IELTS Listening · Cam 10

Test 4 Part 4

The black bear or Ursus americanus has a wide range inhabiting forested areas of North America including Canada, the United States and parts of northern Mexico.

Level: B2 · 40 sentences

Transcript

  1. The black bear or Ursus americanus has a wide range inhabiting forested areas of North America including Canada,
  2. the United States and parts of northern Mexico.
  3. Black bears are omnivores getting their nutrition from a wide variety of plants and animals.
  4. The particular foods any one bear eats depends on what's available in the area where that bear lives,
  5. as well as on the season of the year.
  6. Generally speaking, plant foods make up 90% of the bear's diet.
  7. The rest of its meals consist of animal foods, such as insects and fish.
  8. Bears have a relatively long gestation period.
  9. Mating takes place in the spring or early summer
  10. But bear cubs aren't born until the following winter.
  11. Usually, two cubs are born at a time,
  12. although some litters may have as many as five cubs.
  13. Bear cubs are dependent on their mother
  14. and may stay with her for close to two years.
  15. Wild black bears can live as long as 25 years.
  16. They've lived for as long as 30 years or more in captivity.
  17. Much of the black bear's range coincides with the range of its close cousin,
  18. the grizzly bear.
  19. Although these bears are somewhat similar in appearance and habits,
  20. it isn't difficult to tell the difference between them.
  21. Colour isn't necessarily a distinguishing characteristic.
  22. as both species of bears occur in a range of colours from almost blonde to dark brown or black.
  23. Many black bears, however,
  24. have a patch of fur on their chests that's lighter in colour than the rest of their fur.
  25. Grizzly bears don't have this patch.
  26. Size isn't always a distinguishing feature either,
  27. although grizzly bears are usually heavier with an average weight of 225 kilos.
  28. Black bears average 140 kilos in weight.
  29. Grizzly bears spend time digging in the ground for roots
  30. and tubers that make up part of their diet.
  31. The large muscles they need for this give them a distinct shoulder hump.
  32. This hump is absent in black bears,
  33. which don't do the same kind of digging.
  34. The shape of the face and ears is also different in each species of bear.
  35. Grizzly bears have a depression between the eyes
  36. and nose and short, round ears.
  37. Black bears, on the other hand,
  38. have a straighter profile and longer, more pointed ears.
  39. Grizzly bears are known for their fearsome, long, sharp claws.
  40. Black bears have shorter claws, which are better suited for climbing trees.