A black bear landed on the stage this morning. Black bears have been around about five and a half million years, older in their genome than brown or polar bears. They are smaller, faster, and less picky about food. They are one of the success stories from the old megafauna days when mammoths and American lions faded.
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Black bears evolved in North America and like wooded areas. They range widely, all the way down into Florida, California, Texas, New Mexico, and Louisiana. The name “black” is loose. They show up cinnamon, blond, gray, and even white as variants.
Hibernation is a full metabolic change, not a nap. Heart rate drops from about fifty five beats a minute to around nine. They go through winter without food or bathroom breaks while their bodies store and recycle what they need. Wake one at the wrong time and you meet an angry neighbor. The seasonal pull to pack on weight is real enough to make a person wonder about sunlight and appetite.
Speed is part of the picture. A black bear can sprint about thirty miles an hour, not for long, but long enough to catch what it needs. Climbing is normal, even a hundred foot tree in under a minute. Running from one or climbing the nearest trunk is a poor plan.
They also move seeds. Bears eat nuts and berries and then carry and drop the seeds across long distances, sometimes fifty to a hundred miles as they range for food. Stories creep in too. Chupacabra tales may have started with mangy black bears, hair gone and shapes unfamiliar. Trouble with people often starts when bears learn that human places mean easy food. Do not feed them. Mama bears are famously attentive for about two years, then the cubs are on their own.
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Also, if you, or a teacher friend, would like a 20-30 minute lesson plan about black bears, feel free to download and share this one:
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