Black Bear

In this photograph, captured via a camera trap, a black bear (Ursus americanus) drinks from an ephemeral pool on the Tonto National Forest north of Payson. As the only bear species in Arizona, these mammals are prevalent in the state’s forested areas, as well as some riparian desert regions. By bear standards, Ursus americanus is somewhat small, weighing between 125 and 400 pounds and built by an herbivore’s diet. According to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, black bears consume 20,000 calories per day during the fall to prepare themselves for winter, when food is more scarce.