The Alabama black bear: Some notes about this smaller bear

Visiting the Little River Canyon, we learned that this is a favorite spot for the black bears of Alabama - they also wander in an area north of the city of Mobile.  

Display of an Alabama black bear in DeSoto State Park - Photo: Still Gravity.
Alabama black bear (we took the photo in DeSoto State Park) - License our images here.        

There is no "Alabama black bear" as a species. These are Florida black bears. They don't hibernate, but sleep more during winter, meaning that are active year around. 

These bears are shy and solitary. They don't fight for territory but defend their food. 80% of their diet comes from plants.

How to recognize the "Alabama" bears? 

  • Shiny black fur with some brown in the muzzle. 
  • Ears round, separated, and erect. 
  • Round eyes widely separated. 
  • Short tail. 
  • The male averages 250 lbs.; the female 180 lbs.

A clan animal for many American Indians, bears got almost extinct in Alabama. Now the population is recovering, but we didn't see any in our days of camping and hiking.

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