“Dear, Honored Guest”

Bears ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 48-70
Author(s):  
David Mather
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Body Part ◽  
Black Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Bone Fragments ◽  
American Black ◽  
American Black Bears ◽  
Culturally Connected ◽  
Calcined Bone ◽  
Indian Nations

Bears are represented in Minnesota’s archaeological record through rock art, effigy earthworks, and portable art, but most frequently through zooarchaeology. Most identified bone fragments are American black bears (Ursus americanus), with rare identifications of grizzly bears (U. arctos). These finds are found throughout the state, but are most frequent in the forested biomes of the Laurentian Mixed Forest and Eastern Broadleaf Forest. The sites are archaeological expressions of bear ceremonialism, culturally connected to the Dakota, Ojibwe, or related American Indian nations, and descriptions by native elders and cultural anthropologists Irving Hallowell and Ruth Landes. Analyses of body part representation and taphonomy (such as burned or calcined bone) allows interpretation of sites representing feasts or bear graves where the remains were respectfully placed. Traditions of bear ceremonialism in Minnesota also include cultural manifestations of bear power, such as by healers, warriors, spiritual societies, or clans.

scholarly journals Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) seeds as food for bears (Ursus spp.) in Banff National Park, Alberta

2015 ◽  
Vol 129 (1) ◽  
pp. 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Hamer ◽  
Ian Pengelly
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Black Bears ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Pinus Albicaulis ◽  
Whitebark Pine ◽  
Banff National Park ◽  
American Black ◽  
American Black Bears

The large, nutrient-rich seeds of Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelmann) are important food for bears (Ursus spp.) in Yellowstone National Park. In Banff National Park, studies have shown that American Black Bears (Ursus americanus) eat these seeds, but little additional information is available. We studied Whitebark Pine in Banff National Park to address this information gap. Because bears obtain Whitebark Pine seeds from Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) middens, our objective was to measure the abundance, habitat characteristics, and use by bears of middens in Whitebark Pine forests. A second objective was to determine whether Grizzly Bears (U. arctos) in Banff National Park also eat Whitebark Pine seeds. In 2011–2012, we ran 29 ha of 20–50 m wide transects at 10 sites with accessible Whitebark Pine stands and found 0–3.7 middens/ha (mean 1.23, SD 1.17, n = 10). Midden density was weakly related to total basal area of all conifers but not to basal area of Whitebark Pine. Middens were located in the upper subalpine at an average elevation of 2110 m (SD 90, n = 8) on 41–248° facing slopes with a mean steepness of 28° (SD 5, n = 8). Bears had excavated middens at all eight sites where we found middens; at the remaining two sites, middens did not occur within our transects. Overall, 24 (67%) of the 36 middens located in our transects had been dug by bears. In October 2013, we searched areas where three global positioning system (GPS)-collared Grizzly Bears had been located in late September 2013 and found five recently dug middens located less than 6 m from GPS fixes. These observations are, to our knowledge, the first conclusive evidence that grizzly Bears in Banff National Park eat Whitebark Pine seeds. Because Whitebark Pine occurs at high elevations on steep slopes where human use is low, this resource may be important in keeping bears in habitat where risk of human-caused mortality is lower. Our results may assist managers responsible for conservation of bears in Banff National Park, where both American Black Bears and Grizzly Bears are subject to high levels of human-caused mortality.

Dietary adjustability of grizzly bears and American black bears in Yellowstone National Park

2012 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 270-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer K. Fortin ◽  
Charles C. Schwartz ◽  
Kerry A. Gunther ◽  
Justin E. Teisberg ◽  
Mark A. Haroldson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Black Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
American Black ◽  
American Black Bears

Helminths of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and American black bears (Ursus americanus) in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada

2015 ◽  
Vol 93 (10) ◽  
pp. 765-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Catalano ◽  
M. Lejeune ◽  
P. Tizzani ◽  
G.G. Verocai ◽  
H. Schwantje ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Ursus Americanus ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Black Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Infection Parameters ◽  
American Black ◽  
American Black Bears

