Post by King Kodiak on Mar 13, 2019 17:06:05 GMT -5
FLORIDA BLACK BEAR (URSUS AMERICANUS FLORIDANUS)
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.
Description
Physical
Florida black bears are typically large-bodied with shiny black fur, a short tail and many have brown fur on their muzzles. Pelage color is consistently black in Florida, but summer molting of guard hair may cause them to look brown.[1] A white chest patch, called a blaze, is found in about 30% of the population.[2] It is Florida's largest terrestrial mammal, with an average male weight of 300 pounds (140 kg); the largest known male weighed 760 pounds (340 kg) and was found in Seminole County and the largest known female was 400 pounds (180 kg) and found in Liberty County.[3][1][4][5] Females generally weigh about half as much as males.[4] Average adults have a length of between 4 feet (120 cm) and 6 feet (180 cm), standing between 2.5 feet (76 cm) and 3.5 feet (110 cm) high at the shoulder.[4] Their feet have short, curved, non-retractable claws on each of the five digits. Black bears walk with the entire sole of their feet touching the ground. Bears use a pacing stride, where both legs on the same side move together so that the hind foot is placed in or slightly in front of the track of the forefoot; the smaller (inner) toe occasionally does not register in the track. Eyes are small, and ears are round and erect.[6]
Behavior
Florida black bears are mainly solitary, except when females have dependent cubs or pairings during mating season.[7] Although they are solitary mammals, they are not territorial, and typically do not defend their range from other bears, but will defend a food source from other bears.[7] Black bears have good eyesight (especially at close range), acute hearing and an excellent sense of smell that is believed to the best of any land mammal.[7]
Reproduction
Female bears in Florida become sexually mature at three to four years of age.[8] Breeding occurs from mid-June to mid-August [9] and coital stimulation is required in order to induce ovulation.[10] Black bears experience delayed implantation, where fertilized eggs temporarily cease development after a few divisions, float free in the uterus and do not implant until late November or December.[10] This adaptation allows bears to synchronize reproduction with annual food cycles. Lowered nutritional levels caused by poor acorn or berry production can result in delayed first breeding, decreased litter sizes, and increased incidence of barren females.[10] Reproductive females enter winter dens in mid- to late December and emerge in early to mid-April after a mean denning period of 100 to 113 days.[11] Actual gestation is 60 days, and cubs are born in late January to mid-February. Most studies in Florida have documented an average litter size of approximately two cubs, although greater productivity in Ocala National Forest (NF) in older females and females with previous litters has been noted.[12] At birth, cubs weigh approximately 12 ounces and are partially furred but blind and toothless. Neonatal growth is rapid and cubs weigh six to eight pounds by the time they leave the den at about ten weeks of age. Cubs stay with their mother and may den with her the following year. Family dissolution usually occurs between May to July when cubs are 15 to 17 months old. Females generally form a home range overlapping their natal range [13] while young males disperse to new areas.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_black_bear
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.
Description
Physical
Florida black bears are typically large-bodied with shiny black fur, a short tail and many have brown fur on their muzzles. Pelage color is consistently black in Florida, but summer molting of guard hair may cause them to look brown.[1] A white chest patch, called a blaze, is found in about 30% of the population.[2] It is Florida's largest terrestrial mammal, with an average male weight of 300 pounds (140 kg); the largest known male weighed 760 pounds (340 kg) and was found in Seminole County and the largest known female was 400 pounds (180 kg) and found in Liberty County.[3][1][4][5] Females generally weigh about half as much as males.[4] Average adults have a length of between 4 feet (120 cm) and 6 feet (180 cm), standing between 2.5 feet (76 cm) and 3.5 feet (110 cm) high at the shoulder.[4] Their feet have short, curved, non-retractable claws on each of the five digits. Black bears walk with the entire sole of their feet touching the ground. Bears use a pacing stride, where both legs on the same side move together so that the hind foot is placed in or slightly in front of the track of the forefoot; the smaller (inner) toe occasionally does not register in the track. Eyes are small, and ears are round and erect.[6]
Behavior
Florida black bears are mainly solitary, except when females have dependent cubs or pairings during mating season.[7] Although they are solitary mammals, they are not territorial, and typically do not defend their range from other bears, but will defend a food source from other bears.[7] Black bears have good eyesight (especially at close range), acute hearing and an excellent sense of smell that is believed to the best of any land mammal.[7]
Reproduction
Female bears in Florida become sexually mature at three to four years of age.[8] Breeding occurs from mid-June to mid-August [9] and coital stimulation is required in order to induce ovulation.[10] Black bears experience delayed implantation, where fertilized eggs temporarily cease development after a few divisions, float free in the uterus and do not implant until late November or December.[10] This adaptation allows bears to synchronize reproduction with annual food cycles. Lowered nutritional levels caused by poor acorn or berry production can result in delayed first breeding, decreased litter sizes, and increased incidence of barren females.[10] Reproductive females enter winter dens in mid- to late December and emerge in early to mid-April after a mean denning period of 100 to 113 days.[11] Actual gestation is 60 days, and cubs are born in late January to mid-February. Most studies in Florida have documented an average litter size of approximately two cubs, although greater productivity in Ocala National Forest (NF) in older females and females with previous litters has been noted.[12] At birth, cubs weigh approximately 12 ounces and are partially furred but blind and toothless. Neonatal growth is rapid and cubs weigh six to eight pounds by the time they leave the den at about ten weeks of age. Cubs stay with their mother and may den with her the following year. Family dissolution usually occurs between May to July when cubs are 15 to 17 months old. Females generally form a home range overlapping their natal range [13] while young males disperse to new areas.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_black_bear
