American black bears (Ursus americanus) are
usually true to their name, but you might spot one who is brown,
reddish, yellowish, or even cream-colored. Adult 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.
Many
people assume that bears are exclusively meat-eaters, but in fact,
plants make up the most of the black bear's diet. They do dine on
insects from time to time. Generally the only mammals they eat are
carrion.
Early summer is the time when black bears begin to increase their
activity levels. Not only is it the start of the mating season, but
it is also the beginning of berry season—when the first crops of
these ripening delicacies become available. Bears are on the move,
looking for the berry patches they remember from previous years.
Black bears are solitary creatures, with only a few exceptions:
mother/cub groups, summer breeding, and groups gathered at feeding
sites. Adult females establish their territories during the summer;
they then give birth to two or three cubs. Born blind and with only
a sparse covering of fur, the cubs stay with their mothers for two
years. Black bears have been known to develop strong family
relationships.
Technically, bears don't hibernate. Most bears do, however, enter
a period of dormancy during the winter. Rock ledges, hollow trees,
and occasional human-provided dens—such as under decks and patios or
culvert pipes—are used to take refuge from winter snows.
Currently, there are an estimated 400,000 to 750,000 American
black bears. Their habitat extends through most of Alaska, virtually
all of Canada, much of the United States, and even down into central
Mexico (the Nayarit and Tamaulipas states).
Although many people panic when they hear of a black bear
sighting, the animals actually have more to fear from us than we do
from them. Their population has fallen because of habitat
destruction, excessive hunting, and poaching for gall bladders and
bile (which are used in Asian medicine). Poaching for gall bladders
will be stemmed if Congress passes the Bear Protection Act.
