Florida black bear facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ursus americanus floridanus
A Florida black bear in the Ocala National Forest
Conservation status
Apparently Secure (NatureServe)
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
Florida black bear range

The Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) is a special type of American black bear. These bears used to live across most of Florida, and in parts of southern Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. These large, black-furred bears mostly live in forests. Their homes have become smaller recently due to more human development and changes in their natural areas.

Discover the Florida Black Bear

What Do Florida Black Bears Look Like?

Florida black bears are usually big animals with shiny black fur. They have a short tail. Many also have brown fur on their noses. Their fur is always black in Florida. However, in summer, some hairs might shed, making them look a bit brown. About 30% of these bears have a white patch on their chest. This patch is called a blaze.

They are Florida's second-largest land mammal. Only the American bison, found in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, is bigger. Male bears usually weigh about 300 pounds (140 kg). The heaviest male ever found weighed 760 pounds (340 kg) in Seminole County. The heaviest female was 400 pounds (180 kg) in Liberty County. Females are generally about half the weight of males.

Adult bears are typically between 4 feet (120 cm) and 6 feet (180 cm) long. They stand about 2.5 feet (76 cm) to 3.5 feet (110 cm) tall at the shoulder. Their feet have five toes, each with short, curved claws that cannot be pulled back. Black bears walk with their whole foot touching the ground. They have small eyes and round, upright ears.

How Do Florida Black Bears Behave?

Black bears are generally shy and like to be alone. They show their feelings using sounds, body movements, and by leaving their scent. They are mostly solitary animals. The only exceptions are when mothers are with their cubs or during mating season.

Even though they are solitary, they don't usually fight over their living areas with other bears. However, they will protect their food from other bears. Black bears have good eyesight, especially up close. They also have excellent hearing and an amazing sense of smell. Many believe their sense of smell is the best of any land mammal.

The Florida Black Bear Life Cycle and Reproduction

Female bears can start having cubs when they are three or four years old. Mating happens from mid-June to mid-August. Females need to mate to become pregnant. Black bears have a special process called delayed implantation. This means the fertilized eggs pause their development for a while. They float freely in the uterus and only attach to the womb in late November or December.

This adaptation helps bears time their births with when food is plentiful. If there isn't enough food, like acorns or berries, females might start breeding later. They might also have fewer cubs. Pregnant females go into their winter dens in mid- to late December. They come out in early to mid-April. They usually stay in their dens for about 100 to 113 days.

The actual pregnancy lasts about 60 days. Cubs are born in late January to mid-February. Most studies in Florida show that mothers usually have about two cubs. Older females or those who have had cubs before might have more, especially in the Ocala National Forest.

At birth, cubs weigh about 12 ounces. They have some fur but are blind and have no teeth. They grow quickly. By the time they leave the den at about ten weeks old, they weigh six to eight pounds. Cubs stay with their mother and might even den with her the next year. The family usually separates between May and July, when the cubs are 15 to 17 months old. Young females often stay near their birth area. Young males usually move to new places.

Where Do Florida Black Bears Live?

Bear Homes and Habitats

Florida black bears mainly live in forested areas. They are common in sand-pine scrub, oak scrub, upland hardwood forests, and forested wetlands. They are the only type of black bear to live in a subtropical climate, especially in South Florida. They also live in dry prairie and tropical hammock areas, but less often.

How Many Bears Are There?

Before Europeans settled Florida, about 11,000 black bears lived across the entire Florida mainland. They even lived in the upper Florida Keys. By 1970, the number of bears dropped by 97% to only about 300. Studies in 2015 suggested there were around 4,000 bears in Florida.

Between 2011 and 2020, people often saw bears in 29% of Florida. Bears ranged through about 51% of Florida. This includes cities, water, and other non-habitat areas within their range. This was an 11% increase in their range compared to the previous ten years (2001-2010).

These bears live in separate groups in Florida, southern Alabama, southern Georgia, and southern Mississippi. Most large groups of Florida black bears live on or near public lands. These include Ocala National Forest, Big Cypress National Preserve, Apalachicola National Forest, Osceola National Forest, and Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. In Florida, there are seven main groups that are genetically and geographically separated.

What Do Florida Black Bears Eat?

Florida black bears are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Their diet is about 80% plants, 15% insects, and 5% animal matter. The animal matter is usually carrion, which means they find and eat animals that are already dead.

Their diet changes a lot with the seasons. This is because many of their favorite plants and animals are only available at certain times of the year.

• In the spring, they mostly eat plants like Sabal palmetto and Thalia geniculata. They also eat insects like Bombus bimaculatus and Camponotus species. Sometimes they eat Sus scrofa.
• In the summer, they mainly eat berries and plants such as Serenoa repens, Ilex glabra, Rubus species, Phytolacca rigida, and Vaccinium species. They also enjoy insects like Camponotus species and Anisomorpha buprestoides. They might even eat the eggs of Alligator mississippiensis.
• In the fall, their diet includes Serenoa repens, Ilex glabra, Nyssa biflora, Vespula species, and Apis mellifera. They also eat animals like the Dasypus novemcinctus.

