Black Bears

table of contents:

1 Appearance
2 Where They Live
3 What They Eat
4 Behavior
5 Babies
6 Interesting Facts
7 Glossary

Appearance

The black bear is the most common bear
in North America. They have black hair that
covers their body and light brown skin. From
nose to tail, they are between 4 to 7 feet long.
Males weigh between 150-550 pounds and
females weigh a lot less than that at about 90-175
pounds. Unlike the gri zzly bear, black bears do
not have a large hump on their shoulders. One
of their features that helps someone to
recogni ze them is their large, round ears.

Where They Live

Black bears can be found in the United
States, Canada, and Mexico. They used to live in
al most all forest areas of the United States, but
due to population increases of humans, they
now reside in thicker forests with lots of plants
to eat. Their long claws allow them to easily
cli mb trees. Trees are a great place to escape
predators, find food, or even take a nap. Black
bears have home ranges and will travel to find
more food i f they need it.

What They Eat

Black bears are omni vores. This means
that they eat plants and other ani mals. Black
bears mostly eat plants, berries, and nuts, but
they also like insects, fish, small mammals, birds,
and reptiles. During the month of November
through April when food is scarce, bears do not
eat. They go into hibernation where they do not
eat and thei r bodies li ve off thei r stored fat. In
the spring they will emerge from their dens
ready to eat!

Behavior

Unless a mother is raising cubs, black

bears tend to explore alone. As for each day,
bears are most active early in the morning and

in the late afternoon right before dark. They take

one or two naps during the day too. Bears have
a fantastic sense of smell. They can smell seven

ti mes better than a bloodhound (the dog used to
track people) and use this strong sense to locate

food. While bears are usually scared of humans,

they will overcome this fear i f they are very
hungry or feel threatened.

Babies

Female black bears will usually gi ve bi rth

to two or three cubs in the winter months. Bear
cubs drink their mother’s milk during

hibernation. Bear cubs will stay with their

mother for about two years as they learn the
skills they need to li ve on thei r own. When cubs

are born they weigh under one pound and are
blind, but they grow very quickly and will be

around 80 pounds by a year old. Mother bears
are extremely protective of their cubs. When the
cubs are mature enough, they will find their own

home range and live by themselves.

Interesting Facts

o Black bears li ve about 18 years.
o Black bears are excellent swi mmers.
o Black bears can run a short distance at
about 30 miles an hour.
o Black bears are not al ways black
(Crazy...I know!)
o Black bears are really good at breaking
into trashcans to eat human food.
o If you see a black bear, you should walk
backwards away from it slowly.

Glossary

o hump- a round bump on the back of a
mammal (pg.1)
o locate- to find (pg. 2)
o predators- ani mals that hunt other ani mals
for food (pg. 2)
o protecti ve- a strong sense to keep someone
safe (pg. 5)
o scarce- hard to find; small numbers
(pg. 3)