The cinnamon bear (Ursus americanus cinnamomum) is an omnivorous creature with big round ears and an elongated snout that can stand three feet (about .9 meters) tall at the shoulder and weigh between 200 and 600 pounds (about 91 to 272 kilograms). The bear typically has a life span of 30 years and lives in lowland and mountainous regions in North America. The creature, a subspecies of the black bear, gains its name from its thick coat of reddish brown fur.
The cinnamon bear possess climbing and swimming skills and can be found in mountainous states including Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as southwestern Canada. In its habitat, the bear is mostly vegetarian, relying on sticks, roots, acorns, berries, and plants to eat. Insects including ants and bees are often eaten with honey, and the bear also eats tiny rodents and the carcasses of dead animals it may come across. The cinnamon bear also supplements its diet by eating fish in lakes or rivers. Most of the bear's activity occurs at dawn or dusk. The creature also is capable of reaching speeds of 30 miles an hour (about 48 kph).
Adults are generally 50 to 80 inches (about 127 to 203 cm) in length, with males being typically larger than females. Females typically mature faster sexually. When females are four or five years of age, they are capable of reproducing. Males generally are sexually mature around five or six years of age. Cinnamon bears will typically mate in June and July.
After conceiving, a female cinnamon bear carries the babies for seven months before giving birth. During the gestation period, embryos develop during the last 10 weeks, usually around November. The delayed implantation allows the females to build up fat for her cubs during the winter months.
A mother bear will generally give birth to two to three cubs in January or February and will generally wait two years before having another litter. At birth, cubs weigh about half a pound (about .23 kilograms). During their first year, cubs may vary in weight. Depending on the availability of food, some cubs may weigh as little as 15 pounds (about 6.8 kilograms) or weigh as much as 165 pounds (about 74.8 kilograms). Mostly solitary creatures, cubs will stay with their mother for 17 months before the mother sends them out on their own.
