Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)
/animals/assets/aiaBrownBear/
aiaBrownBear.png
Brown bears have a broad range
770
119
01_griz_morello.jpg
The brown bear has the widest distribution of any bear, once ranging as far as Morocco, Algeria and Mexico. Today it lives in North America, Asia and Europe, and is the national animal of Finland.
This is one tough teddy bear!
607
157
02_griz_kiser.jpg
Brown bears have amazing endurance. They can outrun a horse and drag a dead elk up a hill!
Brown bear “sign language”
370
320
03_grizz_rockgriz.jpg
Brown bears communicate by scratching and rubbing on trees to mark their territory and indicate their reproductive status.
Wake me when it’s spring
202
142
04_griz_josephs.jpg
Brown bears hibernate in a den from October/December to March/May. The farther north they live, the longer they hibernate. In some southern areas, hibernation is very short or may not occur at all.
Diet makes the difference
270
271
05_griz_morello.jpg
Two general types of brown bear are recognized, the coastal brown bear and the inland grizzly. Mostly herbivorous grizzlies can weigh as little as 350 lbs, while a brown bear living on a diet of spawning salmon may reach 1500 lbs.
Why are some brown bears called grizzlies?
94
286
06_griz_morello.jpg
In the Rocky Mountains, brown bears have long hairs on the shoulders and back that are frosted with cream, giving them a grizzled, blond look: thus, grizzlies!
Brown bears keep ecosystems in balance
795
257
07_grizz_jospehs.jpg
Brown bears play important roles as predators -- keeping animal populations in check -- and as seed dispersers.
How can I know it’s a brown bear?
201
142
08_griz_kiser.jpg
Look for the shoulder hump, a set of strong muscles that allow the brown bear to dig up roots and tear apart logs to find food. None of the other seven bear species have it.
Some mothers will sleep through anything!
115
192
09_grizz.jpg
Brown bear mothers give birth in their sleep! Cubs born during hibernation make their way to the mother’s chest and nurse until she is ready to wake up.
The "bad boys" of Kodiak
709
164
10_griz_morello.jpg
Called Kodiak bears for their home on the Kodiak archipelago off the Alaska coast, these giants are the largest subspecies of brown bear.
You’ll never out-run a brown bear
528
270
11_griz_baston.jpg
Tennis shoes or no, this is one bear that will beat you every time. Despite its great size and ambling demeanor, brown bears have been clocked at speeds up to 30 mph!
Brooks Falls
624
327
12_griz_baston.jpg
Brooks Falls is arguably the most famous spot in the world to capture that classic shot of brown bears catching salmon in mid-air.
WWF's Work with Brown Bears
155
368
WWF.png
Brown bears live across the northern hemisphere in mountain forests and river valleys. One of the world's largest carnivores, brown bears depend on large natural areas and are important management indicators for a number of other wildlife species. Due to vast habitat loss, brown bears are listed as threatened in the Lower 48 states. WWF is working to protect brown bears through habitat preservation around the world, and anti-poaching efforts in Asia.