Living Beings
    Source-identified Ursus americanus; documentary image Framed for display
    1 / 1

    Black bear alligator river nwr 10.4.24 DSC 0063-topaz-rawdenoise.jpg · Resized and converted to WebP for display. lwolfartist · CC BY 2.0

    Field guide · species

    American Black Bear

    Ursus americanus

    AnimaliaMammaliaCarnivoraUrsidae

    The American black bear is a forest-associated North American omnivore whose coat is not always black. Seasonal changes in food strongly shape its movements, feeding and accumulation of energy reserves.

    Public research profile · final editorial review pending.

    Compare species
    Tree of lifeScientific lineage
    1. LifeLife
    2. DomainEukaryota
    3. KingdomAnimalia
    4. PhylumChordata
    5. ClassMammalia
    6. OrderCarnivora
    7. FamilyUrsidae
    8. GenusUrsus
    9. SpeciesUrsus americanus
    Advanced classification

    Complete source lineage, including intermediate ranks. The standard view uses Life and the eight principal ranks.

    1. cellular organisms cellular root
    2. Eukaryota domain
    3. Opisthokonta clade
    4. Metazoa kingdom
    5. Eumetazoa clade
    6. Bilateria clade
    7. Deuterostomia clade
    8. Chordata phylum
    9. Craniata subphylum
    10. Vertebrata clade
    11. Gnathostomata clade
    12. Teleostomi clade
    13. Euteleostomi clade
    14. Sarcopterygii superclass
    15. Dipnotetrapodomorpha clade
    16. Tetrapoda clade
    17. Amniota clade
    18. Mammalia class
    19. Theria clade
    20. Eutheria clade
    21. Boreoeutheria clade
    22. Laurasiatheria superorder
    23. Carnivora order
    24. Caniformia suborder
    25. Ursidae family
    26. Ursus genus
    27. Ursus americanus species
    Open in taxonomy explorer ↗

    Physical traits

    Black coats are common, but brown and other color forms occur. A relatively pale muzzle and the absence of the brown bear’s prominent shoulder hump can help identification.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Habitat and range

    Forests with cover and diverse food sources are important, although the species uses a broad range of wooded and adjoining habitats.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Diet and nutrition

    Leaves and other plant growth, fruits, nuts, insects and animal foods contribute in different seasons. Human food can alter natural foraging and create avoidable conflict.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Behavior and activity

    Black bears climb well and often forage alone. Activity can shift with season and disturbance, so a single daytime or nighttime label does not describe every population.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Reproduction and life cycle

    Females give birth to dependent cubs in winter dens. Cubs remain with their mothers while learning to find food and negotiate the landscape.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Geographic distribution

    The Mammal Diversity Database v2.5 records this species in Canada, Mexico, United States.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Evidence

    Sources

    Connected life

    No reviewed ecological connections in the collection yet.

    Explore network ↗