Brown bears appeared in Eurasia approximately 50,000 years ago. Some of them moved to North America, where they spread and live for about 13,000 years. In the 19th century, scientists classified 86 individual grizzly bears living on the North American continent. However, by 1928 the scientific community had narrowed the number to seven, and by 1953 only one species had been recognized.
In 1963, it became clear that the grizzly bear is not a separate species, but a subspecies of the brown bear, and this was confirmed by modern genetic testing. Based on external differences and habitat, several of its subspecies were identified, but the classification was revised along genetic lines, and today there are two morphological forms: the continental and coastal grizzly bear. In scientific sources it is usually called the North American brown bear.
External features
Like other subspecies of brown bear, Brown color The coat of a grizzly bear can range from light beige to almost black. The latter has a darker coat color on the legs and a lighter shade on the back. Representatives of the Rocky Mountains have white tips on their guard coats, which gives the animal a grayish coloration.
The external signs of a grizzly bear and a brown bear have a number of characteristic features. As animals grow older, a clearly defined hump appears in the withers area, which is good way distinguish a grizzly bear from a black bear that lives in the same areas. Small rounded ears and a croup located below the shoulder line are anatomical structures that are also distinctive for the brown bear and not inherent in the black bear. These two species are also distinguished by the length of the front claws, which in the black representative is 2.5-5 cm, and in the grizzly it is about 5-10 cm, which corresponds to the size of the claws of other subspecies of brown bear.
Size and weight
The main difference between the grizzly bear and the Eurasian brown bear is size and weight. Coastal representatives of the species are larger than those that live in the interior of the continent, and just like all of the bear family, females are smaller than males. Most adult female bears reach 130-180 kg, and males usually weigh 180-360 kg; newborn cubs do not exceed 500 grams. The average weight of coastal grizzlies is 408 kg for males and 227 kg for females. The corresponding weights of continental bears are 272 and 227 kilograms.
Average sizes of the subspecies:
- length -198 cm;
- height at withers -102 cm;
- the length of the hind legs is 28 cm.
However, individuals have been recorded that are significantly larger than normal in size and weight. There is a known example of the largest grizzly bear - a coastal male weighing 680 kg and 1.5 meters high at the withers. Standing on its hind legs, this bear reached almost three meters in height. Sometimes there are superior sizes and weights of grizzlies, but they are erroneous, since they correspond to the parameters of the Kodiak, another larger subspecies of brown bear.
Range and numbers
In North America, grizzlies once lived from Alaska to Mexico. Now, including Canada and the United States, their range has been halved, and the number of wild bears is 55,000. The grizzly bear's habitat is limited to Alaska, a large area of western Canada, northwestern part United States, including Idaho, Washington, Montana and Wyoming, to the south of Yellowstone and the Great National Parks.
Most of the population lives in Alaska. There is a predominant number of bears recorded in Canada: about 25,000 individuals inhabit British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon, the northwest territories of Nunavut and northern Manitoba. The University of Alberta estimates that there were 16,014 grizzly bears in British Columbia in 2008, up from 15,075 in 2012. Modern population estimates rely on DNA sampling, capture-recapture techniques, and an improved multiple regression model.
There are about 1,500 grizzly bears left in the United States. Of these, approximately 800 individuals live in Montana, 600 bears live in the Yellowstone-Teton region of Wyoming, and 70-100 are observed in northern and eastern Idaho.
Population decline
The grizzly bear's original range in the United States included much of the southwestern states, but the population has been extirpated from most of these areas. Before California joined the United States, its state flag featured the figure of a California grizzly bear, which was a symbol of the republic. The last bear in all of California was killed in the Sierra foothills in August 1922. In Colorado, the last representative was seen in 1979. And in the vast Cascade Mountains of Washington state, there are now fewer than 20 grizzly bears.
The population decline has been significantly impacted by hunting and human developments occupying the grizzly bear's former habitats. Other factors:
- competition with other, more adapted predators;
- attacks on grizzly bear cubs;
- reproductive, biological and behavioral properties of brown bears.
