Black Bears
What are Black bears?
Black bears are a very intelligent curious bear. They are smaller than Grizzly and Polar bears. They live mostly in forest where there is a good supply of vegetation, trees, and shrubs. However, they can also be found in the swamplands of the southeastern United States and the scrub lands of the southwest.
What do they look like?
Black bears have a straight line from the snout to the head with longer pointed ears than a grizzly bear.
Height: 2.5 - 3.5 to the shoulder. They are about 4-5 feet tall when standing on their hind legs.
Weight:
An adult male can be between 150-600 pounds. Females with cubs can weigh 90-300 pounds.
Color:
In the eastern part of North America, most black bears are black. In parts of the western states, there are some black bears that are a brownish color. If you see a brownish bear in the wild, be sure to look at the shape of its head and body to determine whether it is a grizzly or a black bear.
What do Black bears eat?
Black bears eat mostly vegetation, weeds, wild flowers, nuts, berries, wild oats, insect larvae, bees and other insects. They sometimes will catch a fawn or other small animal to eat. Black bears will also go to campgrounds and garbage dumps to eat what humans through away when their natural food in the wild is hard to find.
Fun facts about Black bears:
1. Black bear mothers usually give birth to 2 or three cubs while in their den
2. Have an excellent sense of smell
3. Black bears are good tree climbers
4. They can run up to 35 miles per hour
5. Black bears can live to 25 years in the wild
Again, be sure to share your stories with us in the comments area, about experience with black bears in your zoo, the wild, or at the nature parks you have visited.