Florida black bear
| Florida Black Bear | |
|---|---|
| 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 and Georgia. The large black-furred bears live mainly in forested areas and have seen recent habitat reduction throughout the state. It is on the Florida State List of Threatened species due to a number of factors, but most notably motor vehicle accidents that have accounted for 89.5% of deaths since 1994. Hunting of the subspecies was banned in 1994 to further protect the Florida population.
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[edit] Description
[edit] Physical
Florida black bears are typically large-bodied with shiny black fur, a light brown nose and a short stubby tail.[1] A white chest patch is also common on many but not all the bears.[2] 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).[1][2][3] Females generally weigh less and on average are about 198 pounds (90 kg).[2] 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.[2]
[edit] Behavior
Florida black bears are mainly solitary, except when in groups or pairings during mating season.[4] Although they are solitary mammals, in general, most are not territorial, and typically do not defend their range from other bears.[4] Black bears have good eyesight, acute hearing and an excellent sense of smell .[4]
[edit] Habitat
Florida black bears live mainly in forested habitats, and are common in sand-pine scrub, oak scrub, upland hardwood forests and forested wetlands.[5] Black Bears in Southern Florida are the only subspecies to live in a Sub-Tropical region.[2] To a lesser extent it also inhabits dry prairie and tropical hammocks.[2]
[edit] Range
Before Florida was settled by Europeans, Florida black bears occupied all of the Florida mainland, and even many of the Florida Keys.[6] The current range is much more sporadic with isolated groups living mainly in protected areas in Florida, Southern Alabama, Southern Georgia and Southern Mississippi.[1][2] 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.[5][6] A study of the Okefenokee-Osceola population found over 500 bears in two study areas.[7]
[edit] Conservation
In Florida the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) lists the species as threatened.[2] Habitat loss is greatly affecting Florida Black Bear populations. Nearly 20 acres (81,000 m2) of wildlife habitat are lost to new development every hour in Florida.[5] Bears being injured or killed by motorists is another threat to regional populations. Since 1976 there have been more than 1,356 documented cases of bears being killed in Florida.[5] Over 100 bears are killed on Florida roadways each year, and in 2002 a record 132 deaths occurred.[5] That makes roadkills the number one cause of bear death in the state, with 89.5% of bear deaths since 1994 being attributed to such crashes.[5][8] The Florida State Legislature outlawed the hunting of the Florida black bear in 1994.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Florida Black Bear Fact Sheet". U.S. Forest Service. August, 2009. http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/florida/documents/news/black-bear-awareness.pdf. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Scott, Chris (2004). Endangered and Threatened Animals of Florida and Their Habitats. University of Texas Press. ISBN 0292705298. http://books.google.com/books?id=9VwFvZZg7dUC&pg=RA1-PA124&dq=Florida+black+bear&as_brr=3&client=firefox-a&cd=2#v=onepage&q=Florida%20black%20bear&f=false.
- ^ Anthony, H. E. (2005). Field Book of North American Mammals. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1417989491. http://books.google.com/books?id=Hg2daPm0qLkC&pg=PA76&dq=Florida+Black+Bear&as_brr=3&client=firefox-a&cd=9#v=onepage&q=Florida%20Black%20Bear&f=false.
- ^ a b c "Behavior & Senses". Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. http://myfwc.com/WILDLIFEHABITATS/Bear_behavior.htm. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Florida Black Bear Background and Recovery". Defenders of Wildlife. http://www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/wildlife_conservation/imperiled_species/florida_black_bear/background/index.php. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ^ a b "Black Bear Distribution Map". Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. http://myfwc.com/WILDLIFEHABITATS/Bear_distribution.htm. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ^ "Population Ecology of Black Bears in the Okefenokee Swamp-Osceola Ecosystem". United States Fish & Wildlife Service. http://www.fws.gov/okefenokee/blackbear.pdf. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ^ "Bears and Roads". Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. http://myfwc.com/WILDLIFEHABITATS/Bear_roads.htm. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
