Food
The Black Bear is not a picky eater. In fact, it will eat
almost anything that is available. Most of its diet is made up of plants,
roots, grains and fruit. The bear has very flexible lips and a long toung
which makes berry picking easy. A bears favorite fruits include blueberries,
strawberries and apples. They also munch on nuts such as acorns, hazelnuts
and beechnuts.
Births
Sows usually give birth to their tiny cubs in January
and February, every other year. Mother bears in the north may be fast asleep
in their snug dens when their babies are born.
Often there are two cubs out sometimes there can be as
many as five. Newborn Black bear cubs are about the size of small squirrels.
There eyes are tiny tightly shut and they do not have any hair or
teeth. They spend there first five weeks nursing and snuggling close to
there mothers warm, furry body.
Enemies
Black bears have no real enemies. Strong bodies, big
teeth and sharp claws send out a clear warning to other animals. Stay away,
any bear may attack when surprised, guarding food or taking care of cubs.
An angry bear growls, snaps its teeth or slaps it paw on the ground. Ears
go back, and the fur on the back of its neck stands up. The bear may charge
or run toward the animal or person that disturbs it.
Hibernation
Black bears in northern areas may nap for up to six month
in winter. bears from warm regions, where food is available during the
winter months, do not need to sleep for so long. Unlike true hibernation,
a Black bear may wake up and even leave it's den if the weather is warm
enough. When it gets cold again, the bear goes back to its den for another
long snooze. During this long winter sleep the bears breathing and
heart rate slows down. This means that the bear need less energy. Instead
of having to eat food for energy, it can live on its stored fat.
When a black bear wakes up in the spring it is hungry and cranky and its
stomach has shrunk because it has not eaten for so long. It then looks
for food and water. Soon bears stomach will be full of new plant
shoots and tree leaves and the bear will be back to it rolly polly self.
more facts!
Male bears are also called boars. Black bear boars weight
about 170 kg which means it would take two fully grown men on one end of
a teeter-totter to balance a black bear on the other end. Female bears
weight slightly less than there mates.
By: Toni Culleton
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