Black Bears 

The Olympic black bear, Ursus americanus altifrontalis, was first noted at Crater Lake, Oregon 1896 when a biological survey was made of the mammals in the area. It was recognized as a separate black bear species in 1903 by American Zoologist Daniel Giraud Elliot.

Black Bear

HABITAT
The Olympic Black Bear, can be found from the southern half of British Columbia, down through western Washington and Oregon to the northwestern part of California. In Oregon and California, it is found only west of the Cascade Range. In California, it is thought to be geographically separated from the California Black Bear, Ursus americanus californiensis, by the crest of the Klamath Mountains. Like many other bears, the Olympic Black Bear is found predominantly in forested areas and meadows, and often near water.

CHARACTERISTICS
They are about average size for a black bear. Though they are larger than the adjoining populations of the California Black Bear and the Cinnamon Black Bear. The Olympic Black Bear has a broad, high, and bulging forehead with a tan nose. They are usually black, but sometimes appear dark brown.

DIET
The Olympic black bear is an omnivorous creature, though it mainly feeds on vegetation. It will eat fish in the summer and autumn and also feed on berries, nuts, insects and carrion.

American Black Bear Cub STATUS
The population of the Olympic Black Bear is said to be fairly stable, although it is claimed to be affected by habitat loss, conflict with humans, hunting and climate change. Their lifespan in the wild is probably around 18 years, though they can live to be up to 30 years in captivity.

Wolves Of The World Banner

Cruising around the Washington coast and up to British Columbia, it's pretty common to see Black Bears foraging near the coast. Many boaters, like those in Marlow Yachts, are well offshore from the bears and can safely view them as they feed on the vegetation.

| Home | Agriarctos | Agriotherium | Alaskan Grizzly | Allocyon loganensis | Argentine short-faced bear |

| American Black Bear | Asiatic Black Bear | Atlas Bear | Auvergne Bear | Baluchistan Black Bear |

| Brown Bear | Cinnamon Bear | California Black Bear | Dall Black Bear | Dawn Bear | Early Polar Bear |

| Etruscan bear | European Cave Bear | Florida Black Bear | Florida Cave Bear | Formosan Black Bear |

| Giant Panda Bear | Giant Short-Faced Bear | Grizzly Bear | Himalayan Black Bear | Indarctos arctoides |

| Japanese Black Bear | Kamchatka Brown Bear | Kermode Bear | Kodiak Bear | Kolponomos |

| Olympic Black Bear | Parictis | Plionarctos | Polar Bear | Primal Panda Bear | Protursus |

| Pygmy Giant Panda | Qinling Panda Bear | Siberian Brown Bear | Sloth Bear |

| Spectacled Bear | Sun Bear | Syrian Brown Bear | Tibetan Blue Bear |

| Ursus abstrusus | Bear Subspecies / Classification | Bear Links |

Bears Of The World
© 1999-2024
All rights reserved.