Wildlife Information - Brown Bear
Physical Characteristics
The brown bear measures 6 to 7 feet in length and stands 3½ to 4½ feet at the shoulder. Standing on its hind legs, it can reach heights of 8 to 10 feet. The male weighs 300 to 800 pounds and the female weighs 200 to 400 pounds. The subspecies Kodiak brown bear weighs up to 1,800 pounds. Yellow to dark brown in color, the brown bear's fur is often tipped with silver, giving it a grizzled appearance (and the nickname "grizzly"). It has a distictive hump on its shoulder and 5 inch claws.
Home Range
The brown bear has a home range of 50 to 500 square miles
Feeding Behavior
The brown bear is capable of consuming 60 pounds of food each day. Up to 90 percent of its diet is made up of plant material. It eats leaves, berries, and grass. Fish are a favorite; it can eat up to 15 fish per day. It also eats insects and small rodents. The brown bear is capable of killing a deer with a single swipe of its paw.
Geographic Location
The brown bear originally roamed valleys, mountain forests, and meadows across much of the United States. A perceived threat to people and livestock, countless brown bears were killed. Between 1800 and 1975, the population dropped from 50,000 to 1,000. The animal was placed on the Endangered Species List in 1975. Today, the brown bear can be found in Alaska, as well as Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks.
Habitat
The brown bear requires vast expanses of wilderness, usually inhabitating moutainous areas near streams, lakes, and coastal waters. It often dens in hollow trees or under uprooted trees.
Reproduction
Mating occurs sometime between May and July. After a period of 6 months, 1 to 4 cubs are born in the den. The cubs weigh 1 to 2 pounds each and measure 8 inches long. Their eyes are closed and they have no fur. The cubs are ready to venture out of the den at 2 to 4 months and stay with the female for up to 2 years.
Did You Know?
- Unlike other bears, tracks of the brown bear include its claws.
The brown bear has the lowest reproductive rate of any land mammal on the North American continent.
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