Where do black bears live in north america.Where Do Bears Live in North America?
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Black bears are one of the more common species in North America. They live in many different habitats are not picky about what they eat. Their keen sense of smell gives them much information about their environment and foods they eat. The American black bear is considered a threatened species in some areas. In fact they are protected in the states of Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.
In other areas they are actively hunted and are subject to open “hunting seasons”. Black bear anatomy includes a straight face and flat shoulders. It has ears that are often pointed and a short tail. Fur color can vary from black to chocolate brown with gray combinations. One of the more notable facts about this species is that they are excellent climbers, even when cubs. The black bear is very adaptable. They are quite intelligent and curious. But this smaller bear is very shy and generally avoids confrontations.
Records of human attacks are rare. Baby black bears are born and live in the safety of the mother’s den during winter. The average cub litter size is 1 to 3. Babies are born blind. A black bear baby weighs between one half to one pound at birth. They put on weight quickly. The mother spends the following year and a half weaning, feeding, and teaching her cubs what to eat and how to survive.
At that point they venture on to live on their own. The sad fact is that many baby cubs will not reach adulthood due to hunting and attacks from predators. The mother will usually mate every 2 years but frequency depends on food resources, age, environment, and habitat density.
The total black bear population is estimated to be between , to , excluding baby cubs. Thanks to conservation efforts their population in some areas, such as California, are on the increase. Historic information suggests black bear habitat included most of North America including Alaska, Canada, almost all of the lower 48 United States, and Mexico.
Today their home range territory is mostly in Alaska and Canada. Their territory is greatly reduced in Mexico. Black bears prefer to live in dense forests where there is a variety of food to eat and they can raise their cubs.
But they have adapted to many different habitats. They build their dens in caves, burrows, tree trunks, and brush or grass nests. They collect grass and leaves to pad their dens. American black bears are eating machines and are mostly vegetarian. Baby cubs are also voracious eaters. At the top of the food chain they are not picky about their diet.
They will eat field grasses, roots, tubers, nuts, berries of all kinds, fruits, and other foods. They also eat ants, grubs, termites, beetles, and other insects. Black bears also like salmon and other kinds of fish and will hunt for small mammals if available where they live. They grip their prey with their sharp teeth or claws. If given the opportunity they will attack or threaten other predators to scavenge their prey. In fact wolves are weary of bears who monitor their hunting activities.
Black bears are shy and normally avoid people. Human attacks are rare. Still one should not get too close or feed them. They may become protective if cubs are present and may bluff intruders with fake charges. When hiking it is a good idea to “announce” your presence by making noise. If you encounter a standing black bear, it is not threatening you. It is trying to get more information about you and your intentions.
The best defense is to back out of the area slowly. In parks such as Yosemite National Park in California, black bears are accustomed to people because they view them as a source of food handouts. Information about black bear hibernation suggests they enter a partial state of the process.
Although there is a drop in body temperature, metabolic rate, and heart rate, they can awaken from their sleep to defend their cubs or ward off attacks if necessary. Black bear hibernation can last up to 6 or 7 months depending on their habitat and climate conditions. They make use of their body fat and do not eat or pass any wastes. One of the more notable facts is that some do not hibernate as long or skip the process altogether when food is abundant. North American Black bears like to swim.
If there is water where they live they will exploit it for food. Since bears like to hunt fish they are not shy of water. In fact their baby cubs take to the water quickly. In their search for food in their habitat they can cross ponds, lakes, and rivers to get to better feeding grounds including campgrounds, lodges, and resorts.
They use their powerful front and hind legs to paddle swiftly through water and are actually graceful swimmers. At its normal pace black bears waddle slowly and casually. When in danger or hunting for prey they have the ability to burst into running mode with speeds up to 25 to 30mph.
They can run for short distances only. Black bear paws have short claws to help them climb, dig, gather plant food, and attack small mammals.
They use their claws like fingers when they eat. Their front footprints have an oval base with a curved toe line. Hind tracks have a triangular indentation. Toes are spread out. Depending on the ground surface their claws may not be visible making specie information more difficult.
