Black Bear (Ursus americanus)

This Black Bear is dining on the 'succulent' new growth vegetation during early summer. Despite being classified in the order, Carnivora, due to their large teeth and claws, they rarely eat anything larger than an insect. 

Some facts: The black bear’s sense of smell is seven times sharper than a bloodhound’s.  Bears rely on their sense of smell to locate mates, detect and avoid danger, identify their cubs, and locate food.  Their color vision also aids them in finding their next meal.  Their long canine teeth are used for biting into rotting logs to find insects and their claws are used for tree climbing to locate acorns, nuts and fruit.  The main diet of a black bear includes fruit, nuts, plants, and insect larvae.  Their large bodies, which are designed to store fat, are incapable of catching large, fast prey.