FLORIDA BLACK BEAR
RANGE: Throughout North America, the black bear is seen in Alaska, Canada, and in a few regions of the western and northeastern USA. Males 30-66 sq. miles; female 10-11 sq. miles.

HABITAT: Dense forests, swamps and hammocks.

DIET: An omnivore that feeds on nuts (including acorns), berries, honey, fruits, grasses, swamp cabbage, livestock, carrion, worms, grubs, ants, fish, rodents, birds and eggs.

STATUS: Florida - Threatened; Federal - under review

Approximate dimensions/adult:
Weight: average 220 lbs. males are generally 1/4 larger than females.

This primarily nocturnal bear is solitary, except for courting pairs and mothers with young. The black bear reaches sexual maturity at 2-4 years of age, and the female gives birth in a den (usually a hollow log) or on a ground bed in a thicket. One to four (avg.2) cubs are born every other year. They weigh about 12 ounces at birth and remain with their mother for 1.5 years. During this time the cubs learn how to find food and how to avoid danger. Females remain near their mother's range and males disperse. Male black bears play no role in raising their young. "Bear Trees" are trees which have been clawed/marked/scented to mark territories and as a communication point.

The availability of food is a major influence on bear behavior. A scarcity of food may drive bears into towns (garbage cans and dumps). This is often mistaken for a population explosion. Early settlers disliked bears because of their occasional raids on hog pens, spring houses and bee yards.

Killing a black bear was considered an act of bravery among many American Indians and bear teeth and claws were symbols of bravery. There is a demand for the black bear's gall bladder, or "ungdam" which is believed to be an aphrodisiac. The meat is edible and the hide, head, teeth, skull and claws are "good trophies". It has been hunted for sport and persecuted as a pest. Habitat loss is also a serious threat, as this bear seems to require large areas of dense vegetation and adequate food.

Alice Walker
"The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for whites or women for men."

The tiger is the world's largest cat; a powerful and solitary predator that once roamed widely throughout Asia. At the beginning of the last century, there were an estimated 100,000 tigers in the wild. Today, possibly fewer than 5000 remain. They live in small islands of forest surrounded by a sea of humanity. Relentless poaching and habitat loss threatens their existence. Sadly, unless we reverse the present rate of decline, our children will grow up in a world without wild tigers. As it approaches its darkest hour, the tiger's survival is now entirely in humanity's hands...including yours.

Star-nosed Mole Condylura cristata The Star-nosed Mole just might be the oddest-looking mammal you will ever see. The tentacle-like nose projections probably help the animal find its way around and locate prey. When the Star-nosed Mole is looking for earthworms, its favorite food, the tentacles are constantly in motion; but when it eats, they are clumped together out of the way. This mole also eats fish. A good swimmer, it propels itself in water, even under ice, by moving its feet and tail together.

Is it OK to declaw cats?

If you asked your cat if it would be okay to put her through 10 separate, painful amputations that would weaken her legs, shoulders, and back muscles, she would probably say "no"—and she wouldn’t be alone. Many veterinarians in the U.S. and abroad absolutely refuse to declaw cats. In fact, in Germany and some other parts of Europe, declawing is illegal. Cats who have been declawed experience extreme pain when coming out of anesthesia and have difficulty walking until their paws heal. Without their claws, cats are virtually defenseless, and this can lead to neurosis and even skin and bladder problems.

Cats can easily be taught not to scratch furniture with the aid of a scratching post and firm, consistent instructions on where they may and may not scratch.

The plight of the black-tailed prairie dog reflects the peril prairie ecosystems face. The black-tailed prairie dog is a keystone species of the short and mixed grass prairie, meaning the health of these ecosystems and their wildlife populations depend on the presence of this diminutive ground squirrel.

Unfortunately, black-tailed prairie dog populations have plummeted to roughly one percent of their historic levels, triggering the National Wildlife Federation in July 1998 to petition the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.