The black bear differs from the grizzly in having claws on the forefeet only a little longer than those on the hind feet, whereas the grizzly's are about twice as long. The snout is straight, rather than dished, and the black bear also lacks the tell-tale grizzly shoulder hump. The highest point on a black bear is at the rump, rather than the shoulders.
Black bears wear a coat of black with white on the chest, brown, blond, cinnamon or blue-back, and have a slight shoulder hump. These different colors of fur lead people to remark that they saw a "brown bear" or "cinnamon bear." All of these creatures are of the black bear family. The male black bear weighs in around 180-250 pounds, but has been known to go up to 400 pounds on occasion. The female, on the other hand, only weighs in between 120-180 pounds.
The black bear is largely nocturnal, and favors solidarity. One thing of note is that these bears can climb trees very easily. They prefer a dense forest habitat, open slopes or avalanche chutes. These ranges largely depend on the current season and food available. These foods include fruits, nuts, berries, insects, mammals, birds and carrion.
