Nature’s
Reflections – Florida’s Black Bear
November 02,
2017
Category: Nature’s
Reflections, SECO
News
Has A Den, But Does Not Truly Hibernate
Our largest
native land mammal, the Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus), has
come back from only several hundred bears in the 1970s to more than 4,000
today. This subspecies of the American black bear is one of Florida’s biggest
conservation success stories. It has a shiny, black coat of fur with a light
brown nose and snout. Its long, razor sharp claws do not retract.
It is a
powerful climber and swimmer and can run up to 30 mph for short distances. It
has an excellent sense of smell, acute hearing, good eyesight, and sees in
color. When a black bear sees a human, it will often do a lot of sniffing, and
may stand up.
This is not a sign of aggression;
it helps the curious bear
to
catch the scent and to get a better look.
The black bear is a very shy animal,
whose normal nature is to flee human encounters.
Adult males normally weigh 250
to 350 lbs., and adult females 130 to 180 lbs. The largest male bear on record
in Florida weighed 760 lbs.; the largest female weighed 400 lbs. Except during
mating season from June to August, these bears are solitary by nature. Adult
females typically breed every other year, producing one to three cubs in
January/February, each weighing about a half pound. Cubs stay with their mother
for about 18 months.
Half die before a year of age.
In Florida, male bears
typically have a home range of 60 square miles; females just 15 square miles.
black bears prefer forests of sand-pine scrub, oak scrub, forested wetlands and
upland hardwoods like the Ocala National Forest.
The black
bear is an omnivore, which means it eats both plants and other animals.
It’ll
eat just about anything, including fruits, berries, acorns, the hearts of the
sabal palm or saw palmetto, honey, bees, walking sticks (a favorite insect),
armadillos, wild pigs, fawns and garbage.
Loss of
habitat due to development
has increased the potential for more encounters
between bears and people.
The presence of a black bear does not necessarily
represent a problem.
Many residents living in black bear country
enjoy
observing
them from a distance, of course.
Never offer a bear food!
Keep food
sources like pet food and garbage
away from them
by securing
or
removing the
temptations.
Column &
photos by Sandi Staton – sandi.staton@gmail.com