Lifestyle and reproduction
Apart from females with cubs, all brown bears are solitary animals. An exceptional feature of large grizzly bears in coastal North America is to gather in groups near streams, lakes and rivers during salmon spawning season. Each adult male grizzly bear tends personal property with an area of up to 4000 km 2. Such a large territory and low population make it very difficult to find the scent of a female. The grizzly bear hibernates 5-7 months a year.
The grizzly bear has one of the lowest reproductive rates of any land mammal in North America. Animals reach sexual maturity only at the age of at least five years. After the summer mating season, the female may delay implantation of the embryo until hibernation, which explains the large difference in gestation periods - from 180 to 250 days. If the bear did not receive proper nutrition, the necessary calories and substances, then the embryo is miscarried.
Litter size ranges from one to four cubs, but more often twins or triplets are born, which the female produces during hibernation. The female bear takes care of the cubs for two years, during which she does not mate. Often bear cubs do not live to this age, becoming victims of predators. During the time spent with their mother, the cubs gain weight up to 45 kg. When two-year-old bears leave their mother, the mother bear cannot produce another litter for three or more years, depending on conditions environment.
Lifespan
The grizzly bear is a long-living animal. Males, on average, live up to 22 years, and the age of female bears often exceeds 26 years. Females live longer than males due to safer behavior and the fact that they do not participate in seasonal mating fights between males. The oldest continental wild grizzly bear was recorded in Alaska; he lived for 34 years. The oldest coastal bear lived to be 39 years old. At least 50% of captive grizzlies live to be 44 years old. But most bears die in the first years of life from predators or hunting.
Attacks on people
Like the polar bear, the grizzly bear is considered more aggressive than other species. However, threatening behavior is more often due to the protection of offspring. Mother bears guarding cubs are most prone to attack. They are responsible for 70% of cases of bear attacks on humans. At the same time, the heavy grizzly bear is rather slow and, unlike smaller black bears, does not climb trees well, and prefers to react to danger by standing still and driving away attackers with waves of its paws, growls and menacing nods of the head.
Cardall and Peter Rosen's article "Grizzly Bear Attacks," published in the journal Emergency Medicine, noted that there were 162 reported bear injuries, some fatal, in the United States from 1900 to 1985. This amounts to approximately two cases per year. For comparison: in the USA and Canada, up to 15 people die annually from dog attacks, and lightning strikes kill nearly 90 people per year.
Few people know that gray grizzly bear, which is enormous in size, as well as foxes, dogs and raccoons, descended from one ancestor who lived about 30 million years ago in the territory of modern, was no larger in size than a medium-sized dog and knew how to climb trees.
In the course of evolutionary development, new species of bears appeared, but today some of them have become extinct, for example, the largest cave bear. Gradually, from a small animal, bears turned into the largest predator on the planet. People are afraid of this animal, but this animal prefers plant foods, and will never attack first unless necessary.
Features and habitat of the grizzly bear
As a rule, the gray grizzly chooses to live in harsh, inaccessible places where it is not disturbed by the proximity of humans. Alaska and northern Canada are the primary habitat for 98% of these mammals.
Small populations live in the northern United States (Wyoming, Idaho, Montana and even Washington). The Rocky and Cascade Mountains also sometimes become their refuge. They are also found in Alaska and a little in Canada.
By the beginning of the last century, the number of this species was about 100 thousand individuals. The reason for the sharp decline in the population was excessive aggressiveness.
The predator began to destroy livestock and even attack humans. The result is mass shooting. The total number of grizzlies has decreased by almost 30 times. Currently, the grizzly bear is listed as an international red species.
To maintain their numbers, special National parks(USA). IN given time there are approximately 50 thousand individuals. Due to the increase in population, the country's authorities allow seasonal hunting of grizzly bears.
Animal attacks on humans that lead to death are recorded repeatedly. According to scientists, the cause of aggression is the thoughtless actions of people when a predator eats or defends its territory. The gray bear is one of the ten animals on the planet that are distinguished by their ferocity and aggressiveness.
