In this article I’ve gathered all the essential facts about what do black bears eat. Most of these are not commonly known elsewhere. Black bears are one of the widespread bear species across North America. Bears belong to the Carnivora order of mammals whose members consume meat; some other carnivores including skunks, raccoons, cats, weasels, and dogs. Bears are the mammals that are predominantly omnivorous of the carnivores, consuming several vegetables and foods apart from flesh.
The feeding habits of bears help us in determining almost anything about these species such as their shape, skeleton, size, musculature, paws and claws. These bears are more readily found in forests, swamps, and mountains; besides, they are excellent tree climbers. Black bears are not entirely black rather they display blue-black, blue-gray, and cinnamon color. They can be as heavier as 200 – 600 lbs (90 – 270 kg), with the length measuring at 5 – 6 feet. In general, black bears are solitary animals and they roam around in large territories, although they are not territorial and are not concerned about protecting them from other bears. Now let’s come to the black bears diet.
What Do Black Bears Eat
Black bears are the opportunistic feeders. Many black bears primarily prey on berries, grasses, roots, and insects. These bears are omnivorous and the bulk of the diet is composed of vegetation (around 85% of vegetation and plants matter). They are known to dig less as compared to brown bears, consuming corns, roots, bulbs, and tubers. Those bears that are developing from hibernation, tend to feed on shrubs and shoots from trees in the spring season.
These shrubs are essential in upgrading muscle as well as strengthening the skeleton and are often the only fares that are available at times. Black bears also consume buds, nuts, berries, fruits, and grasses. The black bears are often observed to raid the nut caches of squirrels. They supplement their diet with honey by breaching honeycombs altogether without regard to the number of bees; instead bears eat all those bees coming in their way to consume honey regardless of stings from the bees. Bears are very fond of honey as it is composed of;
What Do Black Bears Eat in the Wild
(What Do Black Bears Like to Eat)
Many black bears rely on insects including ants, larvae, bees and yellow-jackets. They are known to prey salmon during night as these fishes will spot them in the daytime for the black fur. According to a study, the white furred bear species dwelling in the western Canada have 30% greater success rate as compared to the black fur species. Some of the black bears also hunt white-tailed deer fawns and mule in certain areas. Besides, these mammals will also prey on moose calves (in Alaska), while in Idaho they hunt elk calves.
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Black bears are not often sighted preying on adult deer but on rare occasion. They are, however, capable to bring down as large animal as adult moose by dragging them to a shelter where they will eat the whole. Black bears do not leave the remains of their kills like other predators such as coyotes and wolves usually do. They will also attempt to cover the carcass of larger preys but are not capable to cover it completely. Black bears are capable to climb trees as well which is particularly observed when they prey on bald eagle’s nests for their chicks and eggs. Bears are also known to take away deer and other animals from human hunters.
Read More: Polar Bear Digestive System
Image Courtesy of moelynphotos (Flickr)
Now you know what do black bears eat? Black bears are also regarded as the least carnivorous across North America. They will chew diverse kinds of forbs, nuts, abundant herbs, berries, and other plants matter. In the spring season, bears usually rely on protein-rich diet such as sedges, shoots, and grasses; insects include ants, beetle larvae, and wasps. However, when the summer arrives, the diet is composed of raspberries, cherries, huckleberries, grapes, and blackberries.
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