The Brown Bear
The brown bear is one of the largest bear species. It ranges in color from dark to reddish brown to cream toned. They resemble but are generally larger than the black bear. They have longer claws for their different feeding habits and a stronger body mass.There is only one brown bear species, but there are many subspecies. Depending on where they live brown bears are also known as the Alaskan, Grizzly, European, Syrian, and Kodiak brown bear. Brown bears like to feed in the morning and evening to avoid the afternoon heat. They eat all summer long to gain weight for the winter months. They are very mobile and have been know to travel long distances to food sources. They like grass, leaves, wild berries, nuts, seeds, fruits, bulbs and tubers. They will also snack on beetles, termite nests, worms, ants, and other insects. They will use the claws on their paws to scrape bark, turn over logs, and disturb dirt mounds to find bugs and other edibles. Brown bears live in North America, Asia, and Europe. In North America their appearance and fur color varies depending on facts such as habitat, diet, season, etc. The state of Alaska contains 70 percent of the brown bear population in North America according to conservation records.
- Size: Length is 6 to 9 feet long for males. Females about 5 to 8 feet long.
- Weight: About 400 to 1200 pounds for males. Females weigh about 300 to 800 pounds. Weight depends on where they live and diet. Bears who eat lots of salmon put on weight quickly.
- World record brown bear: (see Grizzly Bear).
- Life span: Can live up to 25 years in the wild. Longer in captivity.
- Litter size: 1 to 4 cubs, pairs most common.
- Baby cub birth weight: 1 to 1.5 pounds.
- Maturity: 3 to 5 years
- Hibernation: Duration depends on habitat. Generally October through March. Hibernating brown bears can awaken if necessary.
- Behavior: Solitary except during mating season.
- Mating season: May to July are the usual breeding months.
- Threats: Human expansion, global warming, deforestation, hunting, poaching, territory fragmentation.
- Conservation status: Although not officially listed as an endangered species in the Unites States, their natural habitat is in fact under constant threat and on the decline.
- Fun fact: Brown bears can climb trees to eat or escape predators, but only when they are cubs! As they become adults they become too heavy for climbing.
- http://www.bearlife.org/brown-bear.html