- published: 12 May 2015
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The (North) American black bear (Ursus americanus) is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in search of food. Sometimes they become attracted to human communities because of the immediate availability of food. The American black bear is listed by the IUCN as Least Concern, due to the species' widespread distribution and a large global population estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined. American black bears often mark trees using their teeth and claws as a form of communication with other bears, a behavior common to many species of bears.
The word 'Baribal' is often used as a name for the black bear in Spanish, French and Italian. Although the root word is popularly written as being from an unspecified Native American language, there is no evidence for this.
Black bear may refer to:
Black Bears may also refer to: