The Black Bear

by Kristyn

Description

Size And Colour

Male bears weigh about 170 kilograms. Female bears weigh less than the male bears because the females are smaller than the male bears. Black bears have large feet. Black bears are very powerful and have very heavy bodies. Some black bears are black with a brownish muzzle.

Body Covering

Black bears have thick shaggy fur and hary heads. Black bears have loose skin and long fur. Black bears fur is not soft like a teddy bears fur.

Distinguishing Features

Black bears have small rounded ears and their hearing is nt so good. Like all bears they cannot see very well. Bears have short strong legs and have a very good sense of smell. Bears also have small eyes.

Family Life and Reproduction

Black bears give birth to their cubs in February or January every other year. The mother bear has at least 5 cubs. Newborn black bear cubs are about the size of a small squirrel. Baby spend 5 weeks snuggling up to thir mothers warm bodies.

Interesting Facts

The cubs are oniy puppy sized when they leave the den for the first time. When the cubs are a week old, they start to grow a fine coat of soft fur. By watching thir mother througtout their first years, the cubs learn all the skills a bear needs to survie. When danger approaches the mother chases the cubs up a tree to safety. The black bears enemies are lyxes and Grizzly bears.

Where in the World

Black bears live in North America, Alaska, southern Mexico. Some Cinnamon brown bears live in Western Canada and the United States.

Home and Habitat

Black bears prefer to live in the mountains and forests. They prefer also to live thickly wooded areas or dense brush land, near a creek, stream or lake.

Food and Eating Hatits

Bears dont only eat meat. They eat plants too. Like most bears they are not picky eaters. Black will eat any thing that is availaible.

Bibliography

Greenland, Caroline. Black Bears Nature's Children. Toronto: Grolier Limited, 1985.