American black bears (
Ursus americanus) are usually true to their name, but you might spot one who is brown, reddish, yellowish or cream-colored. They are the most widely distributed and smallest of the three bears found in North America. The other two, the polar bear and the grizzly bear, are much more restricted in their distribution.
Adult black bears range from five to six feet long and between 250 and 330 pounds. For such large animals, they can run fairly quickly—up to 25 miles per hour—and are skillful tree climbers. Black bears range throughout the eastern United States and throughout the West, except for most of the Great Plains and Great Basin areas. In general, the range of black bears follows the range of mature or restored forests. They occupy a variety of habitats in areas where large enough blocks of undisturbed land is available to them, such as woodlands in the East and chaparral and scrub in the Southwest. That bears require fairly large areas to sustain themselves and that they have a general intolerance toward one another—apart from the mother-cub relationship—contribute to their typically low population densities.
A common assumption is that bears are exclusively meat eaters while, in fact, plant foods make up the bulk of their diet. Ripening fruits, berries, and nuts are eaten heavily, particularly during the fall months when bears are busy packing on the pounds for winter. Animal material eaten by bears includes insects, carrion, and occasional small prey, such as deer fawns. Around homes and in passing through suburban neighborhoods, bears may stop to sample the fare in gardens, compost bins, trash cans, birdfeeders, beehives, and outdoor barbecues.
When temperatures drop and food grows scarce with the onset of winter, bears retire to dens for hibernation, which may be defined as an extended period of sleep in which their metabolism is markedly reduced (and thus eliminating the need for normal bodily functions). This seasonal sleep is profoundly deeper and longer in the northern parts of the black bear's range, mainly due to harsher weather and reduced seasonal food availability. Some southern bears may not hibernate at all, if food is plentiful year-round. Rock ledges, hollow trees, brush piles, and man-made dens—such as culvert pipes and areas under decks and patios—are all used to take refuge from winter snows and their accompanying food shortages.
Breeding season for black bears is between late May and early July; bears cubs (usually two to three are born) are born in late January or February. Born blind and with only a sparse covering of fur, the cubs remain with their mothers for the first 18—24 months of life.
Updated Oct. 23, 2006
