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Endangered Species in America: The Black Bear

The black bear is native to North America and is commonly found in all parts of the continent, including the U.S. and Canada. The black bear, also known as the baribal bear, comes in a variety of colors and can be found in hilly mountain sides to open tundra. It is also an endangered species.

Physical Features
- A bear will seek refuge in trees.
  
  Fully grown, the bear can be between 5 and 6 feet tall. It can weigh up to 600 lbs., with males weighing more than females. The bear has thick fur covering its body. Although it's called the black bear, its fur comes in a range of colors, including black, blue-gray, reddish chestnut, white and chocolate-brown. It has a sharp claws to scavenge for food and climb trees.
Diet
- The black bear has an omnivorous diet and mainly feeds on berries, nuts, fruit and roots. It adds variety to its diet by feeding on fish, small mammals and insects. If there is a good food supply a bear can eat up to 44 lbs. of food per day. It will increase its weight to survive without food during hibernation. Some bears feed off of human food left around campsites and cabins.
Habitat
- The bear lives in a number of habitats that provide a good source of food. It is found as far north as the coniferous forests of the subarctic regions. During the summer the bear likes dense forest areas with plenty of trees to climb. In spring a bear will look for large rivers to live beside so it has an endless supply of fresh fish to catch.
Behavior
- Black bear cubs are born blind.
  
  Black bears are solitary animals. Aside from seeing a mother with her cubs, bears usually live and forage for food alone. Each bear has a large territory, although it won't defend its territory if other bears wander into it. The black bear is the most peaceful of all the great bears and will rarely act out aggressively.The bear will hibernate in winter for up to six months, remaining dormant in a sheltered place, such as a tree hole, cave or burrow. A female will give birth in the winter to on average two cubs. She will nurse them until the spring when she helps them search for food. A cub will stay with its mother for approximately two years.
Endangerment
- 500,000 black bears are believed to exist in the wild. However, in some areas the bear is listed as endangered. For example, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Florida all have low numbers of the bear in the wild. Reasons for this include habitat loss, logging and poaching. There's a misconception that black bears are vicious, despite their timid nature. For that reason many bears have been killed.

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