The American black bear is the most prevalent bear in North America, with a range extending from Alaska into Mexico, from California to Nova Scotia. Curiously, all black bears are not black. While they are all the same species (Ursus Americanus), different color variations, called phases, include brown, cinnamon, tan, blonde and white, in addition to black. According to the American Bear Association the black phase is most prevalent in the eastern regions of the United States and Canada, thus European settlers arriving on the continent gave the species the "black bear" moniker.