Common Name
American Black Bear
Order
Carnivora
Family
Ursidae
Species Name
Ursus americanus
Status
Common
States
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Distribution
Northeast, Great Lakes region, Appalachians, Arkansas and west; Alaska and northern Canada but absent in Nevada and Great Plains. Southern distributions spotty into Mexico.
Notes
Usually not aggressive. Adults climb trees. Black color most common, cinnamon and white phases also exist.
Georgia
Mostly known from northern and southern Georgia
New Mexico
Slide symbol: C -- Close-up of head region. S -- skull
Oregon
Game mammal in Oregon.
Texas
Slide symbol: C -- Close-up of head region. S -- skull. Former statewide distribution has declined as human population expanded.
Vermont
Slide symbol: C -- Close-up of head region. S -- skull.