The breeding period lasts for two to three months. They regularly climb trees to feed, escape enemies and hibernate. [47] In one of the largest studies on regional body mass, bears in British Columbia averaged 73.7 kg (162 lb) in 89 females and 103.1 kg (227 lb) in 243 males. It was once so common an article of food in New-York as to have given the name of Bear Market to one of the principal markets of the city. [44], There is at least one record of an American black bear killing a wolverine (Gulo gulo) in a dispute over food in Yellowstone National Park. [4][page needed] Their arboreal abilities tend to decline with age. [4][page needed][44], In the state of California, studies have indicated that the average mass is 86 kg (190 lb) in adult males and 58 kg (128 lb) in adult females. Roosevelt described how, in the southern states, planters regularly hunted American black bears on horseback with hounds. Individual coat colors can range from white, blonde, cinnamon, light brown or dark chocolate brown to jet black, with many intermediate variations existing. [120][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. The ears are small and rounded. [4][page needed] Once out of hibernation, mother bears may be able to fight off most potential predators. [121] 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. Their keenest sense is their sense of smell, which is about seven times more sensitive than a domestic dog's. [67][page needed] Up to 85% of the American black bear's diet consists of vegetation,[42] though they tend to dig less than brown bears, eating far fewer roots, bulbs, corms and tubers than the latter species. Four of the eight modern bear species are habitually arboreal (the most arboreal species, the American and Asian black bears and the sun bear, being fairly closely related). International Union for Conservation of Nature, The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Haida Gwaii black bear or Queen Charlotte Islands black bear, List of fatal bear attacks in North America, "Mitochondrial genomes reveal an explosive radiation of extinct and extant bears near the Miocene-Pliocene boundary", "Aspects of Evolution and Adaptation in American Black Bears (, "Dispersals of Neogene Carnivorans between Asia and North America", 10.1206/0003-0090(2003)279<0018:C>2.0.CO;2, "Chapter 8. Beckmann, J. P., & Berger, J. They typically open their eyes after 28–40 days and begin walking after 5 weeks. The grizzly bear thrived in all western states, ranging as far south as Mexico and as far north as the tip of Alaska. [65][page needed], In his book The Great Bear Almanac, Gary Brown summarized the predominance of black or brown/blonde specimens by location:[40], American black bears have better eyesight and hearing than humans. Clue Home of Bedtime Bear and Funshine Bear. Canada’s black bear population is about 450,000 animals. Surplus killing of sheep and goats are common. [99] American black bears have also been recorded similarly preying on elk calves in Idaho[100] and moose calves in Alaska.[101]. [111][112], American black bear interactions with gray wolves are much rarer than with brown bears, due to differences in habitat preferences. Most American black bear attacks tend to be motivated by hunger rather than territoriality and thus victims have a higher probability of surviving by fighting back rather than submitting. [73] At birth, cubs weigh 280–450 g (0.62–0.99 lb) and measure 20.5 cm (8.1 in) in length. [106] Occasionally American black bears kill pets, especially domestic dogs, which are most prone to harass a bear. In areas where human development is relatively low, such as stretches of Canada and Alaska, American black bears tend to be found more regularly in lowland regions. carealot. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the American black bear as a least-concern species, due to its widespread distribution and a large population estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined. For American black bears living in the American Southwest and Mexico, habitat usually consists of stands of chaparral and pinyon juniper woods. The Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) is similar to the American black bear in size and appearance. It and the brown bear (Ursus arctos) are the only two of the eight modern bear species not considered by the IUCN to be globally threatened with extinction. Black bears vary considerably in size, depending on the quality of the food available. Meat from the neck, front legs and shoulders is usually ground into minced meat or used for stews and casseroles. American Black Bear Conservation Action Plan", "Black Bear hit by car in Southern Indiana", "Early black bear sightings in southern Wisconsin", "Biologists excited after black bear caught on camera in northeast Iowa", "Video Shows Bear in Iowa, DNR Says it Could be State's First 'Resident' Bear Since the 1880s", "Another black bear sighting in Union Co.", "Recent occurrence of an American black bear in Nebraska", "Black Bears - Great Smoky Mountains National Park (U.S. National Park Service)", 10.1644/1545-1410(2001)647<0001:UA>2.0.CO;2, "Learning and Color Discrimination in the American Black Bear", "Black bear monitoring in eastern interior Alaska", "Population, Genetic and Behavioral Studies of Black Bears, "Characteristics of Black Bears and Grizzly Bears in YNP", "American black bear videos, photos and facts –, "829-pound bear takes record in N.J. hunt", "Record-busting, 879-pound bear bagged in Poconos", "Observations on the breeding of captive black bears, Ursus americanus. Hard masts become the most important part of the American black bear's diet in autumn and may even partially dictate the species' distribution. [105] Unless well trained, horses were often useless in American black bear hunts, as they often bolted when the bears stood their ground. [97] If it is able to capture a mother deer in spring, the bear frequently begins feeding on the udder of lactating females, but generally prefers meat from the viscera. It is usually black with a tan muzzle and a white patch on its chest. Tobacco smoke would be wafted into the disembodied head's nostrils by the hunter that dealt the killing blow, who would compliment the animal for its courage. [3][4] Reportedly, the sun bear is also a relatively recent split from this lineage. In the northeastern part of the range (the United States and Canada), prime habitat consists of a forest canopy of hardwoods such as beech, maple, birch and coniferous species. Generally, they only become aggressive when people or other animals threaten them or their cubs. [23], Currently, 28 of the U.S. states have American black bear hunting seasons. California is thought to have the largest Black Bear population in the lower 48 states with … Within this period, annual kills ranged from six bears in South Carolina to 2,232 in Maine. cree. [38] Adult American black bears in Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge in east-central Alaska were found to average 87.3 kg (192 lb) in males and 63.4 kg (140 lb) in females, whereas on Kuiu Island in southeastern Alaska (where nutritious salmon are readily available) adult American black bears averaged an estimated 115 kg (254 lb). Upon exiting hibernation, bears retain a reduced heart rate and basal metabolic rate. Theodore Roosevelt himself likened the flesh of young American black bears to that of pork and not as coarse or flavorless as the meat of grizzly bears. Here are the possible solutions for american black bear clue. He killed 30 or 40 American black bears with only a knife, which he would use to stab the bears between the shoulder blades while they were distracted by his hounds. Black bears are the only species of bear found in Shenandoah National Park. A white blaze on the chest is common in this subspecies. Unlike the hunting of hibernating grizzly bears, which was fraught with danger, hibernating American black bears took longer to awaken and hunting them was thus safer and easier. