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American Black Bear

American Black Bear

(Ursus americanus)

Subspecies 
18 subspecies
 
Life span
30 years
 
Size
American black bears have a body length of 130-180cm and weigh 120-150kg.
 
Physical Appearance
Black bears tend to be a uniform black color, but there are also brown, gray and even white varieties (glacier bear). They are short-haired and medium-sized, often with a small white patch on the chest.
 
Distribution
American black bears inhabit forested areas from the Arctic, south throughout much of the United States to northern Mexico.
 
Habitat 
American black bears are thought to avoid open areas due to the risk of attack from brown bears.
 
Diet
Black bears mostly feed on plant matter, such as grasses, herbs, fruits, berries, honey, nuts and seeds, but a small percentage of their diet is made up of animals, such as insects, fish, small vertebrates and carcasses.
 
Social organization and behavior
Black bears are solitary except for mothers with cubs, couples during the mating season and aggregations at feeding sites. Territory size can be 10-300 square kilometers, and male territories overlap with those of females.
 
Reproduction
Female black bears give birth to 1-4 cubs after a gestation period of 215 days.
 
Conservation/status
American black bears are the most common species of bears and are not endangered, although individual populations are at risk of isolation and starvation. An estimated 30,000 individuals are hunted and killed annually in North America, mostly for trophy.
 
Notes
Black bears are skilled tree climbers and can run at speeds of 25 miles per hour. They have poor eyesight and hearing, but have a good sense of smell.