19 Black Bear Facts

I did a little research on black bears today and compiled a list of 19 black bear facts. Enjoy reading!

Oh, and check out the video at the bottom of this blog post, where you'll see a family of black bears getting tagged by scientist (and comedian Rick Mercer) in Algonquin Park in Ontario. You'll love it! But first read the black bear facts:

1. Approximately 600,000 black bears in live in North   America.
2. In Canada, black bears still occupy the majority of their historical range apart from the intensively farmed   parts of the central plains.
3. In Mexico, black bears were thought to have lived in the mountainous areas of the north but are now reduced to very few remnant populations.
4. Black bears have lost over sixty percent of their total traditional range in the US.
5. Black bears are certainly smart, timid and deceptive creatures, and usually strive at staying away from hitting the ground with humans.
6. Black bears are incredibly versatile and display an awesome variance in environment   types, although they can be generally seen in forested regions with heavy ground   vegetation and a good amount of fruit, nuts, and plants.
7. Black bears mate throughout the months of June and July.
8. Black bears are omnivorous and opportunistic.
9. Up to ninety percent of their total diet is made up of vegetative matter; blueberries and other berries, nuts, grasses, and many fruits.
10. Before winter hibernation, black bears seek to eat in excess of twenty thousand fat laden calories on a daily basis in making an effort to increase twenty to forty percent of its body mass so that it can support itself throughout the winter season.
11. Black bears are believed to be remarkably effective hibernating animals.
12. They get to sleep for many months without food, water, urinating or defecating.
13. Black bears have short, non-retractable claws providing them an outstanding tree-climbing capability.
14. Black bears with white-bluish coat are called Kermode bears or glacier bears and the distinctive coloration stages are merely present in coast of British Columbia, Canada.
15. Black bears use thick cover for daybed and dens.
16. Black bears and grizzly bears may well reside in the identical area but vary in behavior, habitat choice, and diet regime.
17. Male black bears go considerably larger distances than females, frequently spanning two to eight times the region of female black bears.
18. Female black bears generally start having cubs at 3 to 5 years old.
19. Despite the fact that black bears are categorized as carnivores, black bears usually are not active predators.