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in search of food. [23], The current range of American black bears in the United States is constant throughout most of the Northeast and within the Appalachian Mountains almost continuously from Maine to northern Georgia, the northern Midwest, the Rocky Mountain region, the West Coast and Alaska. [106] They will readily consume eggs and nestlings of various birds and can easily access many tree nests, even the huge nests of bald eagles. In The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Charles Darwin noted: In the nine-year Report it is stated that the bears had been seen in the zoological gardens to couple freely, but previously to 1848 most had rarely conceived. The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is a medium-sized bear endemic to North America. The body temperature of the American black bear does not drop significantly, like other mammalian hibernators (staying around 35 °C (95 °F)) and they remain somewhat alert and active. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Like brown bears, they will sometimes steal kills from cougars. Eyes are brown (blue at birth). With a population double, that of all other bear species combined, the American black bear (Ursus americanus, formerly Euarctos americanus) is by far the most … They are sometimes called brown bears, but the true brown bear (Ursus arctos; also called the grizzly bear in North America) is much larger. The vestigial tail is usually 4.8 inches (120 mm) long. [64] Of 1,028 incidents of aggressive acts toward humans, recorded from 1964 to 1976 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 107 resulted in injury and occurred mainly in tourist hot spots where people regularly fed the bears handouts. [113] Wolf packs typically kill American black bears when the larger animals are in their hibernation cycle. [90] After emerging from their winter dens in spring, they wander their home ranges for two weeks so that their metabolism accustoms itself to the activity. It is the smallest and most distributed species of bear on the continent. [41] They move in a rhythmic, sure-footed way and can run at speeds of 25 to 30 miles per hour (40 to 48 km/h). The black bear is large and stocky and has a short tail. Although an adult bear is quite capable of killing a human, American black bears typically avoid confronting humans. Public Approves of Bear Hunt", Wildlifeinformation.org: American Black Bear Conservation Action Plan. The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is a typical omnivorous bear, which eats plant materials, especially nuts and berries, but also feeds on carrion and can kill young ungulates. [42], The average lifespan in the wild is 18 years, though it is quite possible for wild specimens to survive for more than 23 years. The American black bear: characteristics and habitat This carnivorous mammal is the most common in North America and can be found from Canada and Alaska down to Mexico. It has one of the longest hibernation periods of any bear in North America. Synonyms for American black bear in Free Thesaurus. Weighing in at 240 pounds, with large razor sharp claws and a roar that can send the bravest person running, black bears may seem like ferocious killing machines that attack for no reason. Black bears are medium-sized bears who live throughout most of North America. Nineteen states require a bear hunting license, with some also requiring a big game license. [29][30], Surveys taken from 35 states in the early 1990s indicate that American black bears are either stable or increasing, except in Idaho and New Mexico. [4][page needed] Prior to that time, they can put on up to 14 kg (30 lb) of body fat to get them through the several months during which they fast. Bears at lower altitudes tend to emerge earlier. [40] The fur is not as shaggy or coarse as that of brown bears. The American black bear consists of only one species, but its colour varies, even among members of the same litter. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. [5] A small primitive bear called Ursus abstrusus is the oldest known North American fossil … The curved claws are nonretractile, and, unlike cats and dogs, bears walk on the soles of their feet (plantigrade locomotion). [4][page needed] American black bears can do extensive damage in areas of the northwestern United States by stripping the bark from trees and feeding on the cambium. [3] Both American and Asian black bears are considered sister taxa, and are more closely related to each other than to other species of bear. [7], The American black bear lived during the same period as the giant and lesser short-faced bears (Arctodus simus and A. pristinus, respectively) and the Florida spectacled bear (Tremarctos floridanus). [4][page needed] The soles of the feet are black or brownish and are naked, leathery and deeply wrinkled. The spruce-fir forest dominates much of the range of the American black bear in the Rockies. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Throughout Canada and the United States, home ranges of black bears extend from about 40 to 200 square km (15 to 77 square miles) for males but are considerably smaller for females. [65], The majority of the American black bear's animal diet consists of insects, such as bees, yellow jackets, ants and their larvae. Colorado, Idaho, western Montana and Wyoming, eastern Washington and Oregon and northeastern Utah. [132] During the European colonisation of eastern North America, thousands of American black bears were hunted for their meat, fat and fur. Violent interactions, resulting in the deaths of American black bears, have been recorded in Yellowstone National Park. After these prehistoric ursids became extinct during the last glacial period 10,000 years ago, American black bears were probably the only bear present in much of North America until the migration of brown bears to the rest of the continent.[10]. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Unit, Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins; cited in. [135] 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. [115], At least one jaguar (Panthera onca) has been recorded to have attacked and eaten a black bear: "El Jefe", the jaguar famous for being the first jaguar seen in the United States in over a century. Compared to brown bear attacks, aggressive encounters with American black bears rarely lead to serious injury. 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