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Kingdom: Animalia
Black Bear |
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Description Species Range and Distribution Habitat Requirements and Feeding
Author: Jana Milliken Site created by: Rachael McCormick Site Maintained by: Dr. Mark Wallace
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Species Range and Distribution Black bear distribution ranges from the northern-forested area of the Artic south through the Sierra Madre Mountains in northern Mexico, and from Newfoundland west to the islands of British Columbia (Domico 1988). The species currently occupies 60 percent of its former range (Pelton 1990). In the southeast United States, black bears only occupy 10 percent of their former range, where they are being considered for listing as threatened (Pelton 1990). Home ranges of each bear varies according to habitat quality. In more densely vegetated areas, ranges may be less then one hundred square kilometers, while ranges can reach into the hundreds of square kilometers in more barren places (Powell et. al. 1997). Females home ranges are usually one-quarter to one-third the size of the males Powell et. al. 1997).
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