This page contains facts about the American black bear, including physical traits, behavior, diet, reproduction, communication, tracks, and signs.
You'll also find pictures of bears!
Black Bear: Physical Characteristics
Male black bears usually weigh 250 - 500 pounds when fully grown, although some grow to 600 pounds or more. The adult females, being smaller, weigh 110 - 450 pounds.
Black bears measure up to 6 tall feet when standing on their hind legs. When a bear's on all fours, the height to the shoulder is approximately 3 to 3.5 feet.
Black bears measure up to 6 tall feet when standing on their hind legs. When a bear's on all fours, the height to the shoulder is approximately 3 to 3.5 feet.
Black Bear Habitat
The American black bear is found in diverse habitats, including forests, swampland, and scrubland.
The black bear prefers habitat that is relatively inaccessible by humans. Ideally, this habitat will have a thick understory and a good supply of mast (acorns, beechnuts, hickory nuts, etc.) and fruit-bearing trees or shrubs.
The male black bear is reported to require from 5 to 200 square miles for its home range. The female requires much less - from 1 to about 20 square miles.
The size of the territory needed depends somewhat upon the age of the bear, the habitat of the territory, and the food supply in that area. The better the quality of the habitat, the smaller the home range needs to be.
The black bear prefers habitat that is relatively inaccessible by humans. Ideally, this habitat will have a thick understory and a good supply of mast (acorns, beechnuts, hickory nuts, etc.) and fruit-bearing trees or shrubs.
The male black bear is reported to require from 5 to 200 square miles for its home range. The female requires much less - from 1 to about 20 square miles.
The size of the territory needed depends somewhat upon the age of the bear, the habitat of the territory, and the food supply in that area. The better the quality of the habitat, the smaller the home range needs to be.
Black Bear Cubs
Black Bear Reproduction
The female black bear breeds every other year. She gives birth to 1-5 cubs during January or February. The typical litter is 2 or 3 cubs. Black bear cubs are blind at birth and only weigh from 7-14 ounces.The young stay with their mother during the first summer and den with her the next winter. During the second summer, the mother drives them off to find their own territory, leaving her available to breed again.
Black Bear Behavior
Black bears are solitary, other than during the breeding season or when females are with their young cubs.The black bear has an extremely keen sense of smell and hearing. Their sight is only adequate.
They will readily climb a tree and are good swimmers. They can move at a rapid pace - up to 30 mph - and tend to cover a lot of territory in a 24-hour period.
Black bears have extraordinary navigational abilities. They have been known to find their way back to their home range after being transported as far as 168 away.
This ability to find places previously visited helps them return to food sources and waterholes that may be available only on a seasonal basis.
Fortunately, black bears are not as aggressive as grizzly bears. However, black bear attacks are not unheard of. In most of these instances, the bear involved has become accustomed to being around people and therefore has lost its fear of humans.
Black Bear Diet
American black bears are omnivorous, which means their diet consists of both plants and animals, though they show a preference for plant matter.In the spring, they eat more grassy materials. In the summer and fall they tend to feed more on fruits and mast (acorns, beechnuts, etc).
The black bear in this photo is about to eat some berries near the stream. Yum.
The diet of the black bear includes: berries of all kinds, grapes and other fruit, grasses, forbs, honey, insects and their larvae, small mammals such as rodents, fish, carrion, and mast (acorns, beechnuts, hickory, etc.).
Only a small portion the black bear's diet is animal matter. The exception would be black bears that live near rivers where they can catch salmon and other fish.
Species Accounts for the Black Bear
Follow these links for more information about the American Black Bear
- American Black Bear (Ursus americanus)
- Information on range, habitat, physical appearance, diet, reproduction, social behavior, subspecies, taxonomy, and physical attributes. Includes a photo of a black bear.
- American Black Bear
- Includes facts on the range, physical traits, reproduction, communication, and diet of this mammal. From the Animal Diversity Web.
- American Black Bear
- Describes the physical characteristics, habitat, behavior, diet, taxonomy, subspecies ranges, history, and legal status of the black bear. Includes many photos. From Wikipedia.
How Black Bears Communicate
Sounds and Behavior
Black bears do not vocalize very much.When frightened, they may make huffing sounds or clank their teeth. In some situations, black bears make a moaning sound when they are afraid.
Female black bears will communicate with their cubs with grunts and the cubs will bawl loudly when in distress. Cubs make what is described as a purring type of sound while they are nursing.
The black bear also communicates using body signals. When a bear feels threatened, it will flatten its ears and sometimes lower its head. If you see this behavior, it's a sign for you to back off.
If the threat does not go away, the black bear will often "bluff charge," which means it runs or lunges toward the threat, but stops short of attacking. The lunge can be accompanied by a slap on the ground.
People often think that a black bear standing upright is in a threatening posture. But, most of the time, the bear is just trying to get a better look around.
Black Bear Communication - Sounds and Behavior
- Language and Sounds of Black Bears
- Sound files include cub distress call, bear family conversing, nursing cubs, moan, sounds of cub and mother, blowing and chomping, and a bear threatening another bear.
- Bear Communication
- Describes the different ways that bears communicate, including body posture, bluff charging, and vocalization. Includes some information on the grizzly bear (brown bear) as well as the black bear.
- Bear Behaviour & Communication
- Provides information about vocalizations, body language, eye contact, ear position, scent marking, tree marking, and tracks.