The muscular body of one of the largest animals is covered with thick brown fur. The back and shoulder blades of a grizzly bear are silver-gray, so from the outside, the animal's hue takes on a gray color. This is where its name comes from - the gray bear.
Grizzly Bear Dimensions quite impressive. If he stands on his hind legs, his height will be about three meters. Male grizzly bear weight is approximately 500 kg, females – 350 kg.
Population the largest grizzly bear lives on Kodiak Island, which is located near Alaska. The weight of its individual individuals is about 800 kg.
On the massive head of the bear there are small ears and small eyes. The animal has poor eyesight, however, its hearing and sense of smell are well developed. The animal has short but very strong legs, with the front legs being shorter than the hind legs.
Siberian Brown bear and grizzly very similar to each other, however, the second one is much stronger and stronger. Only grizzly bear cubs are able to climb trees; adults are prevented from doing this by 13-centimeter curved claws, which grow as the animal grows.
Character and lifestyle of the grizzly bear
Characteristic feature The character of the gray bear is its fearlessness. The combination of this trait with enormous strength makes it almost impossible for his enemies to win.
The victim will be torn apart in a matter of minutes by strong teeth and powerful claws. An animal can easily cope with a wild one, but livestock simply experiences panic fear of it.
If we theoretically imagine the possibility fight between grizzly bears and a lion, It is impossible to name a winner for sure. The bear has incredible strength, but the lion has many other advantages: resourcefulness, reaction and jumping range.
A bear does not feel any fear in front of a person and can kill him with one blow. The ferocious animal also attacks armed people, especially if it is wounded.
Attacks on humans are quite rare, but escape is almost impossible. The animal can reach speeds of up to 60 km per hour and is an excellent swimmer. Sometimes the animal prefers to hide as soon as it senses a person.
Indians compete with grizzlies, and this is considered a heroic act. If a person wins, he gets a reward. The gray bear prefers loneliness and tries not to contact its relatives. The most frequent conflicts between representatives of these animals are observed during the mating season.
Hibernation is common for grizzlies. A small hill is selected for lying down. Once covered with snow, it is turned into a den. The animal does not fall into deep sleep; rather, this state is a light drowsiness.
When a thaw occurs, the animal leaves its home and looks for food. When frost returns, it comes back and falls asleep again before the onset of warmer times. It has been estimated that bears sleep for half of their lives.
Nutrition
After the end of hibernation, the bear begins to intensively search for food. These representatives of the order of predators are omnivores. Gray bears prefer plant foods.
Their main food: young shoots, nuts, berries, tree fruits, algae and roots. Bird eggs, insects and their larvae, as well as reptiles are used as delicacies. In just one day, a grizzly bear can absorb up to 40 thousand butterflies.
Carrion is also grizzly bear food. The animal can smell its scent at a distance of 30 km. A deer killed by a bear provides it with food for a week. However, the animal prefers to hunt sick, weak or young animals.
It is a delicacy for grizzlies. During the spawning season, salmon gather in groups on the shore and distribute fishing zones among themselves. They catch fish with their mouths or with the help of wide paws. Some bears manage to grab it on the fly when it jumps out of the water.
Bear cubs, who have a sweet tooth, mainly indulge in honey, because at a young age they can climb a tree. Before hibernation The bear begins to develop polygapia - a feeling of constant hunger. This is understandable, since before going to bed you need to gain as much fat as possible.
To do this, the animal must eat 20 thousand calories daily. After a good meal the animal rests. It secludes itself in gorges or temporary housing, which is lined with grass.
Reproduction and lifespan of a grizzly bear
The grizzly bear mating season lasts from late spring to early summer. Using scent and marks on plants, males begin to look for females who are ready to mate. The animals spend several days together and then part.
The egg may not be fertilized immediately, but after certain time, depending on the occurrence of favorable conditions for the birth of offspring. Before this, the sperm is in the uterine cavity.
2-3 cubs are born in the middle of winter. Newborns are born completely helpless, without hair, without teeth, blind, weighing up to 800 g. When you see the babies, you will never think that in a couple of years they will become big grizzly bears.