This is particularly true in soils that have a fair amount of sand such as grounds near lakes and rivers where they hunt for fish. Black bear cubs leave small prints with no claw indentations. The largest black bear ever recorded in North America weighed pounds and lived in North Carolina. Many facts including growth rate, habitat, time of year, diet, and gender determine how big a bear will grow. Huge bears tend to be male. Black bears will weigh more after they have bulked up in the summer prior to hibernation and before having baby cubs.
The next biggest record black bear weighed pounds and was in Minnesota. Larger claims in populated areas such as California have been made but never substantiated. Black Bear Black bears are one of the more common species in North America. Weight is about to pounds. Reproduction : Mating season vary depending on habitat climate but breeding usually occurs May through August.
Gestation : 60 to 70 days. Birth : January or early February. Litter size : 1 to 3 cubs. Baby pairs are common. Birth Weight : Baby cubs are usually under one pound. Vocalizations : Grunts, moaning sounds, and growling. Threats : Loss of habitat, territory fragmentation, changes in environment due to global warming, poaching.
Types of Bears in North America | Species of Bears – .Map of where bears live in North America
The American black bear’s range covers most of the North American continent. They are found in Alaska, much of Canada and the contiguous United States. Black bears historically ranged over most of the forested regions of North America, including all Canadian provinces, Alaska, all states in the conterminous. They typically live in largely forested areas, but will leave forests in search of food, and are sometimes attracted to human communities due to the immediate.
Where do black bears live in north america –
Home » General Geology » Where do bears live? North America’s bear areas map: This map shows the overlapping geographic ranges of three types of bears that inhabit North America – polar bears, black bears, and grizzly bears also known as brown bears. Black Bear: This is what most black bears in North America look like. The American where do black bears live in north america bear is the most commonly seen bear in North America, and it has the largest geographic range. Black bears can be found as far south as central Mexico and as far north as northern Alaska and most of Canada.
In the United States black bears are common in the east, along the where do black bears live in north america coast, in the Rocky Mountains, and in parts of Alaska. They are also found in a few small areas in the southwest and southeast. Related: How to Avoid a Bear Attack. Black bear are the most timid and least dangerous of the bears found in North America. They will try to avoid humans as much as humans try to avoid them. If they know of any easy food source they will use it, but they generally travel at night to avoid detection.
Not all black bear have black fur. Their fur color ranges from black to light brown, making color a poor method of identification. The size of a bear can help identify it. The average male black bear can range from about one hundred fifty pounds up to about five hundred fifty pounds. Another characteristic is that black bears generally /34117.txt larger ears than a grizzly. Grizzly Bear: This image источник статьи the distinctive hump that is located on a grizzly bear’s back between the front shoulder blades.
The grizzly bear and brown bear are members of the same species of bear. Generally they are called grizzly bear when they are inland. In coastal regions of Alaska and Canada they are generally referred to as brown bear.
These bears are much more aggressive where do black bears live in north america a black bear. While the majority of their living range is Alaska and Northwestern Canada, they are also found in small areas of the lower 48 states, including: Northwestern Montana, Yellowstone National Park, Northern Utah and where do black bears live in north america very small section of Northwestern Washington.
Many people visit Yellowstone National Park just to get a glimpse of these magnificent beasts. The coastal brown bears are generally larger than their inland grizzly bear counterpart. This is a result of the greater abundance of protein-rich food продолжить the coast. While grizzlies eat meat and fish, their main diet consists of berries and plants. The best identifier for a grizzly bear is the large hump on their shoulders that is best seen посмотреть больше they are walking.
Most grizzlies are a medium brown color, but they can range from a very dark brown almost black to a light honey brown /11755.txt. Polar Bears: A momma polar bear with two cubs following close behind. Polar bears are the largest of the three bears found in North America. They range from about seven hundred pounds up to about fifteen hundred pounds. Not only are they the largest bear found in North America, they are also the most dangerous to humans.
They are more dangerous because they don’t have much places to visit to asheville with humans – so they may see us as prey when they are hungry. Polar bears are easily identified by their white fur. They also have the hump on their shoulders like that of grizzly bear. Since plants and berries are not readily available where they live, they are considered more carnivorous than other bears.
