States Wildlife
Menu

American Black Bear

Ursus americanus · also called Black Bear · Last checked November 3, 2026.

A black-furred bear stands in tall grass with yellow wildflowers, seen from the side with a light brown muzzle.
Black bear in a meadow, side view with straight face and brown muzzle Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

The American black bear is the most common and widespread bear in North America, a large omnivore that may be black, brown, cinnamon or blonde. It is a wild animal that the National Park Service calls dangerous and unpredictable: attacks are rare, but they have caused serious injuries and deaths. Official sources confirm it in many US states, from Florida to Alaska, often in forested areas. National Park Service

On this page
  1. Is it dangerous?
  2. How to identify it
  3. Lookalikes
  4. Where it lives
  5. When it is active
  6. Habitat and habits
  7. Legal status and reporting
  8. Questions
  9. Sources

Is the American black bear dangerous?

Bears are wild, dangerous and unpredictable. Attacks are extremely rare but have caused serious injuries and death. National Park Service

“Bears are wild animals that are dangerous and unpredictable. Do not approach bears or allow them to approach you. Although extremely rare, attacks on humans have occurred, inflicting serious injuries and death.”

Bites and stings: Attacks are rare but can be serious. Florida says people there have been bitten and scratched by bears defending themselves, cubs or food.

If someone is bitten or stung, call 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.

How to identify an American black bear

A photo or description can narrow it down, but cannot confirm what an animal is or that it is safe. Look from a distance and do not handle wild animals.

A large black bear sits upright in a green meadow beside a shrub, facing the camera.
Adult male sitting up at a forest edge, showing rounded ears Photo: William J. Deml · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist
A young dark brown bear with rounded ears and a tan muzzle chews leaves in tall green grass.
Young bear eating plants in tall grass, brown muzzle visible Photo: Joshua Liverman · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist
A chocolate-brown bear lies along a thick tree branch, its head resting on the limb.
Brown-phase black bear resting in a tree Photo: Jared Shorma · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist
A black bear in sunlit pine forest with saw palmetto turns its head to look back at the camera.
Black bear looking back in a Florida pine flatwoods with palmetto Photo: Tom Kennedy · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Size: Smokies: males average about 6 ft long, 3 ft at the shoulder and 250 lb in summer; females usually just over 100 lb. Missouri: 46 to 78 inches long, 86 to 600 lb. National Park Service

Colors: Black, cinnamon, blonde, blue/gray or even white. Pattern: Often a brown muzzle; sometimes a white chest patch.

Key features

Young

Cubs are born in winter during denning, usually 2, and stay with the mother through summer and the next winter.

Animals mistaken for the American black bear

American Black Bear or Grizzly (Brown) Bear?

American Black Bear

American Black Bear
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Grizzly (Brown) Bear Ursus arctos

Grizzly (Brown) Bear
Photo: Annika Lindqvist · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Grizzlies have longer front claws, humped shoulders and a more concave face. Color does not settle it: brown bears can be black to blonde. US Fish and Wildlife Service

NPS gives different attack guidance: if attacked by a brown/grizzly bear, play dead (fight back if the attack persists); if attacked by a black bear, do not play dead. Any bear that attacks in a tent or stalks then attacks: fight back.

