American Black Bear / Behavior Study

American Black Bear / Behavior Study

American Black Bear
Ursus americanus


Animal Behavior Project

American Black Bear
Ursus americanus

Introduction
Ursus americanus, the American Black Bear was chosen for this extensive observation to demonstrate the animals descriptive ethology. The specific subjects in this case were two black bears, one male and one female, and for the sake of easier reference they will be called Bonnie (the female) and Clyde (the male) for the remainder of the project. However, I will be focusing mostly on the female, Bonnie.   They are being kept in captivity at the Gulf Breeze Zoo. The examination took place on March 12, 2011 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The weather was sunny, cloudless for the most part and around 21 to 24 degrees Celsius (70-75 degrees Fahrenheit).
The American Black Bear can be found only throughout North America, in almost all of the United States, Canada and with fewer numbers in Mexico (Black Bear, 2011), an estimated 600,000 American Black Bears overall. They are the smallest species of bear found in North America, are known for their exception tree climbing ability and are mainly omnivorous. Fur coloration in black bears is usually all one color, except for in most cases, a brown muzzle, and sometimes light markings appear on their chests. Their coloration also depends on the region in which they are found, Eastern populations are usually black in color while western populations often exhibit lighter fur, such as brown, cinnamon, and blonde in addition to black. (Black Bear, 2011)   Their extinction is in an area of low concern, because their population is so widely distributed and because they are confined mostly to forests with little to no human interaction. However, historically their population has significantly decreased over the last hundred years (Arkansas Black Bears, 2011).

Materials and Methods
The tools used in aiding this observation were a stopwatch on my phone, a small steno book and a blue ink pen. The bears were being...