Black Bear Tracks
American black bears have five toes on each foot, with the biggest toe being on the outside (in contrast to the location of a human's big toe).The position of the big toe is what gives the black bear its shuffling gait, with the tracks turning slightly inward.
The track of the front foot of an adult black bear is about 3.25 - 5.5 inches in width and 5 - 6.5 inches in length. If the heel of the front foot registers in the soil, then this can add 3 - 4 inches to the length.
The hind track is the same width as the front track, but the length is approximately 6 - 7.75 inches.
* Reference: Tracking and the Art of Seeing: How to Read Animal Tracks and Sign by Paul Rezendes
More Info on Black Bear Tracks & Signs
- Bear Signs
- Information about where to find bear signs and what black bear tracks and scat look like, including illustrations. Also describes the black bear skull, feeding signs, bear trees, and other black bear sign.
- Black Bear Signs and Tracks
- Describes the difference between a black bear track and grizzly bear track. Also provides information about scat, grizzly diggings, territory marking, and bear trails.
How to Tell the Difference Between American Black Bear and Grizzly Bear
If you're hiking in an area where both black bears (Ursus americanus) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) are found, it's important to be able to distinguish between these two species.
During an encounter, one's behavior might be different depending on which species you're dealing with.
During an encounter, one's behavior might be different depending on which species you're dealing with.
- Compare the Black Bear and The Grizzly
- Simple, clear explanation of the difference between these two species of bears. Look at the illustrations and read the info, then take the "Bear ID" test!
- How Do You Distinguish a Black Bear from a Grizzly Bear
- Explains how to tell the difference between these two species using color, size, height, body shape, face, claws, and tracks. Excellent resource.
- The Differences Between Grizzly And Black Bears
- Describes the three telltale characteristics used to distinguish a black bear from a grizzly bear.
Have you ever seen a black bear in the wild?
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Fetching RSS feed... please stand byMamma Black Bear and Three Cubs
Video taken from a car along the Alaska Highway and very close to the bears, maybe a little too close.
Photo Copyright Info
Introduction: © Alain - Dreamstime.com
Sections:
Black Bear Cubs: © Tony Campbell - Dreamstime.com
Black Bear Communication: © Suzann Julien
Black Bear Diet: © Alain - Dreamstime.com
Black Bear Tracks: © Robert Fullerton - Dreamstime.com
Black Bear Habitat: © Suzann Julien
These photos are being used under a royalty free license. The original copyright belongs to the photographers and/or agencies listed above.
Sections:
Black Bear Cubs: © Tony Campbell - Dreamstime.com
Black Bear Communication: © Suzann Julien
Black Bear Diet: © Alain - Dreamstime.com
Black Bear Tracks: © Robert Fullerton - Dreamstime.com
Black Bear Habitat: © Suzann Julien
These photos are being used under a royalty free license. The original copyright belongs to the photographers and/or agencies listed above.
Black Bear Guestbook
Please share your thoughts on black bears or this lens.
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- bluekerry bluekerry Oct 30, 2009 @ 11:17 am
- Right on cue, according to my journals, a black bear (2 or 3 yrs) came up on my back deck.
My guess is it was a young bear that was here last October same time with its mother and a
sibling. After finding no food it ambled of up the mountain.
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- in the wild north ontario in the wild north ontario Sep 21, 2009 @ 2:47 pm
- we have several bears in our community. they are nice to see but dangerous. we have had 400 lbs bears in our car port, in our play ground during the day when the children are around. as much as i love animals i am terried of bears.
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- aj2008 aj2008 Jul 27, 2009 @ 4:51 am
- Beautiful creatures.
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- AbbasAbedi AbbasAbedi Jun 7, 2009 @ 6:07 am
- Excellent Lens. 5*
If you get a chance check out my Instant Stress Management lens.
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- ladydarkness1313 ladydarkness1313 Mar 13, 2009 @ 9:19 pm
- Please Check Out Ursa Freedom Project
The Ursa Freedom Project commits to liberate 9,000 bears from bile farms in China/Viet Nam and to end a practice that is commercially unnecessary. We who gather for the sake of the Moon Bear affirm liberty and deplore the torture of any living being. This endangered species is subjected to the unconscionable practice of bile extraction for use by industries which can use higher quality synthetic replacements to bear bile. The products are largely non-essential, including wine, furniture polish and certain types of medicine for preventable diseases. And the Chinese government has turned a deaf ear to the pleas of those who have worked for decades to help these animals.
Return to Freedom
The Ursa Freedom Project commits to liberate farmed Moon Bears from the wretched crush cages and abject torture they experience daily - until they die. The abominable practice of bear bile farming should have never begun and must stop now. These beautiful creatures must be returned to freedom, to live in the state Nature intended for them - a life of up to 30 years to roam in their natural habitat and to eat mostly berries and foliage.
This is no small task, it will take the belief and coming together of a great many to support those who work toward the liberation of farmed bears, to their rehabilitation and release into the wild. The Ursa Freedom Project invites you to join with your loved ones, neighbors and local organisations to share in a unique and uplifting campaign.
We aim to dismantle the bile farm industry. Please explore our website to learn how many small steps can bring these bears to freedom. We thank you for joining us.
Together, we can make a world of change.
http://ursafreedomproject.ning.com/
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