For most polar bears, seals are the main part of their diet. Find Other Topics on Geology. Maps Volcanoes World Map. Igneous and Volcanic Features. Geology Dictionary. The Doorway to Hell. Roadside Geology Guides. Land Below Sea Level. Rocks: Galleries of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rock photos with descriptions. Minerals: Information about ore minerals, gem materials and rock-forming minerals.
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Where do black bears live in north america –
The black bear is the state mammal of New Mexico, and its population is estimated at They are found in open grasslands and forests and can be found in almost all forested areas. The population of black bears in New York is The highest population of black bears is on the Catskill Mountains. In the mountains and coastal regions, black bears are highly populated. They are also common in Piedmont. Many years ago, black bears lived in almost all the forested areas of North Carolina.
However, these bears were often killed by early settlers to protect their families, livestock, and crops.
Habitat loss from clear-cutting and agricultural development also affected these bears. In the mids, bears could only be found in the coastal swamps and remote mountains. The bear population suffered in the s; a fungus that killed trees destroyed a vital nut-producing tree when it hit the mountain region.
Currently, there are 20, bears in North Carolina. In one of their recent articles, Virginia Pilot of Norfolk revealed that black bears in the state are growing in density. You can find out if bears can swim here. In recent years, black bears have been sighted in North Dakota. In July , a black bear strolled into North Dakota from another US state; it was later photographed leaning on the truck of a local.
The population of black bears in Ohio is Black bears reside in the eastern half of Ohio. Black bears in the state have dramatically increased since the Division of Wildlife began tracking sightings in In southeast Oklahoma, you would find the largest population of black bears. There is currently no accurate estimation of black bears in the state. The population of black bears in Oregon is estimated between 25,, Black bears are the only species of bears found in Oregon.
You can find black bears in the west to the Pacific ocean, the cascade range, and the Wallowa mountains. Black bears reside in large forested areas in Pennsylvania. Their population size in the state is estimated at 20, Black bears have been seen in all counties in Pennsylvania. Counties in the Northeastern and Northern regions have the largest amount of bears. There are about 4, black bears in Rhode Island. Its population grows by ten percent every year.
The number of black bears in Rhode island increases almost in line with Connecticut. Black bears are migrating from Connecticut to find a good source of food. If you want to know about bear hibernation I have written this article. The Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has played a significant role in the increased population of black bears.
In Tennessee, bears den in large hollow stumps or tree cavities most times. These black bears do not hibernate in winter; rather, they fall into a deep sleep. Females give birth to cubs, which come out with her during spring. These cubs live with their mother for 18 months. Tennessee permits a bear hunting season because there has been a significant increase of bears in recent times.
Bear hunting in Tennessee runs from September to December. A hunter is allowed to hunt for a male bear. Female bears and cubs are not permitted to be killed. Currently, the population of black bears in the state is 7, The black bear is the only species of bear found in this state. The population of black bears in Vermont is between 4, to 5, People hardly see bears in Vermont because of their shy nature.
Bears are rare in populated areas; however, at specific periods where the supply of natural food is low, bears may be attracted to garage and bird feeders, resulting in a threat to human lives. Hardwoods, coniferous trees, and wetlands make the best habitat for black bears in Vermont. Bears prefer the wooded habitats to hide from danger. Coniferous trees aid protection from hot weather. Their vital feeding areas are oak, stands of beech, and wetlands.
Black bears in Vermont have significantly increased due to better management and habitat improvement. The black bear management program in Vermont has a good monitoring process specially designed to ensure the black bears are healthy and continually mate in the future.
Their primary concerns include the production of acorns and beechnuts foods that are vital to these animals. Black bears reside in forested lands in Virginia.
The population of black bears in Virginia is 17,, and they can be found in almost all the counties. There are many black bears in Washington, with the population estimated to be as high as 25, There is a significant population in Kitsap County. The black bear is the smallest, yet most common, of the three bear species found in America after the polar bear and grizzly bear.
It’s still pretty big though! As a result, adult black bears can weigh anywhere from kg. According to one study in California, adult female black bears weighed an average of 58kg, while males weighed 86kg on average. Black bears living in Alaska that can feed extensively on salmon weigh around 30kg more. Black bears are incredibly strong, able to casually flip boulders weighing over kg with a single paw.
