Black bears

appearance of a black bear

• Black bears are mammals
• Is a medium sized animal
• Can be 5 to 6 feet
• Can weigh from 200 to 600 pounds
• Female black bears are smaller than males

Where Black bears live

• Can live from Canada to Northern Mexico
• In forests, mountains, swamps
• In the den during winter & hibernation: caves
• Burrows
• Bush piles

what black bears eat

• Grass
• Roots
• Berries
• Insects, Fish: salmon
• Sometimes even human food

Why black bears hibernate

• Black bears hibernate for 3 to 5 months
• They hibernate because there is not much food during winter
• Can lose 25 to 40% of their body weight 
• They do not urinate during hibernation
• Sometimes black bears do not hibernate at all or just for a brief time

Black bear babies

• They are called cubs
• Female black bears give birth to their cubs during mid winter
• Mother bear nurses their cubs in the den during spring arrives
• 2 to 3 cubs are most common to be born and are born blind
• The baby cubs stay with their mother for about 2 years

Interesting facts about black bears

• Life span of a black bear is 20 years in the wild
• They are excellent tree climbers
• A group of a black bear is called a sloth
• Not true hibernators during winter
• Black bears could wake up during hibernation if distracted