This, of course, changes with every season. These include ants, grubs, grasshoppers, beetle larvae, moths, caterpillars and earthworms. Their diet includes roots, berries, meat, … The nature of what black bears eat throughout the spring, summer and fall is varied, and reflects their opportunistic diet. These bears are omnivorous and the bulk of the diet is composed of vegetation (around 85% of vegetation and plants matter). Four of the eight modern bear species are habitually arboreal (the most arboreal species, the American and Asian black bears and the sun bear, being fairly c… Black bears eat a large range of insects and worms. Black bears are omnivores (they eat both plants and animals), but the bulk of their diet is plant material. Their keenest sense is their sense of smell, which is about seven times more sensitive than a domestic dog's. When fruit and berries are low, ants are eaten in great quantities. Black bears are one of the largest predators living in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but the majority of their diet is made up of plants. Diet. They regularly climb trees to feed, escape enemies and hibernate. Their preferred foods are most abundant in uneven-aged mixed coniferous/deciduous forests that contain numerous shrub species. American black bears are excellent and strong swimmers, swimming for pleasure and to feed (largely on fish). In general, less than ten percent of a bear’s diet consists of meat. Ants are an important food source for bears, as they are high in protein. Many black bears primarily prey on berries, grasses, roots, and insects. Black bears in the Great Smoky Mountains also eat insects and animal carcasses when they are available. Black bears have a sticky tongue that is used to watch insects. What Do Black Bears Eat. Bears are omnivores, and take advantage of whatever is easily accessible and available to them. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/a/american-black-bear Black bears are the opportunistic feeders. Eighty-five percent of a Great Smoky Mountains black bear’s diet comes from berries and nuts. But on occasion, black bears may leave their dens to feed on winter-killed animals when and if they need to, which is probably the only main source of food available during winter. American black bears have better eyesight and hearing than humans. Generally, bears are opportunists. But in the wild, black bears that do retire to and hibernate in their dens, will rarely eat or drink. American black bears are omnivorous, meaning they will eat a variety of things, including both plants and meat. Bears in the wild can live for an average of 20 years with polar bears living for the longest (25 on average) and North American black bears living the shortest (19 years on average).