Background
The American Black Bear, or Ursus americanus, is native to North Carolina, and are the only bear species found anywhere in the eastern United States. They are common in the coastal and mountain regions of the state, and are becoming more common in the Piedmont. Bears prefer large woodland or swampland that are uninhabited. The east provides low hardwoods, swamps, and pocosins, which are great for bears to live.
Appearance & Size
In North Carolina, black bears usually have a uniform color of black with a brown muzzle and sometimes a white patch on it's chest, known as a chest blaze. All species of bears have 5 toes on each foot and each toe has a sharp curve which helps bears capture and feed on insects. The height of a black bear is 2-3 feet on all fours, and the length is 4-7 feet. Adult males weigh in as 200-700lbs (91-318kg) and adult females 100-300lbs (45-136kg).
Diet
Black bears are omnivores. Their diet consists of berries, honey, fish, insects, nuts, larvae, acorns, and grasses. In Northern regions, they eat spawning salmon, and occasionally eat young deer or moose calves.
Breeding
The mating season for black bears is the summer. The gestation period, or pregnancy, is 63-70 days. The female bear's, a sow, egg gets fertilized by a male black bear, a boar, in the summer, but it is not implanted in the womb until late fall or early winter. The litter size is 1-6 cubs, but 2 cubs are most common.