SCIENTIFIC NAME

The scientific name of the American black bear is Ursus americanus.

Of the eight bear species alive today, which are most closely related to the American black bear?The Family Ursidae is divided into several sub-family groups. The giant panda and the spectacled bear each belong to its own distinct sub-family, so they are the least closely related to the American black bear. The six remaining bears all belong to the Sub-Family Ursinae. Within the sub-family Ursinae, the sloth bear and the sun bear have their own distinct genera (or genus) so they too are slightly removed from the American black bear, though not as far removed as the panda and spectacled bears. The remaining four bears all belong to the genera (or genus) Ursus. So the brown bear, Asiatic black bear, and polar bear are all closely related to the American black bear. This diagram will illustrate the relationship of the various bear species:

FACTS

Type: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore
Average lifespan in the wild: 20 years
Size: 5 to 6 ft (1.5 to 1.8 m) long
Weight: 200 to 600 lbs (90 to 270 kg)
Group name: Sleuth or Sloth

Plymouth resident sees 'big, old black bear'
June 11, 2009 01:50 PM

By Michele Richinick, Globe Correspondent

A Plymouth woman reported seeing a bear Tuesday morning in a wooded area along Route 3, in the latest in a rash of bear sightings in the region, officials said today.

Terry McKenna said she was walking her beagle in the Cedarville area on Long Pond Road around 5:30 a.m. when she saw a "big, old black bear" in the road.

"I looked, and there he was just looking at me," she said. "We had a staring contest for a few minutes. Neither one of us knew what to do."

McKenna said the bear, who was standing about 100 yards from her, "jumped into the woods" when her dog moved.

"I had no clue what to do. I just froze," she said.

Police checked the area but didn't see traces of the bear, said Plymouth Police Captain Bruce McNamee. But McKenna said she has no doubt that she saw one.

Plymouth authorities have turned over the investigation to state environmental police. There have not been any reported bear sightings since McKenna’s encounter on Tuesday.

"We are keeping an eye out for it," McNamee said.

Tuesday's report came days after four black bear sightings along Interstate 295 in North Attleborough. A bear was also spotted in Mansfield last week.

A wildlife biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife said last week that it is common for bears to wander into populated areas. "They're looking for food," said the biologist, James Cardoza.

Fourteen to 15 months after a male bear cub is born, he leaves his mother and journeys in search of a new home, Cardoza said. While most travel between 20 and 50 miles, they occasionally travel farther.

While the state's bear population has grown in the past 30 years, mainly in central Massachusetts, Cardoza said it is unusual to see bears in the southeastern part of the state.
But he expects that such sightings will increase as the bear population grows and young bears search for food and a home.

Globe correspondent Vivian Nereim contributed to this report.