Grizzly Bear

The range of the grizzly bear once covered most of the western United States, Canada, and Mexico. Relentless human expansion and hunting has diminished the bears habitat to Alaska, western Canada, and a handful of northwest states. In the United States there are grizzly bears in reserves in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Washington.Grizzly bear habitat includes a wide range of territories. They can be found in valleys, brush meadows, mountains, and dense forests. They also live near rivers and coastal areas since they like fish.

The grizzly bear is a North American subspecies of the brown bear.These awe-inspiring giants tend to be solitary animals—with the exception of females and their cubs—but at times they do congregate. Dramatic gatherings of grizzly bears can be seen at prime Alaskan fishing spots when the salmon run upstream for summer spawning. In this season, dozens of bears may gather to feast on the fish, craving fats that will sustain them through the long winter ahead.Brown bears dig dens for winter hibernation, often holing up in a suitable-looking hillside. Females give birth during this winter rest and their offspring are often twins.

Grizzly bears are powerful, top-of-the-food-chain predators, yet much of their diet consists of nuts, berries, fruit, leaves, and roots. Bears also eat other animals, from rodents to moose.Grizzlies are typically brown, though their fur can appear to be white-tipped, or grizzled, lending them their traditional name.
Despite their impressive size, grizzlies are quite fast and have been clocked at 30 miles (48 kilometers) an hour. They can be dangerous to humans, particularly if surprised or if humans come between a mother and her cubs. Grizzly bear paw prints will have partial or full nail prints with the tips measuring up to 4 inches. The print of the base will be more oval versus a rounded base.



Life span: About 20 to 30 years.

Diet: Omnivore

How big is a grizzly bear? Size is up to 4 feet when on all four paws. Standing height up to 7 feet.
Weight: 350 to 800 pounds for male bears, and roughly 25% less for females. Weight depends on what they eat, where they live, and season.

Hibernation: At the end of summer grizzlies eat as much as possible to accumulate additional fat for the winter. They enter their dens and hibernate. Grizzly hibernation is a light sleep. They can awaken anytime if disturbed.
Breeding: Mating season occurs for a few months in the middle of summer. Grizzly bear cubs are born in the late winter and spring like most bears of the world. A litter of twins is most common. Mother and cubs stay in their den until spring.
Range: Grizzly bears can migrate long distances. In fact many have been recorded to roam several hundred miles. They migrate to find food sources. Distances covered are reduced if food is more abundant, such as in parts of Alaska where salmon sources are plentiful.