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|RINGED
SEAL| |HARBOR SEAL| |ELEPHANT
SEAL| |WHITE-WINGED SCOTER|
|SURF SCOTER| |PACIFIC
HALIBUT| |BLACK BEAR|
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FACT SHEET AS PDF
|
BLACK
BEAR TAXONOMY
|
| Kingdom: |
Animalia |
anima
= soul, spirit |
| Phylum: |
Chordata |
chord
= a string, musical instrument. Chordata = having
a notocord or “back-string” |
| Class: |
Mammalia |
mamm
= breast, pap, teats |
| Sub-class: |
Carnivora |
carn
= flesh |
| Order: |
Urisidae |
|
| Family: |
Ursinae |
|
| Genus: |
Ursus |
|
| Species: |
americanus |
|
| Range |
Black
bears are widely distributed in forested areas from
northern Mexico, most US States, and Canada. They
are highly adaptable and live in both arid and moist
forests from sea level to 3000 ft. |
| Predators |
Brown
bears. People intensively hunt black bears. In most
of the states and provinces that these bears range,
they are treated as a game animal, regulated by hunting.
An estimated 30,000 individuals are killed annually
in North America. |
| Prey |
Black
bears are omnivorous (vegetation and meat). They
feed on a wide range of foods including; insects (particularly
ants), nuts, berries, acorns, grasses, roots, and
other vegetation. They are also efficient predators
of deer fawns and moose calves. Black bears are not
active predators, but opportunistic feeders. |
| Size |
Males
range in from about 130 to 190 centimeters (50 to
75 inches) in length, weigh 60 to 300 kilograms (130-660
pounds). Females range from 130-190 centimeters (50
to 75 inches) in length, and weigh 40 to 80 kilograms
(90 to 175 pounds). They are considerably lighter
in weight in the spring when they emerge from their
dens. |
| Life
Span |
The
average life span of black bears is 12-18 years in
the wild and up to 30 in captivity. |
| Reproduction |
Black
bears reach sexual maturity at three to six years
of age. Mating occurs during summer months and pregnancy
last about seven months. Cubs are born in maternity
dens in the winter (usually January/February). Females
may give birth to as many as five cubs, but two is
the average. Cubs are born blind and hairless. When
they leave the dens in the spring, they have a wooly
coat and weigh about five pounds (2.3kg). |
| Seasonal
Change |
These
bears consume large quantities of food in the fall,
and then they move into “dens” and sleep through most
of the winter. This is not a true hibernation, their
body temperatures remain high, and most of their body
functions continue. If winter weather is mild, the
bears may be awake and active for short periods of
time. Black bears are crepuscular, they are active
at twilight. However, the need to feed and breeding
may sometimes affect this behavior. |
| Morphology
and Function |
Their
claws are short , curved and not more then 1-11/2
inches in length. They are used for climbing trees.
Brown bears, on the other hand, have much longer,
straighter claws used for heavy digging. Black bears
have a “flat” back, brown bears have a shoulder hump,
a muscle developed from digging. |
| Unique
Facts |
·
There are eight species of bears
found world wide. Six of these are considered threatened
or endangered.
·
Bear populations around the world
have declined due to loss of habitat and excessive
killing by man.
·
Black bears are the smallest bears
in North America.
|
References:
Stirling, Ian. 1993. Bears,
Majestic Creatures of the Wild. Emmaus, Pennsylvania:
Rodale Press.
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