This cute little Black Bear Hugging a Candy Cane is about 3 ½ inches high and about 2 ½ inches wide and is made of poly resin. Our little friend seems to be enjoying the holiday spirit and the joy that a simple candy cane can bring. He appears to be a cub and is wearing a red stocking cap with white trim. The cub is hugging a red and white candy cane that has a large red bow on it. This ornament is sure to bring joy to any home at Christmas time. Select this link to view our Animal Christmas Ornament.
Habitat and Behavior
Light colored American Black Bear in Glacier National Park, Black bears can be found in a wide variety of habitats across their range. In many areas they prefer forested and shrubby areas, but use wet meadows, high tidelands, ridge tops, burned areas, riparian areas, agricultural fields, and avalanche chutes. They also frequent swampy hardwood and conifer forests and can be found in rather dry sage, pinyon-juniper habitat in western states. Black bears typically hibernate during winter (except in southern areas) and may build dens in tree cavities, under logs or rocks, in banks, caves, or culverts, and in shallow depressions. Dens are rarely reused from one year to the next. While they do not eat, drink, defecate, or urinate during hibernation, it is not the true hibernation of smaller mammals since their body temperature does not drop significantly and they remain somewhat alert and active. Females give birth and nurse their young while hibernating.
After emerging from their winter dens in spring, they seek carrion from winter-killed animals and new shoots of many plant species, especially wetland plants. In mountainous areas, they seek southerly slopes at lower elevations for forage and move to northerly and easterly slopes at higher elevations as summer progresses. Black bears use dense cover for hiding and thermal protection, as well as for bedding. They climb trees to escape danger and use forested areas as travel corridors. Females generally reach breeding maturity at 3 to 4 years of age and with adequate nutrition can breed every 2 years. In poor quality habitat, they may not mature until 5-7 and may skip breeding cycles. Males are sexually mature at same age, but may not become large enough to win breeding rights until they are 4-5 years old (they have to be large enough to win fights with other males and be accepted by females). Mating is generally during summer, from Mid-June to mid-August with some variation depending on latitude, but with embryonic diapause (delayed implantation), the embryos do not begin to develop until the mother dens in the fall to hibernate through the winter months. Select this link to view our Unique Christmas Ornaments.
Because of this delay, gestation can be 7 to 8 months, but actual development takes about 60 days. However, if food was scarce and the mother has not gained enough fat to sustain herself during hibernation as well as produce and feed cubs, the embryos do not develop. The cubs are generally born in January or February. They are very small, about 10-14 ounces, and are blind, nearly hairless, and helpless when born. Two to three cubs are most common, though up to four and even five cubs has been documented. First-time mothers typically have only a single cub. The mother nurses the cubs with rich milk, and by spring thaw, when the bears start leaving their dens, the cubs are fur-balls of energy, inquisitive and playful. By this time they are about 4 to 8 pounds (2-4 kg). When their mother senses danger, she grunts to the cubs to climb high up a tree. They are weaned between July and September of their first year and stay with the mother through the first winter. The cubs become independent during their second summer (when they are 1.5 years old). At this time, the sow goes into estrus (heat) again. Cub survival is totally dependent on the skill of the mother in teaching her cubs what to eat, where and how to forage (find food), where to den, and when and where to seek shelter from heat or danger. Select this link to view our Unique Christmas Gifts.
Information on Candy.
Candy is a popular sweet tasting food. Candy is also called confection. The main ingredient in most candies is sugar, but some candies are made with saccharin and other artificial sweeteners. Candies may also include a variety of other ingredients. These ingredients include eggs, flour, fruits, milk, nuts and natural or artificial flavorings. Select this link to view our Hunting Christmas Ornaments.