Where the American black bear lives

Texas: on the state's official listCalifornia: on the state's official listKentucky: on the state's official listGeorgia: on the state's official listWisconsin: on the state's official listOregon: on an official sourceMissouri: on the state's official listVirginia: on the state's official listTennessee: on the state's official listLouisiana: on an official sourceNew York: on the state's official listIdaho: on the state's official listFlorida: on an official sourceMontana: on the state's official listMinnesota: on the state's official listMaryland: on the state's official listIowa: on the state's official listOhio: on the state's official listNebraska: on the state's official listWashington: on the state's official listSouth Dakota: on the state's official listArkansas: on the state's official listMississippi: on the state's official listColorado: on the state's official listNorth Carolina: on the state's official listUtah: on the state's official listOklahoma: on the state's official listWyoming: on the state's official listWest Virginia: on the state's official listIndiana: on the state's official listMassachusetts: on the state's official listNevada: on the state's official listNorth Dakota: on the state's official listPennsylvania: on the state's official listSouth Carolina: on the state's official listMaine: on the state's official listRhode Island: on the state's official listConnecticut: on the state's official listAlaska: on the state's official listNew Mexico: on an official sourceAlabama: on the state's official listKansas: on the state's official listVermont: on the state's official listNew Jersey: on the state's official listNew Hampshire: on the state's official listArizona: on the state's official list
Official presence. 46 states where a state list or official source names it. Gray means no official record in our data, not that it is absent.
  • Native or listed
  • Nonnative or not established
  • No official record in our data
Texas: 42 recordsCalifornia: 855 recordsKentucky: 6 recordsGeorgia: 22 recordsWisconsin: 50 recordsOregon: 91 recordsMissouri: 1 recordVirginia: 161 recordsTennessee: 241 recordsLouisiana: 5 recordsNew York: 854 recordsIdaho: 26 recordsFlorida: 93 recordsMontana: 136 recordsMinnesota: 65 recordsMaryland: 25 recordsOhio: 5 recordsNebraska: 1 recordWashington: 177 recordsSouth Dakota: 1 recordArkansas: 6 recordsMississippi: 1 recordColorado: 178 recordsNorth Carolina: 268 recordsUtah: 21 recordsOklahoma: 1 recordWyoming: 242 recordsWest Virginia: 22 recordsMassachusetts: 54 recordsNevada: 16 recordsPennsylvania: 105 recordsSouth Carolina: 6 recordsMaine: 14 recordsRhode Island: 2 recordsConnecticut: 78 recordsMichigan: 26 recordsAlaska: 223 recordsNew Mexico: 78 recordsAlabama: 3 recordsVermont: 529 recordsNew Jersey: 24 recordsNew Hampshire: 160 recordsArizona: 86 records
Observation records. Open-licence records on GBIF in 43 states. Records are sightings people shared, not confirmation that a population lives there.
  • 1–9
  • 10–99
  • 100–999
  • 1,000+

On our state guides

State boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, cartographic boundary file cb_2024_us_state_20m.

When it is active

Smokies: bear activity especially high May to August; begin settling into dens late October to mid-December. Texas: pregnant females hibernate, but other bears may not if food is available. National Park Service

US open-licence records peak in May to August.

5,172 US records by month (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY). Shows when people record it, not how many there are.

Habitat and habits

Habitat: Forested areas; Alabama describes mixed forest with dense undergrowth. NPS says they can be found from forests to the beach to the alpine zone. Outdoor Alabama

Behavior: Usually wants to be left alone; may bluff charge, woof, snap jaws or lay ears back. Good climbers and runners.

Diet: Omnivore; in the Smokies roughly 85% plant material, with nuts and acorns important in fall, plus insects and carrion.

Young: Missouri: mating late May through June; 1 to 4 cubs, average 2, born late January or February while the mother hibernates.

Legal status and reporting

Federal: Not listed under the Endangered Species Act. The Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) was listed as threatened in 1992 and is now shown by USFWS as "Delisted due to Recovery"; a 2016 final rule removed it from the federal list and removed the similarity-of-appearance protections for the American black bear. In the ECOS species report the American black bear entry (LA; parts of MS and TX) is a "Resolved Taxon". US Fish and Wildlife Service

Protection: Varies by state. Texas lists it as threatened; Ohio lists it as endangered; Alabama ranks it highest conservation concern; other states hold regulated hunts. Check the state agency. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Report: Contact differs by place. Texas asks people to report sightings to a local TPWD biologist. Connecticut has a sighting report to its Wildlife Division. In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, call 865-436-1230 for significant incidents and 911 for emergencies. National Park Service

Questions about the American black bear

Are there black bears in california?