Therefore, at first the mother does not leave them. A bear's milk is much more nutritious than breast milk women. It is formed due to fat reserves accumulated during the summer. On breastfeeding the children stay for six months.
At the end of April - beginning of May, the cubs leave the house for the first time. They are always near their mother, who begins to teach them about life. Spring time is fraught with danger for children.
During the mating season, a female with cubs does not allow a male to mate with her and can even fight with overly persistent ones. Males behave very aggressively towards cubs, and can even kill them in order to copulate with their mother.
Little bear cubs are very cheerful and playful, quickly tamed, play with people and protect them. Before the onset of cold weather, the bear finds a larger den than the previous one for herself and her grown-up offspring. After two years, the cubs grow up and leave their mother. The lifespan of a gray bear is about 30 years; in captivity, this period may increase.
Polar bear and grizzly bear - species of bears that are very different from each other in a number of ways. However, in rare cases, mating is possible between them, which ultimately produces offspring.
Arctic grizzlies were first discovered by American hunters, and since 1974, they have been born in zoos. These bears are a fertile hybrid, meaning they can have offspring. They easily interbreed with each other, as well as with representatives of the parent species.
About grizzly bears There are a lot of speculations and rumors. Human fear exaggerates the aggressiveness and viciousness of these animals. If you are attentive to the world around you and do not harm it, you can perfectly coexist with all the inhabitants of the planet.
Titles: brown bear, grizzly bear, North American brown bear.
In North America it is known as the “grizzly bear” (previously, the brown North American bear was identified as a separate species).
Area: The brown bear was once common throughout Europe, including England and Ireland, in the south its range reached northwest Africa (the Atlas Mountains), and in the east through Siberia and China it reached Japan. It probably came to North America about 40,000 years ago from Asia, through the Bering Isthmus, and spread widely in the western part of the continent from Alaska to northern Mexico.
Now the brown bear has been exterminated in a large part of its former range, and is scarce in other areas. IN Western Europe its scattered populations survive in the Pyrenees, Cantabrian Mountains, Alps and Apennines. The brown bear is quite common in Scandinavia and Finland, and is sometimes found in the forests of Central Europe and the Carpathians. In Asia, it is distributed from Western Asia, Palestine, northern Iraq and Iran to northern China and the Korean Peninsula. In Japan it is found on the island of Hokkaido.
Description: Appearance this beast is well known. His body is powerful with high withers (hump). This hump is actually a mass of muscles that allow brown bears to dig easily and use their paws as striking force. The head is massive with small ears and eyes. The tail is short - 65-210 mm, barely standing out from the fur. There is a clearly visible depression between the forehead and the bridge of the nose in profile. In a standing animal, the withers are noticeably higher than the croup. Paws are strong, five-fingered, plantigrade. The feet of a brown bear are very wide, the toes are armed with long, powerful, laterally compressed and crescent-shaped non-retractable claws 8-10 cm long, which are much longer on the forelimbs than on the hind limbs.
The coat is long, thick and coarse, often felted and usually evenly colored. Brown bears molt twice - in autumn and spring. Spring molting lasts a long time and is most intense during the rutting period. Autumn molting proceeds slowly and imperceptibly, ending with the period of lying in the den.
The brown bear has 40 teeth.
Color: The color of the brown bear is very variable, and not only in different parts range, but also within the same area. The color of the fur varies from light fawn to bluish and almost black. The most common is the brown form. In Rocky Mountain grizzlies, the hair on the back may be white at the ends, giving the appearance of a gray or grizzled coat. A completely grayish-white color is found in brown bears in the Himalayas, and a pale reddish-brown color is found in Syria. Bear cubs have light markings on their necks and chests, which disappear with age. The bear's paws are black or brownish in color, with wrinkled skin on the pad.
