American Black Bears

According to a reliable website” The giant panda is a well known and well-loved species that is being driven to extinction by habitat loss. It has become one of the most endangered mammals in the world, with only 1,600 of them left” (Exploring nature education). Also According to another credible website about polar bears, “Polar bears might not be endangered but they are one category off of becoming endangered, there are 20,000-25,000 left worldwide” (animalpawnation).As you can see the Giant panda is classified as endangered. There are only about 1,600 left in the world. 1,600 may be a lot but surprisingly not to many scientists and researchers. On the other hand polar bears are classified as threatened one step away from becoming endangered. There are only about 20,000- 25,000 left worldwide.Other than being endangered and threatened they also share many similar characteristics. The giant panda and polar bear are both similar and different in their physical qualities, habitat, and diet.

The bear have evolved along time ago and now there is only eight species existing. They evolved from early canids during the late Oligocene and early Miocene, about 25 million years ago. The earliest ancestors where the Dormaalocyon Latouri. An intermediate ancestor was the short faced bear, very similar to the modern day bear. It lived through the pleistocene period. It grew to thirteen feet long and was a herbivore. The ancestors to the modern day bears lived in the same climate and ate the same things. The modern bear contrast from the ancestor because the ancestor was more skinny and was smaller, and it was more cat like. The eight species of bear that still exist. They are the Polar bear, Brown bear, American black bear, Asian

Kermode Bears live in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest. This rainforest is located in Central and Northern British Columbia, one of the wettest places on the face of the earth. Stretching over 402 km along the western coastline of Canada, this rainforest is home to many remarkable animals including the white Kermode Bear.

There are about 100 different species of animals there, all of which are affected by climate change, but polar bears the worst. Polar bears are the most sensitive to the rapid change in climate because most of their life is spent on sea ice. With the temperatures rising in the Beringia Upland Tundra, the sea ice they thrive on is melting at a very high rate (Powell). Without this ice, the polar bears will not be able to easily move around to mate with other polar bears. They will also not be able to successful hunts on seals because the seals will see them swimming and swim away before anything bad can happen to them. If there was not a shortage of ice, the seals would not see the polar bears on the ice and they would swim closer to the surface. Another challenge the polar bears will face is that they will be eventually forced to go on to the seashore. This would be catastrophic because there would be and increase of competition for food. This could start massive stampedes that could kill polar bear cubs due to adult polar bears trampling them. As of now, there are only 26,000 wild polar bears alive. By 2050, it is predicted that two thirds of all wild polar bears will be gone. By 2100, it is predicted that polar bears will become extinct if nothing is done about global warming and climate change (Kliskey). Another animal in the Beringia Upland Tundra that is affected by climate change in

(figure 4) Current distribution of the Louisiana black bear, Ursus americanus luteolus, decades after listed as an Endangered

The black bear, ursus americanus, roams in different places in America including Texas. Its North America the black bears habitat ranges from Mexico all the way to Canada. In the state of Texas, the black bear is under threatened status, it also has the same status under the United States (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department). According to the Texas Parks Wildlife Department (2016) in the state of Texas they are usually found in the Western area in the Trans Pecos ecoregion. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (2016) has reported that there have been recent sightings of the Louisiana Black Bear in the Eastern part of Texas, where they used to have a strong population. This comes as surprising since the Louisiana Black Bear has an endangered status in the United States, as well as in the state of Texas. Even though the black bear species population in Texas is not as strong as it used to be in the past, many efforts are being done to recolonize the black bear in the South Western region of Texas by, studying their habitat as well as their eating habits, checking the DNA of the bears already in the area to see their genetic structures, regulating protection policies for black bears, and educating the people on the species.

and Canada offer, black bears can live in both coniferous and deciduous forests, as well as the open alpine habitats. Basically anywhere near a river or some water source, has plenty of trees, and are able to find food. Black bears usually forage alone, even as young cubs. They will stick together with their mother if there is an abundance of food in one are.

The black bear is one of the most common bears in the U.S.A. Even though the black bear is one of the three smallest bears, it has great claws and amazing climbing ability. Experts estimate that about 80,000 black bears die each year in the U.S.A. This animal, the black bear, is threatened and should be saved.

America. They also live in Canada and Mexico. Grizzly Bears on the other hand live in an

Polar bears are one of the countless species who are endangered. They were one of the first animals affected by global warming and their population is heavily decreasing. Around 1980, the Arctic was as large as 8 million square kilometres. In 2011, studies show that the Arctic has reduced its size to 4.5 million square kilometers. In the future, will there be anything such as the Arctic? Scientist predict by 2040, only a fringe of ice will remain in Northeast Canada and Northern Greenland. This is known as the Last Ice Area. This matter is mostly taking part in Canada, since; Canada holds more than half the world’s polar bear population. Other affected countries include the U.S. (Alaska), Greenland,

The Grizzly Bear, or Ursus arctos horribilus, is the second largest land based carnivore in all of North America. It has a life expectancy of twenty years, and the average male Grizzly Bear can reach an astounding three hundred fifty kilograms. While there are many bears that have the same brown coloring as the Grizzly, these are easily spotted due to their anatomy. The Grizzly Bear has a large hump or protrusion on its back, near the area of the shoulder blades. This mass of tissue and muscle helps to support the enormous front legs of the bear. Other distinctive characteristics of the Grizzly Bear include a concave snout, extremely long claws, and poor eyesight. Though dark brown is the most commonly viewed fur color, the Grizzly can be any shade from ivory to nearly black.

The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is native to North America, more specifically Canada and northern and southeastern United States. Ursus americanus once ranged from Mexico and all throughout United States and into Canada, but as human population increased and climatic conditions have changed, Ursus americanus moved to locations with lower populations and cooler climates, which are northern North America as well as southeastern United States. Ursus americanus are found with the highest populations in Canada and northwestern United states where there are lower human populations, larger forests, and cooler climates.

The polar bear, the largest land carnivore in North America, one of the largest animals in the world and a favorite at zoos worldwide, has, over the years, adapted to its harsh Arctic environment. The appropriately named ‘ursus maritimum’ or sea bear usually lives between 15 and 18 years in the wild and spends most of its life on ice. It is the most recent of the eight bear species. The first polar bear was a brown bear subspecies, with brown bear dimensions and brown bear teeth. The polar bear evolution was rapid due to the small population and extreme pressure to survive. Even today, the polar bear continues to evolve to better adapt to the harsh realities of Arctic life.

The polar bear lives up in the Arctic region where global warming and climate change are melting the ice caps that the bears thrive on. They use the ice as a platform from hunting and rest. The random pocket holes in the ice, where the seals pop up at, is where the polar bear catches its prey. With this reduction of ice, “the abundance of seals, and increases the amount of energy and time needed for hunting, leaving less energy for reproduction” (Endangered Species and Habitats).

The mating season for a black bear differs from most animals. Most animal’s breed when they are in peak physical condition, but black bears when their body weight is at the lowest for the year and the food is scarce. This is usually in the spring. The birth of a cub usually takes place in the sow’s winter den. If it is the bear’s first litter, there will often be only one cub, but if it is not she may have two or