Yes. California's wildlife list includes the black bear.

Are there black bears in missouri?

Yes. Missouri says most live south of the Missouri River, with individuals seen as far north as the Iowa border.

Are there black bears in ohio?

Yes. Ohio lists the American black bear with a status of endangered.

Are there black bears in oklahoma?

Yes. Oklahoma says they are found generally in eastern Oklahoma and in parts of the Panhandle.

Are there black bears in pennsylvania?

Yes. Pennsylvania says they occupy over three-quarters of the state, with sightings confirmed in every county.

Are there black bears in south carolina?

Yes. South Carolina reports two resident populations, in the mountains and upper piedmont and in the coastal plain.

Are there black bears in texas?

Yes, and Texas lists them as threatened. The only population is in the Trans-Pecos and Val Verde and Crockett counties, though a bear can show up almost anywhere in the state.

Are there black bears in virginia?

Yes. Virginia says bears occur in at least 92 of its 98 counties and cities.

Sources

  1. Black Bears - Bears. National Park Service. updated November 5, 2024; checked November 3, 2026.
  2. Black Bears - Great Smoky Mountains National Park. National Park Service. updated May 8, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (5)
    “Bears are wild animals that are dangerous and unpredictable. Do not approach bears or allow them to approach you. Although extremely rare, attacks on humans have occurred, inflicting serious injuries and death.”
    “Adult males (boars) average about six feet in length and three feet tall at the shoulder, weighing around 250 pounds in summer.”
    “Roughly 85% of their diet consists of plant materials”
    “Bear activity is especially high during May-August.”
    “For significant incidents call 865-436-1230. For emergencies, call 911.”
  3. Black Bear. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (Outdoor Alabama). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Black bears inhabit mixed hardwood/pine forested areas that support dense undergrowth/thickets that provide food and cover.”
  4. American Black Bear. Missouri Department of Conservation. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (3)
    “It has a long muzzle with a straight facial profile; rounded, erect ears; rather short, stout legs; and a very short tail”
    “Cubs stay with the mother through the summer and usually den with her the next winter.”
    “Young are born in late January or February”
  5. Bears - Glacier National Park (U.S. National Park Service). U.S. National Park Service. November 6, 2017; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Their claws are short (about 1.5 inches) and curved, making them good for climbing trees.”
  6. Staying Safe Around Bears - Bears (U.S. National Park Service). U.S. National Park Service. September 8, 2025; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Bears may bluff their way out of an encounter by charging and then turning away at the last second.”
  7. Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) species profile (ECOS). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. live page 2026-11-03; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Listing Status: Delisted due to Recovery … Removal of the Louisiana Black Bear From the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Removal of Similarity-of-Appearance Protections for the American Black Bear; Final Rule”
  8. TPWD Wildlife Fact Sheet: Black Bear (Ursus americanus). Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “The Black Bear is on the state threatened species list.”
  9. Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. archived copy, captured October 26, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “They can be distinguished from black bears by longer, less curved front claws, humped shoulders and a more concave facial profile.”
  10. Complete List of Amphibian, Reptile, Bird and Mammal Species in California. California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CWHR Program). 2016-05 (document dated "May, 2016"; checked November 3, 2026.
  11. Mammals of Ohio Field Guide (Publication 5344). Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. PUBLICATION 5344; checked November 3, 2026.
  12. Black Bear. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  13. Wildlife Notes: Black Bear. Pennsylvania Game Commission. Revised 02/2021; checked November 3, 2026.
  14. Black Bear. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  15. Living with Black Bears in Virginia. Virginia DWR. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  16. GBIF.org occurrence records, human observations licensed CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0 only, accessed November 3, 2026. The datasets behind these counts are listed on our Sources page.
  17. State boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, cartographic boundary file cb_2024_us_state_20m.