Food and Habitat

Preferred Foods: Nuts, acorns, fruit, insects, succulent greens. Meat and less succulent greens are eaten when preferred foods are scarce. A scarcity of preferred foods can result in failed reproduction, stunted growth, failure to add optimal amounts of fat, and death of young bears, especially cubs.

Ideal Habitat: Black bears like large forests with a variety of fruits and nuts. Many kinds of berries and ants are especially productive in sunny openings. Lowlands and wetlands add succulent vegetation. Pools and streams help bears cool off. Mothers with cubs prefer large trees (over 20 inches in diameter) with furrowed bark (like white pines or hemlocks) for bedding sites and refuge.

Foraging for ant pupae