The Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus), is a subspecies of the American black bear. The Florida Black Bear is 1 of 3 subspecies of bears recognized in the southeastern United States and can be distinguished from other subspecies by genetic and skeletal differences. Black bears originated in North America, and have been here at least 1.5 million years.
Like all members of the bear family, black bears are large, powerful mammals with rounded ears, short tails, 5-toed feet, and large canine teeth. They may look slow because they walk flat on their feet (called plantigrade) like people, and travel with a shuffling gait, but they can run up to 30 miles an hour. With their stout, heavily-curved claws, black bears climb trees very well; these claws are non-retractable and can be easily seen in their tracks. Although black bears in western states may have several color phases, all black bears in the Southeast, including Florida black bears, are black. The muzzle may be tan or nearly black, and blonde or white chest blazes of all shapes and sizes are common.
Bears are sexually dimorphic. This phrase means that adult males are larger than adult females, however because smaller males are similar in size to adult females, it is difficult to determine the sex of a bear by their size alone. Adult males in Florida normally weigh between 250 - 450 pounds, and adult females in Florida normally weigh between 125 - 250 pounds. There have been two male bears that set a record for the state in excess of six hundred pounds. One was a 635 lb bear harvested in 1945 in Volusia County. The other was a 624 lb, eight year old male roadkill in December 1988 in Collier County. The record weight for a female bear is 400 pounds, roadkill in January 2007 in Liberty County. Bears that habitually feed on human supplied foods such as garbage and wildlife feed or pet food to be abnormally large. The weight of individual black bears varies greatly throughout the year. Food availability is low during the winter months, even in Florida, and both male and female bears lose weight. Bears can lose up to 25% of their body weight while denning. As plants grow new shoots in the spring, bears begin to gain weight.
During the summer breeding season, males spend most of their time searching for mates. Females with or without cubs spend most of their time foraging. Most people find it hard to estimate the size of a bear that they have seen in the wild. One good method is to pay attention to the relative size of their ears. Because the ears of black bears reach full length when they are juveniles, small, skinny yearlings appear to have very long "Mickey-mouse" ears on slender faces, while large males seem to have very small, rounded ears on wide, round heads.Also, adult males tend to have wide, wedge shaped faces, while females have more slender looking faces. As breeding season ends and fall begins, both sexes forage and gain up to 1-1/2 times their summer weight. This is called "hyperphagia." Male bears, may stay active and eating all winter. Gaining weight allows bears to make it through the winter months. Females need to be in good condition to produce and feed cubs during denning. Bears can gain or lose over a 100 pounds over one year!
Black bear are curious animals. They often do a lot of sniffing, and may stand up on hind legs to get a better view and smell their surroundings. This is normal non-threatening behavior and is not a sign of aggression.
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