Let us find out how black bears live. Black bears live across much of North America, from Alaska and Canada through the United States to Mexico. They mostly live in forests and other places with trees. Black bears are shy and secretive animals.
Now let us look at the bear itself. An adult black bear is about three feet tall at the shoulder. Some are brown or cinnamon colored instead of black. A black bear can see and hear well enough, but smell is its best sense. Black bears are most active around dawn and dusk.
Black bears are good at climbing trees. Black bears can swim, too. A black bear's claws always stay out. Unlike a cat's claws, they cannot be pulled in.
Black bears eat both plants and animals. They eat berries and nuts. They also eat insects such as ants. In fall, black bears eat a lot of fruits and nuts to build up fat for the winter.
Now let us see where a bear spends the winter. Black bears spend the winter in dens. A den can be a hollow log, a hollow tree, or a space under tree roots or rocks. In its den, a black bear does not eat or drink for months.
Black bear cubs are born in winter, in the mother bear's den. Newborn cubs are blind and have almost no hair. Adult black bears usually live alone, but a mother stays with her cubs. Cubs stay with their mother for about a year and a half.
Words to know
- den: bear home
- cinnamon: reddish brown
- insects: small bugs
- dusk: evening time
