains” series. Today their home range territory is mostly in Alaska and Canada. They will eat field grasses, roots, tubers, nuts, berries of all kinds, fruits, and other foods. In fact their baby cubs take to the water quickly. Black bears have a great sense for smelling and hearing, which make them very curious creatures. The black bear is very adaptable. Breeding season begins each July followed by a gestation of 7 months, most cubs are delivered from mid January to mid February; litters consist of 1 to 3 cubs. Black Bear Facts. Like humans, Black Bears are omnivorous, enjoying a large diet. At its normal pace black bears waddle slowly and casually. This defense measure of the mother bear likely derives not so much from human threat, but from the obvious history of male bears that will often kill cubs for food, mother bears must be overly protective. Invaders are run off by the more aggressive mother, the less aggressive mother will usually take to a nearby tree with her cubs for safety sake in order to avoid a fight or having her cubs hurt. Lost habitats have put serious pressure on some bears that are left with little patience due to shrinking food resources, most typical Black Bears find avoiding people to be a much easier solution, some bears just don’t know any better. to find out first about our new feature stories, road trips and special offers. Historic information suggests black bear habitat included most of North America including Alaska, Canada, almost all of the lower 48 United States, and Mexico. Since bears like to hunt fish they are not shy of water. Bears are fast; they can run more than 60 kilometers an hour (37 mph) – that’s twice as fast as an Olympic sprinter. up for the Blue Ridge Highlander Newsletter, Messages from the Mountains, Sign Everything, that’s why it’s dangerous for them to create a habitat near humans. Approximately 150 cm long and with a height at the shoulder that varies from 100 to 120 cm, an adult black bear has a moderate-sized head with a rather straight facial profile and a tapered nose with long nostrils. PDF | Two geographically discrete populations of black bears (Ursus americanus) in Idaho were studied during 1973-76. A thriving black bear population reflects overall health in the forest. Black bears are highly dexterous, capable of opening screw-top jars and manipulating door latches. Custom «Characteristics of a Black Bear» Essay Paper essay. From spring through summer they eat when it suits them and enjoy napping a lot, when fall approaches they stuff themselves on forest harvests in order to build up an adequate layer of nourishing fat for the winter season. Male bears leave the females after mating providing no assistance to the mother or cubs welfare. Though male bears usually mature a few months after female, some male bears can breed as early as 1 1/2 years old. They prefer to pursue small critters like squirrels, chipmunks, woodchucks, mice, pack rats, and any other mammal that burrow. Black bear anatomy includes a … The American black bear is the world’s most common bear species. Black bears can remain dormant for up to 5 months in winter. of rest, though they may wake if disturbed. The further west you go, the more likely it is you could see brown, cinnamon, tan or blonde black bears. Cubs remain with their mothers throughout the first year, and will den with momma bear the following winter. But this smaller bear is very shy and generally avoids confrontations. That they lack intelligence, have poor hearing and eyesight and can be fiercely aggressive. Bears * About Us * Contact Us * Bear Cruelty. Black bears are carnivorous though it makes up only a small portion of their diet. The bear will then either repeat all the same gesture as before or more often the bear will veer off the charge and run to a safer area, or in the worse case scenario, complete his or her intent if they feel they are being physically threatened. This isn’t to say a bear won’t chase down a deer if it’s hungry enough, using their 30 mph speed. They also dine on carpenter ants from wood logs, grasshoppers, termites, yellow jacket and their nests and ant’s from anthills. Mother bears communicate their authority to their cubs using verbal grunts and hard cuffs of their paws. If necessary she will rightfully drive her cubs away before the coming of her every other year mating season. They begin climbing as cubs and continue all their lives. about black bears specifically in New York State www.bear.org The North American Bear Center offers a wealth of online information about black bears. Black Bear Ursus americanus Context. During this early period of cub development, the cubs wrestle, tumble, run, play tag and love to climb trees, developing their sense of coordination and building their strength. Hind tracks have a triangular indentation. They use their powerful front and hind legs to paddle swiftly through water and are actually graceful swimmers. One life long pleasure for all Black Bears is climbing trees. They may be called black bears, but their coat can be blue-gray or blue-black, brown and even sometimes white! Black bears also like salmon and other kinds of fish and will hunt for small mammals if available where they live. The tail is very short and inconspicuous. American black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location.They typically live in largely forested areas but will leave forests in search of food. Within the roof of the cub’s mouth is a gland called the Kilham Gland. Habitat distribution information suggests about 55% live in Canada, 40% live in the United States, and 5% are in Mexico (accurate population facts south of Mexico unknown). During winter they mostly sleep but not a true hibernation. Thanks to conservation efforts their population in some areas, such as California, are on the increase. Unlike their big cousin the grizzly bear, black bears are exceptionally good at climbing trees and will sometimes rest on strong limbs. Characteristics The Black Bear physically has thick claws that allow them to climb trees and escape predators. Black bears are found in most forested areas from Mexico north to the edge of the tree line in Canada and Alaska. The reason for their general slow moving lumbering gait is a result of their hindquarters being longer in portion to their front limbs. Black; Tan; Dark Brown; Skin Type Fur Top Speed 30 mph Lifespan 15 - 30 years Weight 100kg - 270kg (220lbs - 594lbs) Height 1.3m - 1.8m (4.25ft - 6ft) Age of Sexual Maturity 4 - 6 years Age of Weaning 6 - 8 months 1 to 5, 7 to 37, 41 to 49, 51 to 55 and 70 to 86: July 1 to August 31 : The attacks were credited to too much rural development along the perimeter areas of the mountains and national forest areas near where the attacks took place. Your e-mail addresses will not be sold or given away to anyone. For starters, black bears, or Ursus americanus, are small, plentiful (compared to the other North American bear species) bears, with a range that extends from Alaska and Canada all the way to Mexico. In fact wolves are weary of bears who monitor their hunting activities. It is trying to get more information about you and your intentions. Momma bears teach her cubs how to select specific foods to eat, such as berries, nuts, wild plants and the proper way to burrow for small animals. The Black Bear’s natural diet can consist of berries, nuts, roots, pinecones, pine seeds, fir needles, leaves, huckleberries, beechnuts, acorns, hickory nuts, honey and over 50 varieties of plant, not to mention the insects. In the continental United States they live in less than 20% of their original range. The smell of available food, whether it’s fresh or disposed garbage, can cause them to turn from beggars to demanders, a serious concern for wild life management and humans. Female bears are often very aggressive towards other female bears as well as male bears, protecting their food territory for their young. Black Bears have often been wrongly considered to be sluggish and oblivious to what going on around them. 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