American black bear thermoregulation at natural and artificial water sources
Water is essential for hydration in American black bears (Ursus americanus) and other species; however, its role in thermoregulation is poorly understood. In 2010, we established a network of remote cameras to monitor wildlife in the Bitterroot Valley, Montana, USA. One of our objectives was to document and describe American black bear behavior at natural […]
Marking behavior of Andean bears in an Ecuadorian cloud forest: a pilot study
Very little is known about marking behavior of the endangered Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus). Here, we present a first detailed description of Andean bear marking behavior obtained using camera traps. From November 2012 to April 2013, we inspected 16 bear trails in the Napo province of eastern Ecuador, and installed camera traps (n = 3) […]
Advertising value of the brown bear in the Italian Alps
In Italy, the reintroduction of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) has created conflicts with people because bears may damage livestock, crops, or honey farms. These damages-and their financial costs-are sometimes used as an argument by those who oppose the presence of this carnivore. Despite such damages, bears can provide economic benefits, such as attracting eco-tourists […]
Estimation of reproductive parameters and their annual variation in brown bears of Hokkaido, Japan
The reproductive tracts of 130 adult female brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Hokkaido, Japan, euthanized during 2010-2013 for conflict management, were examined for the presence and number of corpora lutea (CL) in the ovary and placental scars (PS) in the uterine horns. We scored PS on a 0-5 scale based on morphological features including their […]
Human-sloth bear conflict in a human-dominated landscape of northern Odisha, India
Planning for human-carnivore coexistence requires detailed understanding of the ecological and sociological circumstances associated with conflict, particularly in multi-use, human-dominated landscapes. We investigated the influence of socio-ecological factors on human-sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) conflict in a human-dominated landscape of Balasore Wildlife Division, eastern India. We examined human-sloth bear conflict data from 12 years (2002-2013) and […]
The late-denning activities of the American black bear in Utah
Understanding the timing of den emergence and departure allows management agencies to establish hunting seasons that minimize the take of females with dependent young, protects denned bears from human disturbances, and extends our understanding of the ecology of these mammals. We determined the mean den emergence date (x̄ = 25 Mar), the number of days […]
Reproductive and denning ecology of the Central Georgia American black bear population
Understanding biological and ecological requirements of small populations of American black bears (Ursus americanus) is important for maintaining or promoting population growth. During 2012-2015, we studied reproductive biology, cub survival, and den selection of black bears in an isolated population in central Georgia, USA. We visited dens of 15 females and documented production of 39 […]
Community composition of Ixodid ticks parasitizing American black bears in Missouri, USA
Bears (Ursidae) have extensive home ranges and may move long distances, thereby potentially serving as hosts to, and vectors of, large numbers of ticks. We assessed the composition of the parasitizing tick community on American black bears (Ursus americanus) to discern hard tick species capable of successfully feeding, which is a necessary step for tick […]
Habitat use by American black bears in the urban-wildland interface of the Mid-Atlantic, USA
Despite a large body of literature that reports habitat use in non-urban areas, we lack a fundamental understanding of how American black bears (Ursus americanus; hereafter, black bear) use habitats in the urban-wildland interface in the eastern United States. This lack of information is problematic for bear managers in areas where bear populations are large […]
Factors influencing detection of grizzly bears at genetic sampling sites
Recent advances in genetic approaches have facilitated genetic marking in capture-recapture (CR) experiments. Individuals can now be identified through non-invasive sampling and multi-locus genotyping instead of physical capture. In non-invasive studies where collection sites are used, detection depends on whether (1) an individual deposits a sample at the collection site, and (2) an individual can […]