During the rutting period, usually silent animals begin to emit a loud roar.Size: The length of the European brown bear is usually 1.2-2 m with a height at the withers of about 1 m and a weight of 135 to 250 kg. Bears living in central Russia are smaller and weigh only 80-120 kg. The largest sizes are bears from the Far East, Kamchatka and especially from Alaska and Kodiak Island, where they are called grizzlies - some giants, standing on their hind legs, reach a height of 2.8-3 m.
Weight: The weight of an adult brown bear ranges from 80-600 kg and, despite intensive hunting, bears weighing up to 750 kg are still found. The largest individuals are found in Alaska and Kamchatka - they weigh 300 kg or more, and giants weighing 600-700 kg have been encountered. Most big bear, caught on o. Kodiak for the Berlin Zoo, weighed 1134 kg. Average weight: males: 135-390 kg, females: 95-205 kg. In autumn, a bear's weight can increase by about 20%.
Lifespan: In nature they live for 20-30 years, in captivity they live for more than 50 years.
Habitat: The brown bear is a forest animal. Its usual habitats in Russia are continuous forests with windbreaks and burnt areas with dense growth of deciduous trees, shrubs and grasses, interspersed with swamps, lawns, and ponds; can enter both the tundra and alpine forests. In Europe it prefers mountain forests; in North America it is more often found in open areas - in the tundra, alpine meadows and on the coast.
The habitat of the brown bear in our country occupies almost the entire forest zone, with the exception of its southern regions. The bear finds refuge under the forest canopy, open areas They serve as feeding places for him. Berry trees, tall grasses, hazel trees - this is what attracts bears, regardless of where they grow - in a dark coniferous forest, in a clearing of a light forest, in a stream valley or in the chars of the Siberian mountains.
Food: The brown bear is omnivorous, but its diet is 3/4 plant-based: berries, acorns, nuts, roots, tubers and grass stems. In years when there is no berry harvest in the northern regions, bears visit oat crops, and in the southern regions - corn crops; on Far East in autumn they feed in cedar forests.
Its diet also includes insects (ants), worms, lizards, frogs, rodents (mice, marmots, gophers, chipmunks). In summer, insects and their larvae sometimes make up up to 1/3 of a bear’s diet. Large males attack young ungulates - roe deer, fallow deer, deer (caribou, red deer, pampas deer), ibex, wild boar and moose. Some animals, most often males from the northern part of their range, hunt ungulates, hiding them or attacking from ambush. An adult bear is capable of breaking the spine of an elk or horse with one blow of its paw. When hunting ungulates, such bears display amazing strength, agility and tirelessness in pursuing victims.
The bear covers the prey or found carrion with brushwood and stays nearby until it has completely eaten the carcass. If the animal is not very hungry, it often waits several days until the meat becomes softer.
On occasion, brown bears hunt sea otters and seals on coastal haulouts and even go out onto the ice in pursuit of seals. Grizzlies sometimes attack baribal bears.
The brown bear sometimes takes prey from tigers, wolves and pumas. In summer and autumn, Far Eastern bears catch salmon going to spawn. On spawning rivers you can sometimes see 10-30 animals at once.
In years when food is poor, bears sometimes attack livestock and destroy apiaries. In some years, due to the failure of the pine nut harvest in large areas of the Siberian taiga, bears do not have time to fatten up properly in the fall, and in winter they become homeless connecting rods, very dangerous for people who find themselves in their path.
Behavior: The brown bear is active more often at dusk, in the mornings and evenings, but on rainy days it wanders throughout the day. Daytime vigil is typical for bears in the mountains of Siberia. The seasonal cyclicality of life is clearly expressed.
Bears are very sensitive; they navigate the terrain mainly with the help of hearing and smell; their eyesight is weak. Brown bears can smell rotting meat more than 2.5 km away.
Although the bear's body weight is large and it seems clumsy, in fact it is a silent, fast and easy-to-move animal. The bear runs extremely fast - with the agility of a good racer - at a speed of over 55 km/h. He is a good swimmer, can swim 6 km or even more, and willingly swims, especially in hot weather. In his youth, a brown bear climbs trees well, but in old age he does this reluctantly, although it cannot be said that he completely loses this ability. However, it moves in deep snow with difficulty.
