Conservation Status

Not listed as threatened or endangered

DID YOU KNOW?

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

--Black bears can have black, brown, blonde or white fur. Although they are different colors, they are still black bears.

--Black bears have brown eyes, but when they are born their eyes are blue.

Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Ursus
Species: americanus

FAST FACTS

Weight: 90 - 300 pounds with males being larger than females
Length: 50 - 80 inches
Height: Up to 3 feet at the shoulder
Life Span: 30 years
Gestation: 220 days, including a period of delayed implantation
# of young: 2-3
Range: Northern and western U.S., Canada and Mexico with small populations in the south and east U.S.
Diet: Omnivore, eats mostly plant matter, but will eat meat.

Energy & Conservation

In the past, bears were often seen as a threat to livestock and a nuisance to humans and are sometimes still viewed in such a way today. Because of this, they have been eliminated from much of their original range. Black bears are sometimes hunted for their gallbladders which are thought to have healing properties in Asian markets.

 
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