by Angie Pollock

Created on: June 03, 2009

One of the largest carnivores roaming North America is without a doubt the Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis). Larger than Black Bears, the Grizzly is considered a dangerous and sometimes aggressive species of bear, especially mothers with cubs. This subspecies of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) was officially named the Grizzly in 1815 by George Ord, an American ornithologist who received specimens of this bear for examination from Lewis and Clark.

The Grizzly averages four to nine feet in length and can weigh up to 800 pounds with some larger males having reached over a half-ton in weight. Their general size makes this mammal dangerous and can even be deadly if confronted by humans. It's typically recommended to those who hike in Grizzly inhabited areas to always make noise during the trek to avoid coming upon one of these massive bears by surprise. A startled bear especially one with cubs is more prone to attack.

Contrary to popular belief, the Grizzly does not truly hibernate. This bear goes into a dormant state during the winter months in which it doesn't eat or drink. The Grizzly will take up residence in a den and reemerge in the spring at which time it may have lost up to 40 percent of its body weight. Before becoming dormant, this bear will gorge on food high in fat content often becoming obese in order to survive the winter months without eating. The Grizzly is able to eat high-fat content foods without any risk of health problems as cholesterol doesn't bind in the blood vessels as it does in humans.

During the early summer, the Grizzly bears begin mating with the cubs being born during the dormant season inside the den. The offspring rely on their mother for up to three years for survival. The Grizzly is considered an omnivore and will forage on wild plants, nuts, berries, as well as larger mammals including Moose and Caribou. Those located near streams and rivers will feed on fish including salmon and trout.

Grizzly bears are always a shade of brown that can range from tan to darker shades of a reddish-brown and even a brown-gray tone. Those bears living inland typically have longer hairs that are tipped with white and the coat is quite thick in order to survive extreme temperatures during the winter. Coastal Alaskan Grizzly bears (often referred to as Brown Bears) average larger in size including those on Kodiak Island. The Grizzly has a massive head with a hump on the shoulder area. Despite the large size of this bear, the Grizzly can move at surprisingly quick speeds (approximately 30-35 miles per hour).

While the Grizzly is still quite common in parts of Alaska and Canada, it is considered threatened and/or endangered in the lower 48 states of the United States and some parts of Canada. These bears are protected under law in most national parks including Yellowstone and Banff National Parks. The largest threat to Grizzly numbers is from humans. Their habitats and food supplies are consistently threatened as human populations expand and devastate areas in which these bears roam.

Grizzly bears are fearsome animals but it should be fully understood that these bears and all wild animals are important to the environment and the overall function of the ecosystem. Like with all bears, Grizzlies should be respected and appreciated for the functions they serve in the wild.

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