Identification of the Time of Permanent Tooth Eruption in Captive Japanese Black Bears (Ursus thibetanus japonicus)

Abstract

　 To determine which teeth should be selected for black bear age determination, we observed the eruption time of permanent teeth in nine captive black bears (Ursus thibetanus japonicus) aged 4–12 months. In all observed bears, the lower first premolar erupted first, and all permanent teeth erupted within about 1 year of age. The last canine tooth to erupt did so in February. These results suggest that the mandibular first anterior molars are optimal for black bear age determination at the time of live capture.