Wildlife
Black bears are found only in North America and have a relatively impressive population base - double that of all other bear species combined. Despite the common name, their coats vary from light cinnamon to dark charcoal, variants thought to have evolved from different regional geographical pressures. Black bears are full of curiosity and have complex family relationships which result from the slow maturation of cubs. During this time, mothers impart vital hunting and navigational skills to their offspring.
Did you know?
Black bears are highly efficient hibernators; they can sleep for up to seven months without eating or drinking.
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Precious honey
Bees fight to the death against bears to save their honey supplies.
Despite having their nest destroyed by a black bear, a battered bee colony refuses to lie down and die. Instead each bee eats its own weight in honey so that the colony will have enough energy to sustain it as it builds a new nest elsewhere in the forest.
Cubs at play
A black bear family leave their winter den to frolic in the spring sunshine.
A black bear family leave their winter den to frolic in the spring sunshine.
Dare devils
Climbing tall trees offers protection to vulnerable black bear cubs.
Climbing tall trees offers protection to vulnerable black bear cubs.
Berry binge
Cameraman Jeff Turner spots a black bear thriving on its pre-hibernation fruit diet.
Cameraman Jeff Turner spots a black bear thriving on its pre-hibernation fruit diet.
Bear cub playmate
Young cub Hope turns to Gordon Buchanan for entertainment.
Unlike Juliette's cubs, Lily's cub Hope doesn’t have brothers and sisters to play with. When Lily gets tired of playfighting, Hope turns to camearman Gordon Buchanan for some fun. Gordon has learned to follow the signs and backs off when Lily shows her height up against a tree and yawns. Unlike us, bears yawn when they are anxious and a bluster or false charge is their way of telling you to back off.
Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
The Black bear can be found in a number of locations including: North America. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Black bear distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Least Concern
Population trend: Increasing
Year assessed: 2008
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The (North) American black bear (Ursus americanus) is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in search of food. Sometimes they become attracted to human communities because of the immediate availability of food. The American black bear is listed by the IUCN as Least Concern, due to the species' widespread distribution and a large global population estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined. American black bears often mark trees using their teeth and claws as a form of communication with other bears, a behavior common to many species of bears.
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Desert
Flooded grassland
Mediterranean forest
Taiga
Broadleaf forest
Coniferous forest
Temperate grassland
Tropical coniferous forest
Tundra
Urban
Helpless young
Camouflage
Hibernation
Nomadic
Polygynous
Territorial
Viviparous