Black Bear - Ursus americanus
Habitat	Bears utilize a number of habitat types including open areas, thick bursh, and hardwood forests. Their den consists of dense thickets, small caves, rock overhangs, and of hollowed out areas they dig under tree roots. In the piedmont (foothills) areas of Georgia, bears are frequently found near beaver swamps.
Ecological Niche	Black bears are classified as a large carnivore, however, they are actually vegetarians. On occasion, they will eat some of a deer they find dead, but they rarely kill anything themselves. They consume large quantities of acorns, berries, fruits, nuts, mushrooms, grasses and green leaves. Environmentally unaware humans are their only predator.
Life Cycle	Young are born in mid-winter while the mother is hibernating. The first 6 to 8 weeks are spent in the den nursing while the mother sleeps. They weigh only 7 to 10 ounces at birth. Their eyes open 25 to 30 days of age. They will stay with their mother for a year or more. Bears first mate at 3 1/2 years. Most wild bears live 12 to 15 years, but in captivity some have reached 30 years of age.
Behavior and physical adaptations	They are primarily nocturnal but occasionally are out at midday. Though not true hibernators, black bears will sleep for long periods and wake up sporadically. Their eyesight is poor, their hearing is good, and their sense of smell is excellent. They have long claws and powerful short legs for digging. In spite of their weight and short legs, a bear can outrun a horse for about 300 to 400 yards.