--- title: "American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) | AnimalTracks.wiki" description: "A bear whose sense of smell is about seven times stronger than a bloodhound's." image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/american-black-bear-1.webp" published: "2026-09-29" updated: "2026-09-29" --- # American Black Bear (*Ursus americanus*) > **Status**: Checked against 3 sources, listed under Sources below. > **Tagline**: A bear whose sense of smell is about seven times stronger than a bloodhound's. > **Soundtrack Vibe**: Glacial Ambient & Drone Soundscapes // William Basinski, "dlp 1.1" > **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/333Oq434csQAOaTs5NsITr) > **Vibe Match**: A black bear in torpor does not eat or drink, and in the northernmost part of its range that winter has been known to last seven months. William Basinski's dlp 1.1 is one tape loop that changes so slowly over an hour that you barely hear it move. ## Biological Superpowers & Stats - **Taxonomy**: *Ursus americanus* - **Danger Level**: Deadly - **Conservation Status**: Least Concern ([IUCN Red List](https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2016-3.rlts.t41687a45034604.en)) - **Superpower**: A sense of smell about seven times stronger than a bloodhound's - **Habitat**: Forests, from northern Alaska and Canada south through most of the U.S. into central Mexico - **Diet**: Mostly plants (about 85% in the Smokies: nuts, acorns, berries), plus insects and carrion - **Tags**: mammal, bear, omnivore, woodland, adaptable ## Natural History & Behavior ## A nose about seven times stronger than a bloodhound's Great Smoky Mountains National Park says a black bear's sense of smell is about seven times stronger than a bloodhound's. The bear uses that nose to find natural foods like insects, nuts and berries. It can also draw a bear to human food and trash, including hot dogs and apple cores. ## Big, and not always black Males are 1,400 to 2,000 mm long (1.4 to 2 m) and weigh 47 to 409 kg. Females run 1,200 to 1,600 mm and 39 to 236 kg. In the wild, a black bear lives about 12 to 15 years. The name does not always fit. Black bears are usually black, particularly in eastern North America. Western populations are more often brown, cinnamon or blonde, and some in coastal British Columbia and Alaska are creamy white or bluish gray. They live from northern Alaska east across Canada to Labrador and Newfoundland, and south through most of the U.S. into central Mexico. ## A mostly plant-based diet Black bears are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. In the Smokies, roughly 85% of the diet is plant material, and nuts and acorns are especially important in fall. These high-energy foods help bears build up fat for winter. Bears also eat insects such as ants, bees and beetles, and carrion (dead animals) when they find it. It is rare for a black bear to hunt live animals. ## Winter in slow motion Black bears are not considered true hibernators. They enter torpor, a lighter form of hibernation. During torpor a bear does not eat, drink, urinate or defecate. In the northernmost part of the range, it has been known to last as long as seven months. > **Tiny newborns** Cubs are typically born in late January or early February while the mother is in her den. Each weighs 200 to 450 grams, the smallest young relative to adult size of any placental mammal, and is born naked and blind. Most animals that hibernate are small, often weighing just a few ounces. How a large mammal manages it is still not fully understood. ## Should you worry? Bears are wild animals that are dangerous and unpredictable, and attacks have caused serious injuries and death. Such attacks are extremely rare. Animal Diversity Web counts fewer than 36 human deaths from black bear encounters in the 20th century, and calls black bears generally timid. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Can you outrun a black bear? No. Great Smoky Mountains National Park says black bears can run up to 30 miles per hour. Its advice if a bear follows you is to change direction, stand your ground if it keeps coming, and never run or turn your back. *(Source: [National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park]())* ### Why do bears that eat human food die younger? The National Park Service says studies show bears that rely on human food are more likely to be hit by cars, targeted by poachers or suffer poor health. Bears with access to human food often live only half as long as the 12 to 15 years typical in the wild. *(Source: [National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park]())* ### Where do black bears in the Smokies spend the winter? Dens are often hollow stumps, tree cavities or dense brush piles. Many Smokies bears pick a spot high above the ground in a standing hollow tree, which the park says is rarely seen in other parts of the country. *(Source: [National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park]())* ## Sources 1. [Ursus americanus (American black bear). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.]() 2. [Black Bears. National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park.]() 3. [Garshelis et al. (2016). Ursus americanus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T41687A45034604.]() *Published September 29, 2026. 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