A subspecies of brown bear adapted to American West landscapes. Once roamed from California to Alaska — now in the Lower 48 only ~2,000 individuals across 6 states. Federally Threatened.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The grizzly bear, also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America.
Source: Wikipedia — Grizzly bear Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Shoulder hump of muscle for digging; dished face; long curved claws on front feet (up to 10 cm). Color ranges from blond to nearly black despite the name.
Similar species. American Black Bear (no shoulder hump, straight facial profile, short claws). Polar Bear (white, longer neck, marine).
Voice. Generally silent. Huffs, snorts, jaw-pops as warnings; cubs bawl.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Omnivorous: roots, berries, nuts, grasses, salmon, ungulate calves, carrion. Coastal Alaskan bears subsist heavily on salmon.
Behavior. Solitary except during mating and at concentrated food sources (salmon runs, garbage dumps). Hibernates 5–7 months in northern populations. Cubs born during hibernation.
§ Range
Alaska, western Canada; lower 48 only in Yellowstone area, Glacier, North Cascades
§ Habitat
Wilderness mountain forests, alpine meadows, coastal salmon runs
§ Threats
Habitat fragmentation by roads, vehicle strikes, illegal shooting, conflicts over food storage.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the grizzly bear is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Use bear canisters in camping. Drive carefully through grizzly country. Support corridor connectivity between recovery areas.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Grizzly bear
- www.fws.gov — authoritative profile of Ursus arctos horribilis
- IUCN Red List · taxon 41688
- iNaturalist · taxon 42049
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Ursus arctos horribilis
§ Sources cited
- USFWS Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan
- Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team
- IUCN Red List 2017
