Florida black bear
| Florida black bear | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| A Florida black bear in Ocala National Forest | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Ursidae |
| Genus: | Ursus |
| Species: | U. americanus |
| Subspecies: | U. a. floridanus |
| Trinomial name | |
|
Ursus americanus floridanus Merriam, 1896 |
|
The Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) is a subspecies of the American black bear that has historically ranged throughout most of Florida and southern portions of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. The large black-furred bears live mainly in forested areas and have seen recent habitat reduction throughout the state.
Florida black bears are typically large-bodied with shiny black fur, a light brown nose and a short stubby tail. A white chest patch is also common on many but not all the bears. It is currently Florida's largest terrestrial mammal with an average male weight of 300 pounds (140 kg) and a few have grown above 500 pounds (230 kg). Females generally weigh less on average. Average adults have a length of between 4 feet (120 cm) and 6 feet (180 cm), and they also stand between 2.5 feet (76 cm) and 3.5 feet (110 cm) high at the shoulder.
Florida black bears are mainly solitary, except when in groups or pairings during mating season. Although they are solitary mammals, in general, most are not territorial, and typically do not defend their range from other bears. Black bears have good eyesight, acute hearing and an excellent sense of smell .
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 Southern Florida are the only subspecies to live in a Sub-Tropical region. To a lesser extent it also inhabits dry prairie and tropical hammock.
Before Florida was settled by Europeans, Florida black bears occupied all of the Florida mainland, and even many of the Florida Keys, with a population around 12,000. The current range is much more sporadic with isolated groups living mainly in protected areas in Florida, Southern Alabama, Southern Georgia and Southern Mississippi. Most major populations of Florida black bears live in protected areas. These include Ocala National Forest, Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, Apalachicola National Forest, Osceola National Forest and Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. A study of the Okefenokee-Osceola population found over 500 bears in two study areas. The current bear population in Florida is estimated at more than 4,000 bears.
...
Wikipedia