Black bears are only found in North America. The species ranges from Canada in the north to Mexico in the south, and lives predominantly in forests, feeding on fruit, nuts, shoots and vegetation. Across their entire range throughout North America, black bears are thought to have a total population of around , Top species to photograph in British Columbia — and how to get the best shot Award-winning wildlife photographer Matt Maran reveals his tips for photographing the top five species in this area in North America, including orcas, humpback whales and black bears.
Grizzly bears tend to live in more open areas, while black bears prefer densely forested mountainous regions, but there is still considerable overlap between the two. If a grizzly bear and a black bear were to get into a fight, you should definitely be putting your money on the grizzly. Grizzly bears are significantly larger, more powerful and more aggressive – a black bear might be able to put up a fight, but it’s not going to win. Black bears are excellent climbers and are often photographed scaling trees.
Their claws give them great grip, and the branches offer youngsters safety from predators. Cubs can be very adventurous, climbing high into the treetops. Black bears are also good swimmers, and will readily enter water in search of fish. Black bear cubs take to the water easily and quickly. One of our favourite black bear facts is that one adult is believed to have swum nine miles along the Gulf of Mexico. Black bears live for an average of 18 years in the wild, but the record is an impressive 39 years.
These include refuse , birdseed , agricultural products and honey from apiaries. The majority of the American black bear’s animal diet consists of insects , such as bees , yellow jackets , ants and their larvae.
Once the hive is breached, the bears will scrape the honeycombs together with their paws and eat them, regardless of stings from the bees. As the fawns reach 10 days of age, they can outmaneuver the bears and their scent is soon ignored until the next year.
Predation on adult deer is rare, but it has been recorded. In Labrador , American black bears are exceptionally carnivorous, living largely off caribou , usually young, injured, old, sickly or dead specimens, and rodents such as voles. This is believed to be due to a paucity of edible plant life in this sub-Arctic region and a local lack of competing large carnivores including other bear species. Once a deer fawn is captured, it is frequently torn apart alive while feeding.
American black bears often drag their prey to cover, preferring to feed in seclusion. The skin of large prey is stripped back and turned inside out, with the skeleton usually left largely intact. Unlike gray wolves and coyotes, American black bears rarely scatter the remains of their kills. Vegetation around the carcass is usually matted down by American black bears and their droppings are frequently found nearby. American black bears may attempt to cover remains of larger carcasses, though they do not do so with the same frequency as cougars and grizzly bears.
Over much of their range, American black bears are assured scavengers that can intimidate, using their large size and considerable strength, and if necessary dominate other predators in confrontations over carcasses. However, on occasions where they encounter Kodiak or grizzly bears, the larger two brown subspecies dominate them. American black bears tend to escape competition from brown bears by being more active in the daytime and living in more densely forested areas.
Violent interactions, resulting in the deaths of American black bears, have been recorded in Yellowstone National Park. American black bears do occasionally compete with cougars over carcasses.
Like brown bears, they will sometimes steal kills from cougars. As a result, the cats spend more time killing and less time feeding on each kill. American black bear interactions with gray wolves are much rarer than with brown bears, due to differences in habitat preferences. The majority of American black bear encounters with wolves occur in the species’ northern range, with no interactions being recorded in Mexico.
Despite the American black bear being more powerful on a one-to-one basis, packs of wolves have been recorded to kill black bears on numerous occasions without eating them. Unlike brown bears, American black bears frequently lose against wolves in disputes over kills. There is at least one record of an American black bear killing a wolverine Gulo gulo in a dispute over food in Yellowstone National Park.
At least one jaguar Panthera onca has been recorded to have attacked and eaten a black bear: “El Jefe”, the jaguar famous for being the first jaguar seen in the United States in over a century. American black bears feature prominently in the stories of some of America’s indigenous peoples. One tale tells of how the black bear was a creation of the Great Spirit , while the grizzly bear was created by the Evil Spirit.
Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan is named after a Native American legend, where a female bear and her two cubs swam across Lake Michigan in order to escape a fire on the Wisconsin shore. The mother bear reached the shore and waited for her cubs, but they did not make it across.
