Get all the facts about American Black Bears here
Here you'll get facts, photos, videos of the American Black Bear in all their glory. There are also informational links for organizations who study them, photograph them or fight to save them.
But don't let the name fool you, these bears come in brown, cinnamon, and blond. I even have a couple of photos of a Black Bear Mom who is black as night with here pure white cub -- and no, he is not an albino.
So, scroll down the page and look at all the great stuff on Black Bears. And come back often as I'll be adding more "stuff". They don't call me Bearmeister for nothing!
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Ursus
Species: U. americanus
Binomial name
Ursus americanus
Pallas, 1780
From Wikipedia
Black Bear Facts
The American black bear which is found only in North America is small. In fact it is the smallest of the 3 bear species found in North America. Their fur is usually uniform in color (see the Black Bear Mom with her white cub further down the page). Their muzzles are usually brown and they may have light colored markings on their chests.In the East, the bears are usually black in color while in the west, the bear populations often have brown, cinnamon, and blond coloration in addition to black.
The black bears that have white-bluish fur are known as Kermode or Glacier bears. These bears are usually found only in coastal British Columbia, Canada.
Size
They stand between 2 to 3 feet at the shoulders and are 4 to 7 feet long (nose to tip of tail). The males weigh an average of 150 to 300 lbs. but have been found from 500 to 600 lbs. The females are smaller.
They usually life between 20 and 25 years in the wild.
Diet
The bears are omnivorous eating plants, fruits, nuts, insects, honey, salmon, small mammals and carrion. In the north, they also eat spawning salmon and will also occasionally kill young deer or moose calves.
Black Bears and Hibernation
Black bears pick out a shallow depression in the earth, under logs or in hollowed-out trees to hibernate during the winter.The type of hibernation black bears do is not considered a true hibernation. In a true hibernation, body temperature drops substantially. The black bears temperature does not drop appreciably. They also remain a bit alert and active. In fact, during hibernation females will give birth and nurse their cubs.
During hibernation, the bears will not eat, drink, urinate nor defecate. Upon waking, they forage for new shoots and any animals they find that were killed due to the cold. This helps them build their strength quickly.
Black Bear Photo Gallery
My favorite bear photos are by ucumari on Flickr. These are just a few. Click ucumari to see her complete polar bear set.
Black Bear vs. Brown Bears (Grizzlies)
Black bears are smaller in stature than brown bears. Although some may have similiar coloring to Brown Bears, Black Bears are a smaller bear.Also, black bears have no shoulder hump and their ears are both larger and stand straighter than ears on brown bears.
Confrontations between Brown bears and black bears are rare because Brown bears prefer open spaces, whereas brown bears prefer forested or shrubby areas. Brown bears are also nocturnal and Black bears are diurnal so they don't run into each other often.
When there is a confrontation, Brown bears have an advantage of size over the black bear.
Conservation Status - U.S.
"Listed as a threatened subspecies in Louisiana, eastern Texas and southern Mississippi under the federal Endangered Species Act. In 4 others they are state-listed as rare, threatened or endangered (Lousiana, Florida and within the historic range of black bears in southern Mississippi and eastern Texas). The Florida black bear subspecies is listed as threatened by the state of Florida."
Defenders of Wildlife
National Wildlife Federation
Protecting Bears and The Environment
When I discovered the problems facing bears, I looked for an organization that I could work with to help save them. I found the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Their mission is to protect wildlife for our children's future, connect people with nature and to confront global warming.I am proud to be a member of NWF and to support them in their efforts to save Bears and other animals from extinction.
The NWF is also helping to lead a nationwide grassroots effort to protect the Arctic Refuge. For more information on this click NWF-Arctic Refuge. Or, for membership information, click NWF Membership.
Black bear with 5 cubs!
For his story about his encounter and more photos, click Black bear.
Sub-Species -- Kermode Bear aka Spirit Bear aka Ghost Bear
Because this sub-species is so unique and endangered, I have created a separate lens that explores them with more information, photos, videos and organizations helping to save them.
To go there, click Spirit Bear
Kermode Bear aka Spirit Bear aka Ghost Bear
Organizations Helping Black Bears
#1
Polar Bear: Grizzly Bear, Panda, Kodiak, Brown, Sun and Black Bears
Polar Bear with Grizzly Bear, Panda, Kodiak, Sun, more...1 point
#2
National Wildlife Federation
National Wildlife Federation's (NWF) mission is to more...1 point
#3
.: BLACK BEAR CONSERVATION COMMITTEE :. - Home
The mission of the (BBCC) is to promote the restor more...0 points
#4
Managing Wildlife Damage: Black Bears
The black bear is a large mammal with powerful lim more...0 points
#5
Black Bear - Defenders of Wildlife
A fact sheet about black bears. Black bears are en more...0 points
#6
Bear To Dream.Org
Second Chance Bear Rescue. objective is to educate more...0 points
Great Black Bear Resources For More Info
#1
American Black Bear - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) is the more...0 points
#2
Black Bear Facts
Contains facts about nearly every aspect of black more...0 points
#3
Ursus Americanus (American Black Bear)
Contains classification information, diet, habitat more...0 points
#4
Black Bear, Black Bear Profile, Facts, Information, Photos ...
