The Many Colors of Black Bears

In the great Bear Rainforest, everything depends on everything else in an endless cycle of renewal. When a dead tree falls, moss and lichen soon cover it. Gradually, insects, fungi, and bacteria eat away at it, softening the wood. . .The heavy rainfall enables abundant growth. . .Under the ground lies a vast network of microscopically thin strands of fungus connected to the mushroom. The soil of the old growth forest floor is home to almost two tons of these tiny threads per acre!. . ."

"...The name "black bear" is confusing, because these animals actually come in many colors. In the northeastern United States most of them are black, but in other areas brown, cinnamon, and even silvery gray-blue ones are found. Only the spirit bear, which lives along the Canadian coast, is sometimes white. A black spirit bear can have white cubs, and a white one can have black cubs. While some people use the name 'spirit bear' exclusively for white individuals, scientists call all of them - black and white alike - spirit bears..."

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