American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
- Class
- Mammal
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 47,096
- Most observed in
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The American black bear (Ursus americanus), or simply black bear, is a species of medium-sized bear which is endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. It is an omnivore, with a diet varying greatly depending on season and location. It typically lives in largely forested areas; it will leave forests in search of food and is sometimes attracted to human communities due to the immediate availability of food. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the American black bear as a least-concern species because of its widespread distribution and a large population, estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined. Along with the brown bear (Ursus arctos), it is one of the two modern bear species not considered by the IUCN to be globally threatened with extinction.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “American black bear”.