endangered animals

The Louisiana Black Bear, also known as the Ursus Americanus Luteolus, are now restricted primarily to the Tensas and the Atchafalaya River Basins in Louisiana. Their status is very threatened. They spend most of their time foraging for food. They eat anything from dewberries and pecans to thistle. The Louisiana Black Bear was formally widespread in North America, Alaska, Newfoundland and parts of central Mexico. In the 1800's the Louisiana black bear served as food for both the Indians and white settlers. Since that time, the hunting, farming and destruction of habitat have caused a significant decrease in the number of the Louisiana black bear. The Louisiana Black Bear is different from other black bears because its skull is longer, more narrow and flat. They have large molar teeth. Black bears are huge bulky mammals with longer hair. Large males can weigh more than 600 pounds. Most females start breeding at four years of age and some start at three years of age. Actual birthing usually happens in hibernation. Litter sizes can be anywhere from one to three. The Louisiana black bears uses hollow trees brush piles and ground nests for winter dens. No pregnant female is allowed to use a ground nest. About 80% of females and 68% of all adults uses tree dens. In the wild black bears live to be about 25 years old. The loss of a female around the breeding age can have a significant impact on the recovery efforts. Adult males generally have home ranges 3 to 8 time's larger then adult females. To help the recovery rate increase for the Louisiana black bear, it would help if the destruction of habitat and the pollution in the bottomland hardwood communities could be cleaned up and left to the bears.	Dutch
Sources: Photograph by S.C. Amstrup, USFWS http://endangered.fws.gov/i/a9e.html
Written by: Gretchen	(geschreven door)
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