146 



Eric C. Hellgren and Michael R. Vaughan 



average of 120 and 88 kg, respectively, in Bladen County, North Carolina, 

 (Hamilton 1978) and 102 and 52 kg, respectively, in a bottomland 

 hardwood swamp in eastern Arkansas (Smith 1985). Harvested, adult 

 females from the periphery of Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia, ranged in 

 mass from 46 to 101 kg (Abler 1985). Smith (1985) reported that 

 males reached peak mass by 5 years of age. Although females reached 

 adult stature by age 2 or 3, they continued gaining mass and girth until 

 age 9 or 10. Bears in Great Dismal Swamp became heavier than bottomland 

 Arkansas bears (Smith 1985) by age 6 in males and age 5 in females. 

 Total length and chest girth measurements were also larger for Dismal 

 Swamp males by age 6. 



Table 3. Significant (P < 0.0001) bivariate regression models with body 

 mass (kg) as the dependent variable for black bears in Great Dismal Swamp, 

 Virginia and North Carolina, 1984-1986. 











Root Mean 



Sex Independent Variable (mm) 



Intercept 



Slope 



r 2 



Square Errc 



>r n 



Male Chest circumference 



-103.5 



0.21 



0.95 



8.49 



59 



Neck circumference 



-89.8 



0.30 



0.94 



9.34 



59 



Total length 



-170.7 



0.16 



0.72 



19.61 



51 



Head length 



-225.6 



0.91 



0.78 



17.53 



59 



Wrist circumference 



-102.7 



0.73 



0.62 



22.66 



59 



Elbow circumference 



-92.5 



0.47 



0.66 



21.59 



59 



Zygomatic circumference 



-136.4 



0.37 



0.92 



10.57 



59 



Forepaw width 



-222.9 



2.95 



0.70 



20.31 



59 



Forepaw length (no claws) 



-201.8 



2.95 



0.52 



25.18 



58 



Hindpaw width 



-204.7 



3.04 



0.68 



20.80 



59 



Hindpaw length (no claws) 



-230.2 



1.80 



0.47 



26.89 



59 



Canine length (upper) 



-153.3 



8.40 



0.52 



25.98 



57 



Canine length (lower) 



-123.6 



7.93 



0.25 



32.40 



58 



Canine breadth (upper) 



-293.5 



7.03 



0.71 



20.69 



55 



Canine breadth (lower) 



-273.4 



7.47 



0.66 



22.12 



56 



Female 













Chest circumference 



-57.1 



0.15 



0.92 



3.75 



29 



Neck circumference 



-55.4 



0.23 



0.89 



4.46 



31 



Total length 



-68.8 



0.08 



0.53 



9.32 



28 



Head length 



-119.3 



0.56 



0.72 



7.16 



31 



Wrist circumference 



-69.5 



0.56 



0.58 



8.76 



31 



Elbow circumference 



-61.6 



0.36 



0.70 



7.46 



31 



Zygomatic circumference 



-91.4 



0.28 



0.86 



4.97 



31 



Canine length (upper) 



-34.1 



3.42 



0.45 



9.84 



33 



Canine breadth (upper) 



-101.0 



3.16 



0.52 



9.27 



31 



Canine breadth (lower) 



-144.4 



4.56 



0.46 



9.71 



32 



