Louisiana Black Bear

The Louisiana black bear is distinguished from other black bears by possessing a skull that is longer, more narrow, and flat, and by possessing proportionately large molar teeth.  Although weight varies considerably, large males may weigh more than 6OO pounds. Adult males are larger than adult females.  During the spring bears generally eat easy to digest foods.  However, during the summer they eat mostly berries, insects, and carrion.  Bears also eat nuts such as acorns and pecans which are high in carbohydrates and fats to gain weight for the winter. They hibernate in the winter in large hollow trees, downed logs, or in ground nests which are shallow depressions lined with vegetation.  Parturition in black bears has generally been assumed to occur in late January or early February with the actual birthing often occurring while the female is in hibernation. Litter size ranges from one to three.

Habitat for the Louisiana Black Bear primarily include  bottomland hardwoods and floodplain forests, but also upland hardwoods, mixed pine/hardwoods, coastal flatwoods, and marshes. The home range size of the Louisiana black bear is large: typically 100 square miles for males and 10 square miles for females. It is therefore critical to have large expanses of suitable habitat. These habitats must provide abundant and diverse natural foods, escape cover, denning sites, dispersal corridors, and abundant water. The Louisiana black bear is now restricted primarily to the Tensas and Atchafalaya River Basins in Louisiana. These bears make long range movements and not uncommonly occur in adjacent Mississippi. However, it is unknown whether breeding numbers exist outside of Louisiana. 

Information is from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Endangered Species.