Wildlife of the Alligator River


Height	3 ft to 3 ft 5 in. (90 cm to 105 cm)
Length	4 ft 6 in. to 6 ft 2 in. (137 cm to 188 cm)
Weight	203 lb to 587 lb (92 kg to 267 kg)
Habitat	Forests, swamps, and wooded mountains
Typical diet	Eats a wide variety of food
Similar species	Grizzly bear, Polar bear

Black bears (Ursus americanus) have black coats and tan snouts. They walk with a clumsy gait, but are surprisingly swift and agile runners, capable of attaining speeds of up to 30 mph (50 km/h)! They are also powerful swimmers and excellent tree climbers.

Black bears put on a good supply of fat in the fall to prepare for hibernation. After they fatten up, they seek a quiet, sheltered place to hibernate. They typically hibernate in caves, crevices, hollow trees, and under the roots of fallen trees.

Methods of hunting and foraging
Although black bears are classified as carnivores (meat eaters), their diet is mostly vegetarian, and consists of twigs, buds, leaves, nuts, roots, fruit, corn, and newly sprouted plants. However, they will rip open beehives in order to feast on the honey, honeycombs, bees, and larvae within. And they will often tear apart rotting logs to look for grubs, beetles, crickets, and ants.

In addition to being excellent foragers, black bears are also skilled at hunting and fishing. They run down and capture small-sized to medium-sized mammals like the coyote. Wading in streams or lakes, they snag fish with their mouths, or pin them with their paws.

Social and reproductive aspects
Black bears are essentially solitary. This is especially true of females that are nursing cubs. Females will begin to mate when they are 3 years old. First-time mothers usually give birth to only one cub, while experienced mothers usually give birth to 2. Cubs are born while the mother is still in hibernation. The nearly furless newborns nestle into the fur of the mother as she sleeps. When the cubs are older, the mother will sometimes sit on her haunches and hold them in her lap as they nurse. The cubs nurse for about one year.

Black bear signs
Black bears make their presence known by standing on their hind legs and marking trees with their teeth and claws. The claw marks are usually diagonal, but sometimes they are vertical or horizontal. In the springtime, bears rub against shaggy-barked trees to help them shed their winter coats, leaving snagged hair and rub marks in the bark.

Predators
Humans pose a threat to black bears. Poachers (individuals that hunt illegally) hunt the bears for their gall bladders, which are smuggled to Asian countries. The black bear is classified as a threatened species by the US government.

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