When encountering a dangerous opponent, the bear emits a loud roar, stands on its hind legs and tries to knock down the enemy with blows of its front paws or grab him.
In the winter, looking for a den, bears can go far from their summer area.
The brown bear is a sedentary animal and only the young, having separated from the family, wander until they create their own family. Individual hunting ranges are large and males have more than females. The bear marks and defends the boundaries of the areas. In the summer, male bears mark the boundaries of their territory by standing on their hind legs and tearing bark from trees with their claws. Such “border trees” have been used by various animals for decades. In treeless mountains, the bear tears up any suitable objects - clay slopes or tourist tents (usually in the absence of the owners). To secure your tent, the easiest way to mark the boundary of your site is to urinate in several places at a distance of 10-20 meters around the camp. Boundaries are not respected only during the ripening period of oats and on the eve of hibernation.
In the summer, the bear settles down to rest, lying directly on the ground among grass, bushes or in moss, as long as the place is sufficiently secluded and safe.
In autumn, the animal has to take care of a reliable shelter for the winter until mid-spring. 
Depending on climatic and other conditions, bears are in dens from October-November to March-April and later, i.e. approximately 5-6 months. Bears with cubs live the longest in dens, old males live the least. In different areas, winter sleep lasts from 75 to 195 days a year.
For a den, the bear chooses the most reliable, remote and dry corners, somewhere on an island of forest in the middle of a vast moss swamp. The animal sometimes comes here from several tens of kilometers away and, approaching the target, confuses its tracks in every possible way. Sometimes bears have favorite wintering places, and they gather here from the whole neighborhood. So, once in Russia, 12 dens were discovered on an area of about 20 hectares.
Very often, dens are located in holes protected by windbreaks or roots of fallen trees. In some areas, animals dig deep dens in the ground, and in the mountains they occupy caves and rock crevices. Often, bears limit themselves to open lying in dense young spruce trees, near a tree or even in an open clearing, having dragged there a bunch of moss and spruce branches in the form of a large nest. Sometimes a bear makes a den right in a dug-up anthill of red forest ants. Pregnant female bears make deeper, more spacious and warmer dens than males do. The bear lines the finished den with moss, dry grass, pine branches, leaves and hay. Over time, the den is covered with snow from above, so that only a small hole for ventilation remains (the forehead), the edges of which become covered with frost in severe frosts.
North American grizzlies are very similar to brown bears that live in the forests of Russia; these two subspecies of predators are among the smartest and strongest representatives of the planet's animal world. Legends about bears are still kept in the memory of many nationalities where this fearless and treacherous beast lives. Brown bears and grizzlies are very similar to each other; after all, they are part of the same subspecies of animals, but there are still differences.
If we compare the structure of both subspecies, the North American bear is larger than the brown bear, while it is stronger, but clumsier. The grizzly bear's tail is shorter in length, but its claws are longer, and its height often reaches three meters. Weighing 500 kilograms or more, which is impressive, especially when the grizzly stands on its hind legs and goes on the offensive, the North American bear presents a more formidable picture than the brown representative of the bears. Grizzlies have mastered it well aquatic environment mountain rivers, these predators love water and often hunt, catching prey that is by no means small in size in a stormy stream.
Grizzly bears are less mobile than brown bears, although the habitat of both predators includes mountain ranges, forest thickets and water barriers. There is an opinion that a grizzly bear is more aggressive in behavior than a brown bear, this is not entirely true, rather the opposite - a brown bear is more evil and insidious. And another one important feature: both grizzlies and brown bears are omnivores, but grizzlies rarely attack animals of domestic species and those living in nature, with the exception of fish. The brown bear is almost the same in habits, but it has a more complex character when it comes to food - this animal acts harshly, in a hungry state it will not stand on ceremony: it attacks and eats its prey instantly. Answering the question of what is the difference between the two types of predators, we can safely say - only in terms of the physical structure of the body, the length of the claws and weight, all other habits are approximately the same.
