Ursus americanus

The American black bear is the most common bear species in North America and an important symbol of wild places. Despite their name, black bears can be black, brown, cinnamon, or even blond in color.

American black bears are found throughout North America, including the southeastern United States. They live in a variety of habitats such as forests, swamps, mountains, and wooded wetlands. Bears prefer areas with dense vegetation that provide food, shelter, and safe places to raise cubs.

Black bears are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Most of their diet comes from plants, including berries, fruits, nuts, roots, and grasses. They also eat insects, fish, and small mammals. Their strong sense of smell helps them locate food from miles away.

These bears are generally solitary animals and are most active during the early morning and evening hours. During colder months, black bears enter a state called torpor, a form of light hibernation where they conserve energy. Females give birth to cubs during this time and care for them for up to two years.

Black bears help shape the forests they live in. Their foraging behavior spreads seeds, opens forest floors, and supports plant diversity. As an umbrella species, protecting bear habitat also protects countless other plants and animals that share the same environment.

Did You Know? American black bears can run up to 30 miles per hour and are excellent climbers and swimmers. Cubs are usually born weighing less than one pound, and bears have one of the best senses of smell of any land mammal.