Editing American black bear (section)

=== Build ===
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=vertical |width=220
 |image1=Black Bear-27527.jpg |caption1=Some individuals may develop a white "[[Lunar phase|crescent moon]]" blaze on the chest. This white blaze, which is constant in [[Asian black bear]]s, occurs in only 25% of American black bears.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.americanbear.org/otherbears.htm |title=Bears of the World |publisher=Americanbear.org |access-date=February 21, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110405230340/http://www.americanbear.org/otherbears.htm |archive-date=April 5, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
 |image2=Mammals of northern Alaska on the Arctic slope (1956) Ursus americanus californiensis skull.png |caption2=[[Skull]]
}}
The skulls of American black bears are broad, with narrow muzzles and large jaw hinges. In [[Virginia]], the length of adult bear skulls was found to average {{cvt|262|to|317|mm}}.<ref name="Lariviere" /> Across its range, the greatest skull length for the species has been reportedly measured from {{convert|23.5|to|35|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Hunter" />{{page needed|date=May 2020}} Females tend to have slenderer and more pointed faces than males.

Their claws are typically black or grayish-brown. The claws are short and rounded, being thick at the base and tapering to a point. Claws from both hind and front legs are almost identical in length, though the foreclaws tend to be more sharply curved. The paws of the species are relatively large, with a rear foot length of {{convert|13.7|to|22.5|cm|in|abbr=on}}, which is proportionately larger than other medium-sized bear species, but much smaller than the paws of large adult brown, and especially polar bears.<ref name="Hunter" />{{page needed|date=May 2020}} The soles of the feet are black or brownish and are naked, leathery and deeply wrinkled.

The hind legs are relatively longer than those of Asian black bears. The typically small tail is {{cvt|7.7|-|17.7|cm}} long.{{sfn|Brown|1993|loc=Ch. "Bear Anatomy and Physiology"}}<ref>[http://audubonguides.com/species/Mammals/American-Black-Bear.html ''Audubon Field Guide'']{{Dead link|date=September 2023|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}. Audubonguides.com. Retrieved September 15, 2011.</ref><ref>Kronk, C. (2007). [http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ursus_americanus.html ''Ursus americanus''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110502154717/http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ursus_americanus.html |date=May 2, 2011 }}. Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved September 15, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.arkive.org/american-black-bear/ursus-americanus/ "American black bear videos, photos and facts – ''Ursus americanus''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110423031104/http://www.arkive.org/american-black-bear/ursus-americanus|date=April 23, 2011}}. ARKive. Retrieved September 15, 2011.</ref> The ears are small and rounded and are set well back on the head.

American black bears are highly [[Fine motor skill|dexterous]], being capable of opening screw-top jars and manipulating door latches.{{sfn|Brown|1993|loc=Ch. "Bear Anatomy and Physiology"}} They also have great physical strength; a bear weighing {{convert|120|lb|kg}} was observed turning flat rocks weighing {{convert|310|to|325|lb|kg}} by flipping them over with a single foreleg.{{sfn|Brown|1993|p=83}} They move in a rhythmic, [[sure-footed]] way and can run at speeds of {{convert|25|to|30|mph}}.{{sfn|Brown|1993|loc=Ch. "Behaviour and Activities"}} American black bears have good eyesight and have been proven experimentally to be able to learn visual color discrimination tasks faster than [[Common chimpanzee|chimpanzee]]s and just as fast as domestic [[dog]]s. They are also capable of rapidly learning to distinguish different shapes such as small triangles, circles and squares.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bearbiology.com/fileadmin/tpl/Downloads/URSUS/Vol_3/Bacon_Burghardt_B_Vol_3.pdf |title=Learning and Color Discrimination in the American Black Bear |publisher=bearbiology.com |access-date=December 23, 2009 |archive-date=December 3, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203095708/http://www.bearbiology.com/fileadmin/tpl/Downloads/URSUS/Vol_3/Bacon_Burghardt_B_Vol_3.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>