Smoky Mountain Photographer Barry Spruce

Posts tagged ‘Great Smoky Mountains’

Smoky Mountain Black Bears

Black Bear Cub climbing tree in the Great Smoky Mountains.

The American Black Bear that we see here in the Smoky Mountains and Cades Cove are also found in the other mountainous areas of the United States. Those areas include all the Appalachian mountains, Ozark Mountains, Rocky Mountains and ranges in California up through Alaska. The state of California has the largest population of Black Bears per state. They are noticeably mostly absent from the Ohio Valley and Midwest regions of the US.

Estimates have the population of American Black Bear at around 500,000 in the US. The American Black Bear range also includes almost all of Canada and parts of Northern Mexico. Canada also has a population similar to the US at around 500,000, and Mexico has just a small population in very small pockets of their country. This brings the total population of American Black Bears in the world to around 1 million individuals. They are found nowhere else in the world, and the closest cousin is the Asian Black Bear. They are only a distant cousin to the Brown Bear that sometimes shares the same territory in the Northwest.

Although their namesake derives from the most common color black, American Black Bears range in all shades between black and white. In the Northeast and Southeast, there tends to be around 70% of the population that are black. The number of black colored bears in the Rockies and western states leans more to 50% of the population. There are as many as 15 different subspecies of the American Black Bear. One of those subspecies is the Kermode Bear also called Spirit Bear which has a recessive gene that results in 10% being white in color. These are found in British Columbia.

Adult American Black Bear in Cades Cove

Smoky Mountain Black Bears males average around 250 pounds while females are just over 100 pounds. This is an extreme difference and can sometimes be used to tell the sex of a mature bear. Some other physical appearance differences are the shape and size of the head and its parts. Adult females tend to show a more elongated face (more dog like) and longer taller ears. An adult male’s head and face has more round like features, and their ears have a more squatty appearance. Both males and females can run up to 25-30mph if they have to. They are extremely strong and able to lift 300 lbs. with a single lift of a front forearm. What is more amazing is the dexterity they have along with that strength. They are able to use their paws and claws to do the smallest and most difficult precise movements when foraging and feeding. They hear and see better than humans, but their most amazing sense is smell. They can smell 7x better than a domestic dog. Females can breed as early as 3 years old, and American Black Bears live on average to be 18 years old in the wild.

American Black Bear Cub

As a nature and wildlife photographer, one of my great joys is observing and photographing black bears in the Smoky Mountains. I have spent many hours learning about the habits of our local bears (and other wildlife), and of course photographing them. Sharing the wonder of nature with others is my passion, so if you are interested in black bear photography stop by my gallery (Cades Cove Gallery, Townsend, TN) or check out our online store. I also provide customized guided tours for individuals and small groups. This allows me to share my passion with others and to help them “get the shot” themselves plus improve their photography skills.

References: Wikipedia contributors. (2020, May 11). American black bear. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:09, May 12, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_black_bear&oldid=956148785

The Gray Fox

As mentioned in the last post, the Red Fox and Gray Fox are distant cousins that have many large differences. Today I will be covering the Gray Fox which gets its name from its gray muzzle and back. Sticking with the color of the animal, the Gray Fox always has a black tip to the tail where as the Red Fox always has a white tail tip. Another color difference between the two foxes is their legs. The Red Fox front legs (stockings) are black. The front legs of the Gray fox are orangey brown, white and gray like the rest of their body.

The Gray Fox build is just slightly smaller than the Red Fox but would be hard to tell the difference unless the two foxes were side by side. The biggest difference in their bodies would be their toes and claws. They have strong hooked claws which allow them to climb trees. There is only one other canine in the world able to do that, and it is their cousin the Asian Raccoon Dog. Tree climbing is used as both an offensive and defensive maneuver. It allows them to flee from such nemesis as the Coyote when their paths cross. It also allows them to climb a persimmon tree for the fruit when ripe.

If you were to come upon a Gray Fox, the encounter would be a brief and fleeting glimpse as they are very timid to both humans and most other animals. On the other hand a Red Fox has become more accustomed to people and may have more curiosity at such an encounter. A Gray Fox encounter in the Eastern US has become more rare with deforestation resulting in loss of habitat and the decline in numbers. One of the largest strongholds in the East for the species is the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee.

(References: Wikipedia contributors. (2020, May 1). Gray fox. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:33, May 6, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php…)