Get black bear profile, facts, information, photos more...0 points
#5
Black Bear: Wildlife Notebook Series - Alaska Department of Fish ...
Description of Black Bears in the Alaska Departmen more...0 points
#6
American Black Bear Printout- EnchantedLearning.com
American Black Bears are large, mostly harmless be more...0 points
#7
The Bear Facts
The amount of bears that are in need of rehabilita more...0 points
Interesting Books On Black Bears
Here are some great books on Black Bears. Let people know which you think are the best by voting for your favorite book. It's okay to vote for more than 1. And, you can add a another one from Amazon or take a copy of this list. If you add one, don't forget to vote for it!
#1
Living With Bears: A Practical Guide to Bear Country by Linda Masterson
Colorado author Linda Masterson dispels myths, rep more...0 points
#3
Among the Bears: Raising Orphaned Cubs in the Wild by Benjamin Kilham, Ed Gray
In the spring of 1993, Benjamin Kilham, a naturali more...0 points
#4
Bears : Polar Bears, Black Bears and Grizzly Bears (Kids Can Press Wildlife Series) by Deborah Hodge
The eating habits of bears is one of fourteen topi more...0 points
#5
Black Bears (Our Wild World Series) by Kathy Feeny
Every title contains: -Where the animal lives, wha more...0 points
#6
Beauty Within the Beast: Kinship With Bears in the Alaska Wilderness by Stephen Stringham
An innocent act of kindness turns a bear into a da more...0 points
#7
Black Bears: A Natural History by Dave Taylor
In 1990 author, naturalist and photographer Dave T more...0 points
Of the three species native to this part of the world - the grizzly or brown bear, the polar bear, and the black bear - Taylor devotes this beautifully embellished volume exclusively to the black bear, the most numerous of North America's three bear speci...
0 points#8
In the Company of Wild Bears: A Celebration of Backcountry Grizzlies and Black Bears by Howard Smith
Real-life human-bear encounters with black bears, more...0 points
#9
Big Black Bear by Wong Herbert Yee
When Big Black Bear shows up at the Brown Brick Ho more...0 points
New YouTube vids
Black Bears in the News
- Man Saves Black Bear From Drowning, with video
- The Florida wildlife commission official jumped into the Gulf of Mexico to help the animal, who'd wandered into a neighborhood, then been hit by a tranquilzer dart and bolted into the water.
- Water-rescued bear spotted again, taken to zoo
- Water-rescued bear spotted again, taken to wildlife refuge...
Glacier Bear
My Other Bear Lenses
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Here, I'll share with you the tragic story of the Dancing Bears of India and the uplifting story of their ongoing rescue. As you read their story, you may wince and want to stop, but please read on. There IS hope for these mistreated Sloth Bears. W...
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Sloth Bears are one of the 8 species of bears worldwide. When I first heard the term Sloth Bear, I immediately thought of Three-toed Sloths. They are not related, however, they were originally classified as "Bear Sloths" because of their Sloth-like c...
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Giant Pandas - Cute, Adorable and Endangered
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Member of Save Our Bears (SOB) Group
Save Our Bears is a group of lenses devoted to help change the plight all of the 8 bear species through awareness and fund raising.The lenses show the wonderful nature of bears and many will, at the same time, shine a spotlight on the dangers bears face including: trophy hunters, gall bladder and bile farming, pollution, bear baiting, global warming, and habitat destruction.
You'll also find fun lenses on great polar bear movies, books, teddy bears, even cartoon and toy bears.
Click Save Our Bears (SOB) to go to the group page.
Do I look wild and dangerous?
How you can support National Wildlife Federation's
Alaska Natural Resource Center
NWF and their Alaska Natural Resource Center are leading a nationwide grassroots effort to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).Their campaigns address the issue of climate change and its effect on polar bears from many angles, including clean energy, sustainable tourism, youth conservation leadership, reversing nature deficit, and protecting wildlife from global warming through adaptive management of habitat.
For more information on NWF click NWF-Arctic Refuge. Or, for membership information, click NWF Membership.
For the Alaska Natural Resource Center's office, click Alaska Resource Center.
To make a lens now, click 
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Bear hugs, Frankie
naturegirl7 wrote...
Welcome to the Naturally Native Squids group. Don't forget to add your lens links to the appropriate plexos and vote for them.
Posted October 25, 2008
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