Even after wandering far
off, black bears can find their
way home. They use all of their senses to find the way
back, especially their keen
sense of smell. They may
be the best “sniffers” of
all the mammals
in North America.
Heading Home
Even though they’re big
and bulky, black bears can really move. They can run 30
miles (48 km) per hour and
swim as far as 2 miles (3.2 km) at a time. And they can
leap short distances when
they want to.
Working Out
Black bears can be white,
light brown, dark brown,
cinnamon, blond, or blue-black.
Most of the black bears that
aren’t black live in western
North America. Sometimes
western cubs from the same
family are different colors.
Bears of Many Colors
Bear Bodies
More and more people have
been moving into areas that
once were “bear country.”
Soon the bears start looking
for food near people, and that
causes problems.
Hairy Neighbors
Chow Time
Black bears have very long
tongues. Their tongues come in
handy for slurping food, such as
insects, from hard-to-reach places.
They’re also very good at using
their paws. They can even unscrew
jar lids to get at goodies that were
left behind by careless campers!
Tricky Tongues and Paws
Black bears usually would
rather run from people than hurt
them. Even so, for many years
some people shot or poisoned
the bears until their numbers
went way down. Today there
are strict laws about when and
where bears may be hunted, so
they’re making a big comeback.
Hooray for black bears!
Bears Are Back
Black bears aren’t picky eaters—they’ll eat almost anything. Nuts, fruits, seeds, roots, grasses, and honey are all on a bear’s menu. They’ll also eat animals such as insects, fish, and rodents.
Black Bear Menu
Which facts about black bears could Miss Franny Block
verify from her experience?
Reading Across Texts
Writing Across Texts List the facts about black bears that
Miss Block could verify.
What general statements summarize these facts?
Summarize