Between May 2011 and June 2013, we collected the carcasses and gastrointestinal tracts of 40 American black bears (Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780) and 13 grizzly bears (Ursus arctos L., 1758) from populations of Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. Specimens were examined for helminths, which were identified to the species level by applying an integrated morphological and molecular approach. Our goal was to investigate parasite biodiversity and infection parameters in the sampled grizzly and black bears. We found seven parasite taxa: Dirofilaria ursi Yamaguti, 1941, Baylisascaris transfuga (Rudolphi, 1819), Uncinaria rauschi Olsen, 1968, Uncinaria yukonensis (Wolfgang, 1956), Taenia arctos Haukisalmi, Lavikainen, Laaksonen and Meri, 2011, Diphyllobothrium dendriticum (Nitzsch, 1824), and Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense Yamane, Kamo, Bylund and Wikgren, 1986. The statistical significance of infection prevalence, intensity, and abundance for each helminth species was assessed relative to host species, gender, age class, sampling season, and location. This is the first unequivocal report of the potentially zoonotic tapeworms D. dendriticum and D. nihonkaiense in North American bears. Furthermore, we provide insight into the biology and ecology of the nematodes B. transfuga, D. ursi, and species of Uncinaria Frölich, 1789, and enrich the information available on the recently described tapeworm T. arctos.

Lactation, hibernation, and mass dynamics of American black bears and grizzly bears

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (12) ◽  
pp. 2216-2222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean D. Farley ◽  
Charles T. Robbins
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Black Bear ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
Ash Content ◽  
Milk Intake ◽  
Black Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
American Black ◽  
American Black Bears

Milk composition and intake, cub growth, and mass loss of hibernating lactating and nonlactating American black bears (Ursus americanus) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) were investigated. Except for ash content, milk composition was similar between species. Lipid content varied only slightly throughout lactation, whereas carbohydrate content increased from 1 to 3% during hibernation before decreasing to less than 0.5% at the end of lactation. Protein and dry matter content increased from 6.6 ± 0.4 and 29.8 ± 3.9% during hibernation to 13.7 ± 1.1 and 34.4 ± 3.7% post hibernation, respectively. The ash content of black bear milk increased from 1% during hibernation to 2% after den emergence, but the ash content of grizzly bear milk (1.3 ± 0.1%) did not fluctuate. Mean milk intake and growth during hibernation were 185 ± 89 and 49 ± 9 g/day for black bear cubs and 353 ± 54 and 98 ± 22 g/day for grizzly bear cubs, respectively, which accounted for about 9% of the estimated yearly milk consumption by the cubs. Milk intake peaked during the summer at levels approximately 4 times higher than those occurring in the winter den. The mass lost by older, hibernating, nonlactating bears was proportional to their metabolic body mass and was almost exclusively lipid. The rate of mass loss by denning, lactating females relative to nonlactating bears was 45% higher for black bears and 95% higher for grizzly bears. The less costly black bear cub may be at an important competitive advantage when both species occupy nutritionally limited habitat.

scholarly journals Temporal niche switching by grizzly bears but not American black bears in Yellowstone National Park

2013 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 833-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer K. Fortin ◽  
Jasmine V. Ware ◽  
Heiko T. Jansen ◽  
Charles C. Schwartz ◽  
Charles T. Robbins
Keyword(s):  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Black Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Temporal Niche ◽  
American Black ◽  
American Black Bears

A distance-based analysis of habitat selection by American black bears (Ursus americanus) on the Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (11) ◽  
pp. 1063-1076 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martyn E. Obbard ◽  
Melissa B. Coady ◽  
Bruce A. Pond ◽  
James A. Schaefer ◽  
Frank G. Burrows
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Ursus Americanus ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Black Bears ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Isolated Population ◽  
American Black ◽  
American Black Bears

Because of their wide-ranging habits, conserving large carnivores such as American black bears ( Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780) often depends on understanding habitat needs beyond the boundary of protected areas. We studied habitat selection by black bears in the vicinity of Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario — a small, isolated population whose persistence appears dependent on habitat on lands outside the Park. We used an approach based on Euclidean distances to document seasonal habitat selection at two spatial scales and to identify candidate habitat types for protection. Adult females selected dense mixed forests to establish home ranges within the population range, whereas subadults and yearlings selected dense deciduous forests. Within home ranges, adults selected dense mixed forest in spring–summer and dense deciduous forest in late summer – fall. Subadults selected dense deciduous forest, marsh, dense mixed forest, and water during the spring–summer and avoided developed lands and roads. Yearlings selected dense mixed forest, dense deciduous forest, and sparse forests in spring–summer and dense deciduous forest and dense mixed forest in late summer – fall. The selection of dense deciduous and dense mixed forest stands, especially at the broader scale, suggests that strategies to ensure persistence of this isolated population should focus on protecting the integrity of these stands.

Habitat selection by female American black bears in northern Wisconsin

Ursus ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie H. Sadeghpour ◽  
Tim F. Ginnett
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Black Bears ◽  
American Black ◽  
American Black Bears
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