Florida Black Bear
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_black_bear
The Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) is a subspecies of the American black bear.
The large black-furred bears live mainly in forested areas and have seen recent habitat reduction throughout the state due to increased human development, as well as habitat modifications within bear habitat.
Distribution
Before Florida was settled by Europeans, black bears occupied all of the Floridan mainland, and even the upper Florida Keys, with a population of around 11,000. The current range is 45% of the historic Florida range, as well as in southern Alabama, southern Georgia and southern Mississippi. Most major populations of Florida black bears live on or near public lands. These include Ocala National Forest, Big Cypress National Preserve, Apalachicola National Forest, Osceola National Forest and Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. There is no way to know the exact number of black bears that exist in Florida. They exist within seven subpopulations, which are genetically and geographically isolated. Bear range has expanded over the last several decades and the recent abundance estimates are higher than those created in 2002 but some citizens fear that habitat continues to be destroyed and believe that their numbers are dwindling.
Habitat
Florida black bears live mainly in forested habitats, and are common in sand-pine scrub, oak scrub, upland hardwood forests and forested wetlands. Black bears in South Florida are the only American black bear subspecies to live in a subtropical region. To a lesser extent, it also inhabits dry prairie and tropical hammock.
Description
Florida black bears are typically large-bodied with shiny black fur, a short tail and many have brown fur on their muzzles. Pelage color is consistently black in Florida, but summer molting of the guard hairs may cause them to look brown. A white chest patch, called a blaze, is found in about 30% of the population. It is Florida's second largest terrestrial mammal (behind the American bison that are still found in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park), with an average male weight of 300 pounds (140 kg); the largest known male weighed 760 pounds (340 kg) and was found in Seminole County and the largest known female was 400 pounds (180 kg) and found in Liberty County. Females generally weigh about half as much as males. Average adults have a length of between 4 feet (120 cm) and 6 feet (180 cm), standing between 2.5 feet (76 cm) and 3.5 feet (110 cm) high at the shoulder. Their feet have short, curved, non-retractable claws on each of the five digits. Black bears walk with the entire sole of their feet touching the ground. Bears use a pacing stride, where both legs on the same side move together so that the hind foot is placed in or slightly in front of the track of the forefoot; the smaller (inner) toe occasionally does not register in the track. The eyes are small, and the ears are round and erect. N39 45.684 W080 16.400
Black bears are shy and reclusive. They use various means to express their emotions including vocalizations, body language, and scent marking. They are mainly solitary, except when females have dependent cubs or during mating season. Although they are solitary mammals, they are not territorial, and typically do not defend their range from other bears, but will defend a food source from other bears. Black bears have good eyesight (especially at close range), acute hearing and an excellent sense of smell that is believed to be the best of any land mammal.
Size
It is Florida's second largest terrestrial mammal, with an average male weight of 300 pounds (140 kg); the largest known male weighed 760 pounds (340 kg) and was found in Seminole County and the largest known female was 400 pounds (180 kg) and found in Liberty County. Females generally weigh about half as much as males. Average adults have a length of between 4 feet (120 cm) and 6 feet (180 cm), standing between 2.5 feet (76 cm) and 3.5 feet (110 cm) high at the shoulder.
Diet
Florida black bears are omnivores. Their diet consists of 80 percent plants, 15 percent insects, and 5 percent animal matter. Usually, the animal matter consists of carrion and is found by scavenging. Their diet varies greatly with the seasons, likely because many of their preferred species of flora and fauna are seasonal. In the spring, they mainly consume Sabal palmetto, Thalia geniculata, Sus scrofa, Bombus bimaculatus and Camponotus species. In the summer, they primarily eat Serenoa repens, Ilex glabra, Rubus species, Phytolacca rigida, Vaccinium species, Camponotus species, Anisomorpha buprestoides and the eggs of Alligator mississippiensis. In the fall, they eat Serenoa repens, Ilex glabra, Nyssa biflora, Vespula species, Apis mellifera, and Dasypus novemcinctus.
Hibernation
It turns out, as the weather gets cooler in Florida, the bears do slow down – but not enough to call it a "hibernation." Florida Bears go through something called torpor which is a survival tactic used by animals to survive the winter months. Typically, the bear's body temperature will decrease, along with its breathing rate, heart rate, and metabolic rate. Unlike hibernation, torpor appears to be an involuntary state that a bear enters into for just a few hours during the daytime. Compared to their northern counterparts, Black bears down south have a longer period of eating and once December rolls around the bears will slow down and may spend a couple of weeks in a den sleeping. The bears don't use the bathroom, they don't drink water, and they don't eat.
Reproduction
Female bears in Florida become mature at three to four years of age. Breeding occurs from mid-June to mid-August. Females enter winter dens in mid- to late December and emerge in early to mid-April after a mean denning period of 100 to 113 days. The cubs are born in late January to mid-February. Most studies in Florida have documented an average litter size of approximately two cubs. At birth, cubs weigh approximately 12 ounces and are partially furred but blind and toothless. Growth is rapid and cubs weigh six to eight pounds by the time they leave the den at about ten weeks of age. Cubs stay with their mother and may den with her the following year. Family dissolution usually occurs between May and July when cubs are 15 to 17 months old. Females generally form a home range, while young males disperse to new areas.
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