American Black Bear
(Ursus americanus)
- Subspecies
- 18 subspecies
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- Life span
- 30 years
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Size
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American black bears have a body length of 130-180cm and weigh 120-150kg.
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- Physical Appearance
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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.
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- Distribution
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American black bears inhabit forested areas from the Arctic, south throughout
much of the United States to northern Mexico.
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- Habitat
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American black bears are thought to avoid open areas due to the risk of attack
from brown bears.
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- Diet
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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.
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- Social organization and behavior
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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.
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- Reproduction
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Female black bears give birth to 1-4 cubs after a gestation period of 215 days.
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- Conservation/status
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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.
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- Notes
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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.