Introductory
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Ursus americanus | Black Bear 



ABBREVIATION : 
URAM

COMMON NAMES : 
   black bear
   American black bear
   cinnamon bear


TAXONOMY : 
The currently accepted scientific name for black bear is Ursus
americanus.  There are 16 subspecies in North America [15,39]:

        Ursus americanus ssp. altifrontalis
        U. americanus ssp. amblyceps
        U. americanus ssp. americanus
        U. americanus ssp. californiensis
        U. americanus ssp. carlottae
        U. americanus ssp. cinnamomum
        U. americanus ssp. emmonsii
        U. americanus ssp. eremicus
        U. americanus ssp. floridanus (Florida black bear)
        U. americanus ssp. hamiltoni
        U. americanus ssp. kermodei
        U. americanus ssp. luteolus  (Louisiana black bear)
        U. americanus ssp. machetes
        U. americanus ssp. perniger
        U. americanus ssp. pugnax
        U. americanus ssp. vancouveri
  


ORDER : 
Carnivora

CLASS : 
Mammal

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
The Louisiana black bear is federally listed as threatened [50].

OTHER STATUS : 
Black bears are abundant in most parts of the West, but some Eastern
populations are at critically low levels [25].  Black bear is threatened
in South Dakota [48].  The Florida black bear is state-listed as
threatened [47].


COMPILED BY AND DATE : 
S. A. Snyder, July 1991


LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : 
NO-ENTRY


AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Snyder, S. A. 1991. Ursus americanus. In: Remainder of Citation

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Ursus americanus | Black Bear