Are black bears active during day or night?
Black bears are typically diurnal or crepuscular, although this may vary with season, available foods, social interactions, presence of cubs, temperature, weather patterns, or extent of human disturbance. In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, bears were distinctly crepuscular in spring and more diurnal in summer when berries were abundant. In fall, the animals were active both day and night, probably due to increased feeding prior to denning. In Idaho, bears also showed an increase in nocturnal activity in autumn. Female bears in Quebec were primarily diurnal both during late summer and autumn and were most active when berries or beechnuts were ripening. Black bears may be nocturnal in some parks and campgrounds where human food sources are readily available and human activity disrupts the bears’ normal routine. Human activity is also believed to cause nocturnal behavior among bears in a small fragmented habitat in western Florida. In Massachusetts, bears are typically diurnal in
