Boston Herald Article!

Earlier this month, MassBears was featured in the Boston Herald! The article features a statement from project member Elizabeth Zhang, a fantastic photo from volunteer Henry Godek, and some great information about the black bear population in Massachusetts. Check out the full article here: Massachusetts' black bear population keeps growing, expanding east of Interstate 495.

Every Picture Counts!

All mammal sighting submissions provide valuable information, but the submissions that best help us understand how mammal distributions change over time are images taken consistently from one location. It’s just as important for us to know what species aren’t showing up in your area as it is for us to know what’s new. Trail cameras are great for this! They capture images of every animal that passes by, which provides a great survey of mammals in the region. Trail camera volunteers who send in their photos regularly, even when there doesn’t appear to be an animal captured in a photo at first glance, or the creatures in the image aren’t big or exciting, are a huge help to our project. If you have a trail camera, please consider submitting your photos weekly or every other week to best inform our project!

Black Bear Cub Facts!

Have you ever wondered about how different animals grow and develop over time? Each species has a unique process and timeline, and the following bullet points give a snapshot of what it looks like for black bears:
 

• When does development begin?

  • Black bears have a particularly interesting adaptation for their gestation period. There is a roughly 100 day delay between mating in the summer and the implantation of their fertilized embryos. Then, in the late fall, the embryos resume their developmental activity to complete a 60-day active gestational phase.

• When are they born?

  • Female black bears typically produce their first litters at 3–8 years of age during hibernation around January- the coldest time of the year.

• What do cubs look like when they are born?

  • Black bear cubs are born nearly hairless, and are often about the size of a soda can.

• How do they get fed in the winter?

  • Cubs drink highly nutritious milk from their mother in the den during the winter so that they are ready to explore the world in the spring.

• How long do they stay with mom?

  • Mothers care for their one to four cubs for 16–17 months until they mate again in May or June, giving birth every other January.

• How do humans affect the process?

  • Humans have an impact on black bear behavior and they can disrupt cub rearing by causing them to relocate their dens.

Sources:

Hamlett, G. W. D. 1935. Delayed Implantation and Discontinuous Development in the Mammals. The Quarterly Review of Biology 10:432–447.

Linnell, J. D. C., J. E. Swenson, R. Andersen, and B. Barnes. 2000. How Vulnerable Are Denning Bears to Disturbance? Wildlife Society Bulletin (1973-2006) 28:400–413.

Ramsay, M. A., and R. L. Dunbrack. 1986. Physiological Constraints on Life History Phenomena: The Example of Small Bear Cubs at Birth. The American Naturalist 127:735–743.

Rogers, L. L., L. McColley, J. Dalton, J. Stroner, D. Hajicek, A. Partin, and G. M. Burghardt. 2020. Behavior in Free-Living American Black Bear Dens: Parturition, Maternal Care, and Cub Behavior. Animals 10:1123.

Volunteer Corner!

Thank you to one of our incredible volunteers, David Czapracki, for this adorable picture of a bear resting on a log, our photo of the month for this double-month newsletter! If you have any pictures like these of bears or other Massachusetts mammals, please submit them to our website linked at the bottom of this email!

C*Sci Connect!

Scientific conferences are events where researchers present their work and exchange ideas and perspectives that help broaden scientific knowledge. These conferences are incredible opportunities for learning, and we are proud of one of our lab members, Zac Watson ‘24, for presenting this May at “C*Sci  2022 Connect”, which is an international conference on community science, crowdsourcing, and citizen science projects.

The conference hosted talks on a variety of issues related to community and citizen science, and welcomed presentations on projects that aimed to map ecosystems, learn about exoplanets, track air pollution, survey lichen populations, and more. These citizen science projects were also based in a variety of settings, from local communities to schools to faith-based institutions and more.

Zac found learning about the importance of centering ethics and inclusivity to be highly valuable, writing, “a talk on working with underprivileged high schools and LGBTQ+ scientists really stood out to me as important aspects of community to highlight and work to elevate.”

Not only was learning about these different projects a highly enlightening experience, but so too was being able to discuss the project with other researchers. Indeed, Zac had the opportunity to present on the MassMammals project to other researchers who provided insightful feedback. 

Zac writes, “I gained … insight into what they saw as the most valuable parts of our projects and what we should work to focus on in the future.”

Overall, Zac described the conference as an incredible experience that helped him connect with other researchers in the field.

Thank you, Zac, for presenting about MassMammals and spreading the word!