American Black Bear Negative Handprint

Description

American Black Bear Negative Handprint measures 9.25 inches. American Black Bear Negative Handprint is museum quality. Made in USA. Species Ursus americanus

The tracks of the American black bear are flat-footed, large and rather human like in appearance. Unlike human feet, however, bears have their largest toe to the outside of their feet, their feet are more robust and rounder, and they have sharp claws. Bears show 5 toes on both front and hind tracks.

Each paw has five strong, non-retractable claws used for tearing, digging, and climbing. One blow from a powerful front paw is enough to kill an adult deer. But in spite of their size and strength, black bears are surprisingly agile and careful in their movements.

The front track is generally wider than it is long. When measuring the width of a front foot track, a 5-inch track is average, 6 inch indicates a large bear, and tracks of large male black bears will not exceed seven inches. The track of a female black bear will generally not exceed five inches in width.

Footpads are bigger at the outer edges. Front tracks are wider than rear tracks. The small round heel pad of the front foot seldom registers. The rear track is longer because the whole foot, including the heel, registers. They tend to toe-in, especially with their front feet.

Often bears travel in an over-step walk, with their rear foot falling in front of where the front foot fell. Where the back foot falls only slightly in front of the front foot, there is a double track, which has led to outlandish reports of track sizes. In deep snow, bears direct-register by placing their rear foot in the same hole created by the front foot.

Bears often follow deer trails and forest roads, but some trails are used mainly by bears. These consist of a series of depressions created by multiple bears placing their feet in the same footsteps year after year.

Bear trails can be seen where bears approach favorite marking trees. These trails are often especially distinctive because bears frequently stomp-walk as they approach such trees. Stomp-walking is a form of scent-marking in which bears stomp, twist, and slide each footstep.

In medical terms, a bear’s hind paw is its foot (pes) and the front paw is its hand (manus).

The American black bear or Ursus americanus is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent’s smallest and most widely distributed bear species. American black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location.

They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in search of food. Sometimes they become attracted to human communities because of the immediate availability of food. The American black bear or Ursus americanus is the world’s most common bear species.

It is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a least-concern species, due to its widespread distribution and a large population estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined.

Along with the brown bear, it is one of only two of the eight modern bear species not considered by the IUCN to be globally threatened with extinction.

American black bears often mark trees using their teeth and claws as a form of communication with other bears, a behavior common to many species of bears.

American Black Bear Facts:
Conservation status: Least Concern
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Ursus
Species: U. americanus
Binomial name: Ursus americanus

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