American Black Bear Facts: The Cinnamon Cub With the Super Nose
The bear in our video is not black at all — it is a warm cinnamon colour, and that surprises a lot of people. The American black bear is the smallest of North America's bears, but it is an expert climber, a gentle berry-picker and the owner of one of the finest noses in nature. Watch the cub enjoy a fresh strawberry, cinnamon-cub approved.
Watch American Black Bear at Snack Time Zoo:
Black Bears Come in Many Colours
Despite the name, an American black bear's coat can be black, brown, blond, cinnamon or, in one coastal population, even white. The cinnamon phase, like the cub in our video, is most common in western forests, where a reddish coat may blend better with sunlit woods. Colour alone is a poor way to identify a bear; size, a straight facial profile and tall ears are better clues.
Born to Climb
Black bears are outstanding climbers, thanks to short, curved claws that grip bark like crampons. Cubs race up trees at the first sign of danger while their mother stays below, and she will raise them for about 18 months before they set off on their own. Adults climb too, both to feed and to rest on sturdy branches high above the forest floor.
A Nose That Beats a Bloodhound
A black bear's sense of smell is estimated to be about seven times keener than a bloodhound's, which is already famous for tracking. Bears navigate their world by scent, finding berries, nuts, carrion and beehives from remarkable distances. That superpower is also why campers must store food carefully: to a bear, a campsite smells like a restaurant.
Berries by Day, Dens by Winter
Black bears are omnivores, but most of their diet is plants: grasses, berries, nuts and roots, topped up with insects and the occasional fish or mammal. In winter they settle into dens and enter a deep torpor, living off stored fat for months without eating, drinking or going to the bathroom. A bear that has feasted well on berries all autumn is ready for the long sleep.
Quick Summary
The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is North America's smallest bear: a mostly plant-eating, tree-climbing omnivore whose many coat colours, bloodhound-beating nose and winter torpor fit it perfectly to the continent's forests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this black bear brown?
Black bears have many colour phases, including cinnamon, brown and blond. The cinnamon cub in our video is completely normal; the name describes the species, not every individual's coat.
How good is a black bear's sense of smell?
Extraordinary — roughly seven times better than a bloodhound's. Bears find most of their food, and most of their information about the world, through scent.
Do black bears truly hibernate?
They enter a deep winter torpor in a den, with a greatly slowed heartbeat, living off body fat for months. It is a slightly lighter sleep than a ground squirrel's hibernation, and bears can wake if disturbed.
How long do black bear cubs stay with their mother?
About 18 months. In that time she teaches them to climb, forage and find dens before they head out to live on their own.