ursus americanus

family: ursideae

Black bears live throughout the Northern Hemisphere and into some parts of South America. Although the most common colour is black, the fur of these bears are sometime brown, dark brown, blond, cinnamon and blue-black.

Black bears prefer habitat that is heavily wooded or dense brushland.

They den up in the winter;

usually under a tree stump or overturned log, or simply in a hole on the hillside.

Black bears will eat anything.

Most of their food in the wild are plants ~ berries; insects; fish; small mammals; birds; moose, caribou, and elk calves.

Black bears can live to 25 and 30 years but in the wild generally live until ten years of age.

This little black bear was browsing the hillside along the Yukon/British Columbia border between Whitehorse and Skaguay (Skagway, Alaska) on July 3rd, 2010.