142 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66 



(8.5 to 11 in.). Weight, adult males, 250 to 500 pounds, rarely 600 

 pounds or more, normally 300 to 400 pounds. Skull, adult males, 

 length, 270 to 298 mm. ; width, 158 to 185 mm. Total length, adult 

 females, 1270 to 1475 mm. (50 to 58 in.) ; tail 80 to 115 mm. (3 to 4.5 

 in.) ; hind foot, 190 to 240 mm. (7.5 to 9.5 in.) . Weight, adult females, 

 225 to 450 pounds. Skull, adult females, length 255 to 285 mm. ; width, 

 148 to 172 mm." (Jackson, 1961, p. 313). 



Habitat and habits. — The black bear prefers heavily wooded areas, 

 and is now confined to the wildest and most inaccessible forests of 

 the Allegheny Mountain section. Individuals may occasionally visit 

 well -populated agricultural areas, but they usually do not remain in 

 the neighborhood of humans for any length of time. 



Except for females with cubs, the black bear is solitary in habits. 

 It is nocturnal but usually does not wait until full darkness to ven- 

 ture forth ; occasionally an individual may be seen abroad in the day- 

 time. These bears remain dormant from about the end of November 

 or early December until March or April, usually in a cavity dug under 

 an overturned tree, most often at the roots. Sometimes other sites are 

 chosen, such as a cave in rocks, a hollow tree, or dense thickets. 



The female gives birth in January or February ; the gestation period 

 is about 225 days. One to five young may comprise a litter, but the 

 usual number is two. Black bears normally breed only every other 

 year. 



The black bear is an omnivorous animal, consuming a wide variety 

 of foods. It is especially fond of fruits and eats large quantities of 

 blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries. It also con- 

 sumes quantities of mice, insects, and fish and occasionally will kill 

 and devour sheep and pigs. In the autumn, when nuts are available, it 

 feeds extensively on acorns and beechnuts. In addition, it will occa- 

 sionally eat grass, roots, and fungi. 



Remarks. — Mansueti (1950, pp. 14-16) has thoroughly investigated 

 the former and present distribution of this species in Maryland. 

 According to him, the black bear was at one time distributed through- 

 out the State and was plentiful. Early settlers considered it the bane 

 of their existence. Today the black bear stiU exists in restricted por- 

 tions of the western part of the State, but in the past 2 or 3 decades 

 it has been on the verge of extinction. A 1937 report by the U.S. 

 Bureau of Biological Survey (Big-Game Inventory of the United 

 States, 1937, Wildlife Kesearch and Management Leaflet BS-122, 

 January 1939) placed the total number of bears in Maryland at 150. 

 Tlie 1938 summary (Big-Game Inventory of the United States, 1938, 

 U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey, Wildlife Leaflet BS-142, August 

 1939) placed the number at 50. By 1946 (Big-Game Inventory of the 

 United States, 1946, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife Leaflet 



