Once females give birth, they generally have cubs every 2 years after that unless food is scarce. Bears see in color and have good vision close-up. Their distance vision is not known. Black Bears have a large brain compared to their size and are one of the more intelligent mammals. They have excellent long-term memory.
Black bears make a variety of grunts when they are relaxed.
When they are frightened they make a loud blowing noise. They use their voice to express a range of emotions. Black bears do not threaten by growling. They can swim at least a mile and a half in fresh water. One bear swam 9 miles in the Gulf of Mexico.