Protecting Florida Black Bears

Keeping Bears Safe: Conservation Efforts

In 2012, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) decided that the Florida black bear was no longer a threatened species. They used guidelines from the IUCN Red List to check the bear's risk of disappearing. The 2012 Florida Black Bear Management Plan was created to help make sure the subspecies stays safe in the future. Even though the bear was removed from the state's threatened list, a Bear Conservation Rule (68A-4.009) was put in place at the same time. This rule continues to protect the species.

Many laws protect the Florida black bear. For example, it is against the law to feed bears (F.A.C. 68A-4.001). It is also illegal to harm bears because they are seen as a 'nuisance' (F.A.C. 68A-9.010). Selling or buying bear parts is also against the law (F.A.C. 68A-12.004 (12)). The Bear Conservation Rule says you cannot 'take' (which means to harm or kill) a bear unless the FWC gives you a special permit (F.A.C. 68A-4.009).

Challenges to Bear Survival

Cars hitting bears is a big problem for bear populations. It is the main known cause of death for bears. Since 2012, when more human development started in important bear areas, over 230 bears have died on roads each year across the state. The Florida Department of Transportation worked with the FWC to study how roads affect bear populations. Because of this, there are now over 90 bear crossing signs and many wildlife underpasses across Florida. Despite these efforts, the number of bears dying on roads has slowly increased each year.

Between 2014 and 2018, some bears were removed from the population by the FWC. This happened when bears became too used to human food, leading to safety issues for both bears and people.

In Florida, young bears might sometimes be eaten by large invasive snakes. These include Burmese pythons, reticulated pythons, and green anacondas.

Understanding Bear Management

In 1974, the FWC stopped bear hunting in most of Florida. By 1994, hunting was closed in all remaining areas. In 2015, the FWC allowed a limited, regulated bear hunt. The number of permits sold for this hunt was more than the estimated number of bears at that time. The hunt lasted two days and took place in four of the seven bear groups. A total of 304 bears were taken. In 2016, FWC commissioners voted to postpone bear hunting. A bear season was reinstated in 2025.

Living Safely with Bears

Between 2005 and 2013, people saw more bears and had more conflicts with them in Florida. After the FWC increased its budget for bear programs in 2013, bear sightings became stable, and conflicts went down. The FWC has shared tips on what people can do to keep bears from staying in human areas.

The most important tip is to prevent bears from getting human food. This includes food for pets or farm animals. In neighborhoods, people can keep garbage cans in garages or use special locks on lids. It also helps to avoid outdoor feeders and keeping pet food outside. Electric fences have also worked well to keep bears out of certain areas. Picking ripe fruit and garden vegetables in yards, and cleaning outdoor grills, have also helped reduce unexpected meetings between people and bears. Alarms that go off when motion is detected have also been effective in scaring bears away.

Laws Helping Florida Black Bears

On December 11, 2015, Senator Darren Soto proposed a bill called S.B. 1096, Florida Black Bears. A similar bill, H.B. 1055, was proposed by Representative Mark S. Pafford. These bills aimed to create a special fund. This fund would help pay for bear-resistant trash cans and support efforts to protect bear habitats. The bills also called for more conservation work. Neither bill became law at that time.

On January 24, 2017, Representative Amy Mercado proposed H.B. 491. This bill also aimed to help Florida black bears. It did not move forward in the legislative process. Senator Linda Stewart proposed S.B. 1304 on February 28, 2017. This bill was found favorable by one committee but did not become law.

On December 6, 2018, Senator Stewart proposed S.B. 134, Florida Black Bears. This bill would have stopped hunting of mother bears with small cubs. It also aimed to set penalties for illegally harvesting saw palmetto berries on state lands. Additionally, it would have prevented certain controlled burns in bear habitats during specific times. This bill also did not become law.

On February 13, 2019, Senator Stewart proposed S.B. 988. This bill asked the FWC to consider listing the Florida black bear as a threatened species again. This bill also did not become law.

On February 18, 2019, state Senator Jason Pizzo proposed S.B. 1150, Wildlife Protection. This bill would have made it illegal to import, sell, or buy ivory and rhinoceros horns. It also aimed to make it unlawful to harm, possess, or sell Florida black bears. Breaking these rules would have led to serious penalties. This bill also did not become law.

In 2016, several conservation groups, led by the Center for Biological Diversity, asked the U.S. Department of Interior to list the Florida black bear under the federal Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services decided not to change the bear's status. They chose to support the state's actions to protect the Florida black bear instead.

See also

In Spanish: Oso americano de Florida para niños