The American black bear (Ursus americanus) evolved from bears that traveled from Asia to North America on the Bering Land Bridge about 8 million years ago. Like their Asian ancestors, the black bear is omnivorous. Because it is able to thrive in a variety of different environmental conditions and is incredibly resourceful, it was able to survive the last ice age, while other, less adaptable predators became extinct.
About 10,000 years ago, it is widely believed, that the black bear was the only bear living in North America before brown bears migrated south from what is now known as Alaska and the Yukon territories.
The defining identification is their flat shoulders and straight profiled face. Because they can climb better than almost any other bear species and can run at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour, uphill or downhill for short distances, these bears can still be dangerous and deserve our respect. Black bears are also excellent swimmers and enjoy a good swim. This is partially due to the fact that where there’s water there’s green grass to graze, and there’s usually fish in water, so black bears spend a decent amount of the time around rivers, lakes and streams.
Black bears tend to be loners, and are timid and withdrawn, avoiding confrontations. Preferring a solitary lifestyle, black bears tend to mark trees with their teeth and claws in order to warn other bears not to enter their territory. In order to warn other predators and intruders that do enter their territory they make curious snorting, jaw popping, and huffing sounds.