Two islands mark where the cubs drowned, while the dune marks the spot where the mother bear waited. Morris Michtom , the creator of the teddy bear , was inspired to make the toy when he came across a cartoon of Theodore Roosevelt refusing to shoot an American black bear cub tied to a tree.
Terrible Ted was a de-toothed and de-clawed American black bear who was forced to perform as a pro wrestler and whose “career” lasted from the s to the s. The American black bear is the mascot of the University of Maine and Baylor University , where the university houses two live American black bears on campus. Although an adult bear is quite capable of killing a human, American black bears typically avoid confronting humans.
Unlike grizzly bears , which became a subject of fearsome legend among the European settlers of North America, black bears were rarely considered overly dangerous, even though they lived in areas where the pioneers had settled. American black bears rarely attack when confronted by humans and usually only make mock charges, emit blowing noises and swat the ground with their forepaws.
The number of attacks on humans is higher than those by brown bears in North America, but this is largely because black bears considerably outnumber brown bears. Compared to brown bear attacks, aggressive encounters with American black bears rarely lead to serious injury. Most American black bear attacks tend to be motivated by hunger rather than territoriality and thus victims have a higher probability of surviving by fighting back rather than submitting. Unlike female brown bears, female American black bears are not as protective of their cubs and rarely attack humans in the vicinity of the cubs.
The bear was shot while mauling a fourth victim. The majority of attacks happened in national parks, usually near campgrounds, where the bears had habituated to close human proximity and food. A limitation of food sources in early spring and wild berry and nut crop failures in summer may contribute to American black bears regularly feeding from human-based food sources.
These bears often eat crops, especially during autumn hyperphagia when natural foods are scarce. Favored crops include apples , oats and corn. Livestock depredations occur mostly in spring. Although they occasionally hunt adult cattle and horses , they seem to prefer smaller prey such as sheep , goats , pigs and young calves.
They usually kill by biting the neck and shoulders, though they may break the neck or back of the prey with blows with the paws. Evidence of a bear attack includes claw marks and is often found on the neck, back and shoulders of larger animals.
Surplus killing of sheep and goats are common. American black bears have been known to frighten livestock herds over cliffs, causing injuries and death to many animals; whether or not this is intentional is not known. Although large, aggressive dogs can sometimes cause a bear to run, if pressed, angry bears often turn the tables and end up chasing the dogs in return. A bear in pursuit of a pet dog can threaten both canid and human lives. In British Columbia , a group of American black bears were used as guard animals to protect a marijuana plantation.
The hunting of American black bears has taken place since the initial settlement of the Americas. The first piece of evidence dates to a Clovis site at Lehner Ranch , Arizona. Partially calcined teeth of a 3-month old black bear cub came from a roasting pit, suggesting the bear cub was eaten.
The surrounding charcoal was dated to the Early Holocene 10, BP. Black bear remains also appear to be associated with early peoples in Tlapacoya , Mexico. Native Americans increasingly utilized black bears during the Holocene , particularly in the late Holocene upper Midwest , e. Some Native American tribes, [ which?
Tobacco smoke would be wafted into the disembodied head’s nostrils by the hunter that dealt the killing blow, who would compliment the animal for its courage. Unlike the hunting of hibernating grizzly bears, which was fraught with danger, hibernating American black bears took longer to awaken and hunting them was thus safer and easier. He wrote that American black bears were difficult to hunt by stalking, due to their habitat preferences, though they were easy to trap.
Roosevelt described how, in the southern states, planters regularly hunted American black bears on horseback with hounds. General Wade Hampton was known to have been present at successful American black bear hunts, two-thirds of which he killed personally. He killed 30 or 40 American black bears with only a knife, which he would use to stab the bears between the shoulder blades while they were distracted by his hounds.
In , 3, skins were exported from the Hudson’s Bay Company. In Canada, American black bears are considered as both a big game and furbearer species in all provinces, save for New Brunswick and the Northwest Territories, where they are only classed as a big game species.
