BEARS!!!
Black Bear
The
black bear is the smallest of the North American bears, and the only one that
is distinctly American. Our other bears, the brown-grizzly and the polar, also
inhabit Asia and Europe. The black did not originate on this continent,
however; it came over from Asia on the Bering Land Bridge about 500,000 years
ago. Unlike the pugnacious grizzly which is rapidly disappearing, the furtive
black bear has learned to adapt to man and has survived in many parts of the
country, enhancing the hunting situation by its presence near populated areas.
Though known to attack when provoked, the black generally gives humans a wide
berth. But going after a bear, even a timid one, provides thrills for thousands
of sportsmen nationwide who otherwise would have to travel far for a bruin hunt
.
A large
male black bear weighs on an average of 300 to 400 pounds (the female
considerably less) stands 27 to 36 inches high at the shoulder and is 4 to 5
1/2 feet in length. This bear does not have the prominent shoulder hump which
characterizes the brown-grizzly.
The
black bear has a straight face when seen in profile. Its eyes are small and the
ears are well-rounded. It has 42 teeth: 12 incisors, 4 canines, 16 premolars
and 10 molars. The canines are long and well pointed; the premolars are
rudimentary or even missing; and the molars have flat crowns.
The bear
is plantigrade, walking on the soles of its feet. There are five toes on each
foot, each armed with a strong, curved, nonretractible claw. The black bear's
front claws are about 1 1/4 inches in length, and it is the only North American
bear that often climbs trees as an adult. The black bear is also unique in that
it comes in a wide range of colors. A typical black bear has long, lustrous
jet-black hair over most of the body from its head down to its tiny tail. On
its muzzle and around its eyes, the hair is light-colored. Most black bears
have a splash of pure white on their chests. This splash may vary from just a
few hairs to an area about a foot across. Black bears also come in almost every
shade of brown and some are bright blond. One race of the black bear is a
smoky-blue and another race is pure
from http://www.bowhunting.net/bearhunting.net/bear.htm
More information and Black Bear sounds
Hibernation
or Winter Sleep.
Some bears spend much of the winter in a state
similar to sleeping. Many scientists consider the bear's winter sleep to be an
example of hibernation. Many other scientists, however, do not consider bears
to be true hibernators. They point out that a bear's body temperature, unlike
that of other hibernating mammals, does not drop greatly during winter sleep.
In addition, a bear awakens easily and may become fairly active on mild winter
days. These scientists use such terms as "winter lethargy" or
"incomplete hibernation" to describe the bear's sleep period.
A bear prepares for its winter sleep by eating
large amounts of food during late summer and storing fat within its body for
energy. When food becomes scarce, the bear goes to its den. The den may be a
cave or a brush pile, or a burrow that the bear has dug under the roots of a
large tree. Some kinds of bears may build shelters of twigs or dig shallow
holes in hillsides. Female polar bears find ice caves or dig dens in the snow.
Brown bears and black bears, both of which live
in regions that have harsh winters, almost always have a period of winter
sleep. Species found in areas with milder winters may enter dens for only brief
periods. Tropical species, such as sun bears and sloth bears, do not have a
winter sleep period. Although polar bears live in the Arctic, they normally
remain active during the winter. These bears spend the winter wandering the
polar ice near open water and preying on seals and other marine mammals that
come ashore.
Cubs.
Most bear cubs are born during the mother's winter sleep period. A female bear
usually has two cubs at a time, but the number may vary from one to four. The
cubs weigh only 1/2 to 1 pound (0.23 to 0.5 kilogram) at birth. Their eyes are
closed, and they have no fur. The eyes open about a month after birth, and by
that time the body is covered with thick, soft fur. The cubs stay in the den
with their mother for about two months. In spring, they come out, frisky and
playful. They grow rapidly and may weigh 40 pounds (18 kilograms) by autumn.
Cubs stay with the mother for one or two years. She teaches them to hunt for
food.
from http://www.worldbook.com/wb/worldbook/cybercamp/html/walkbear.html