Glacier Bear

The glacier bear, sometimes referred to as the blue bear, is a subspecies of American black bear with silver-blue or gray hair endemic to Southeast Alaska. Little scientific knowledge exists of their total extent and the cause of their unique coloration. Most of the other black bears in southeast Alaska are listed under the subspecies Ursus americanus pugnax. The USDA Forest Service lists U. a. emmonsii as one of several subspecies of black bears, although no evidence supports the subspecies designation other than hair coloration.

Habitat
The glacier bear's habitat ranges have been reported to be the Alaskan coastal areas between Cross Sound and Cape St. Elias and from Prince William Sound to Glacier Bay in southeast Alaska, with a few sightings as far east as Juneau, Alaska, and the Taku River.

Diet
The glacier bear is an omnivorous mammal. Glacier bears eat young plants, roots, and salmon.

Reproduction
The glacier bear will normally have their first litter by 3–5 years of age. This breeding period will take place in June through July. Gestation last 235 days and cubs will be born in January to early February. Because of the increasing range of all subspecies of black bear since the last glacier maximum, there is interbreeding taking place.