There are around 80, licensed American black bear hunters in all of Canada. Canadian black bear hunts take place in the fall and spring and both male and female bears can be legally taken, though some provinces prohibit the hunting of females with cubs, or yearlings. Currently, 28 of the U. Nineteen states require a bear hunting license, with some also requiring a big game license. In eight states, only a big game license is required to hunt American black bears.
Overall, over , American black bear hunting licenses are sold per year. The hunting methods and seasons vary greatly according to state, with some bear hunting seasons including fall only, spring and fall, or year-round.
New Jersey , in November , approved a six-day bear-hunting season in early December to slow the growth of the American black bear population.
Bear hunting had been banned in New Jersey for five years before that time. Approximately 18, American black bears were killed annually in the U. Within this period, annual kills ranged from six bears in South Carolina to 2, in Maine. According to Dwight Schuh in his Bowhunter’s Encyclopedia , American black bears are the third most popular quarry of bowhunters , behind deer and elk.
American black bear meat had historically been held in high esteem among North America’s indigenous people and colonists. The flesh of the [black] bear is savoury, but rather luscious, and tastes not unlike pork. It was once so common an article of food in New-York as to have given the name of Bear Market to one of the principal markets of the city. Theodore Roosevelt himself likened the flesh of young American black bears to that of pork, and not as coarse or flavorless as the meat of grizzly bears.
Meat from the neck, front legs and shoulders is usually ground into minced meat or used for stews and casseroles. Keeping the fat on tends to give the meat a strong flavor. As American black bears can have trichinellosis , cooking temperatures need to be high in order to kill the parasites. American black bear fat was once valued as a cosmetic article that promoted hair growth and gloss. The fat most favored for this purpose was the hard white fat found in the body’s interior.
As only a small portion of this fat could be harvested for this purpose, the oil was often mixed with large quantities of hog lard. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Species of bear. Temporal range: 2. Conservation status. Pallas , Present-day range. Some individuals may develop a white ” crescent moon ” blaze on the chest.
Three newborn cubs. A bear taking a dead chum salmon near Hyder, Alaska. A bear with a pink salmon. See also: Bear attack and Bear danger. Main article: Bear hunting. Retrieved February 19, Retrieved January 14, BMC Evolutionary Biology. PMC PMID Columbia University Press. ISBN Anderson Pleistocene mammals of North America. Quaternary Research. Bibcode : QuRes..
S2CID Environmental Sciences Centre Kananaskis. Retrieved February 21, Archived from the original on March 15, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. Journal of Paleontology.
London: John Murray. Black Bear Hunting. Stackpole Books. Molecular Biology and Evolution. Fire Effects Information System.
Missoula, Montana: U. Retrieved September 23, Archived from the original on July 23, Province of British Columbia. Archived from the original on December 17, Retrieved December 3, Retrieved September 15, Retrieved March 31, Archived from the original PDF on July 23, World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved August 31, Alton Telegraph. Retrieved August 2, Giant FM. November 19, Retrieved November 19, Wisconsin Outdoorsman. Retrieved April 24, Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
April 17, Retrieved August 16, Archived from the original on August 9, Retrieved December 2, Archived December 21, , at the Wayback Machine. Associated Press. April National Park Service. Mammalian Species : 1— Grizzly Bear: This image shows the distinctive hump that is located on a grizzly bear’s back between the front shoulder blades.
The grizzly bear and brown bear are members of the same species of bear. Generally they are called grizzly bear when they are inland. In coastal regions of Alaska and Canada they are generally referred to as brown bear. These bears are much more aggressive than a black bear.
While the majority of their living range is Alaska and Northwestern Canada, they are also found in small areas of the lower 48 states, including: Northwestern Montana, Yellowstone National Park, Northern Utah and a very small section of Northwestern Washington.
Many people visit Yellowstone National Park just to get a glimpse of these magnificent beasts. The coastal brown bears are generally larger than their inland grizzly bear counterpart. This is a result of the greater abundance of protein-rich food along the coast. While grizzlies eat meat and fish, their main diet consists of berries and plants. The best identifier for a grizzly bear is the large hump on their shoulders that is best seen while they are walking. Most grizzlies are a medium brown color, but they can range from a very dark brown almost black to a light honey brown color.
Polar Bears: A momma polar bear with two cubs following close behind.