There are many large creatures living on Earth - fish, birds, animals.
One of the most outstanding representatives of the animal world is the bear: in terms of size, it is one of the most impressive creatures on our planet. From time to time, inquisitive people ask the question “how many kilograms does this animal weigh?”
Bear weight awareness can be useful in various situations and even professions. For example, you can compare it with other species and determine the degree of impressiveness and thereby give yourself an account of the degree of danger of meeting with it. The information obtained about the weight of this animal will be very useful for hunters or carcass skinners. Information about how much a bear weighs will also be useful for search and rescue teams, who often look for missing or lost people in forests where bears live. This is also an important and interesting question for overall development.
What determines the weight of a bear?
It is not immediately possible to give an unambiguous figure that would show how much the bear weighs, since The weight of a polar, brown or grizzly bear directly depends on:
- their habitat,
- age,
- breeds,
- time of year.
Individuals from various habitats can have a weight of about 150 kg - 1000 kg. However, such an impressive figure does not in the least prevent this respectable beast from possessing a high level of speed and agility.
The animal can move at a speed identical to that of a racehorse - up to 60 km/h. The dexterity with which these animals move through the trees is the envy of every acrobat. Our hero climbs without excessive effort to a height of up to 30 meters (the traditional height of a nine-story building). Among people, only a professional athlete or climber equipped with special equipment can climb to such a height. We should also not forget that the hero of our article wins not only in the mountaineering dispute, but also in athletics. Man, undoubtedly, loses to the owners of the forest in almost all respects, except intelligence.
By the way, let’s touch on the question of intelligence and try to find out who among the bears themselves can rightfully take the place of the strongest, largest and smartest.
northern Bear
White relative from the north. How much does this animal - a resident of the north - weigh and what indicators are typical for a polar bear?
Although the brown representative of this species is large, it still has a larger competitor. The polar bear inhabits the snowy expanses of the Arctic. The snow cover is deeply crushed under the weight of this largest predator on the planet, with the females of these frost-resistant animals weighing 200-300 kg.
How much do male northern whites weigh? It is not surprising, but males are only twice as large, and their weight is about 300-450 kg. The most prominent representatives of this species can reach a weight of up to half a ton. Both males and females are undoubtedly noticeably larger than their warm-loving brown brothers.
The appearance of a polar bear is also impressive. The large body of this predator can reach a length of up to 2.5-3 meters. Even the most tall people on modern earth this white giant will be only shoulder-deep in the best case scenario, if this animal, of course, stands on its hind legs.
The owner of the snowy lands only looks white, but in reality the skin color of this animal has a black tint. The fur covering this animal, of course, looks white to the human eye, but at the same time it is completely transparent to ultraviolet light.
All these features make it possible to ensure ideal thermoregulation. The hairs do not prevent the penetration of ultraviolet radiation, and the sun's rays, in turn, warm the skin. In addition, this light coat color is an excellent camouflage suit in the snow-white and icy northern world.
This frost-resistant animal is not only excellent at camouflaging itself: it is also an outstanding fighter, with a paw span of more than three meters. Despite its considerable weight, polar bear is an excellent runner and he moves no worse than his brown brother.
How much does a brown bear weigh?
Mass and size of brown forest dweller directly related to whether he is a female or a male. Female brown bears are several times smaller and lighter than representatives of the opposite sex of their species. Their weight reaches only no more than 150 kg. The male component of this bear family exceeds the weight of the female half by a little less than half, sometimes exactly 2 times, and ranges from 200 to 300 kg.
The largest specimens, the size of which may be determined by genetic reasons or fate, can boast a mark of 450 kg. However, such solid indicators do not in the least prevent brown bears from moving silently and easily, like a knife through butter, and crossing thickets inside the forest and, if necessary, through windbreaks.
Brown bears have an innate caution, which does not allow this animal to show itself to people.
However, there may be exceptions to this rule, if the animal gets hungry. Then hunger can push the bear to do things that are usually unusual for a wild animal. A person must always remember that, being on his territory, he always very jealously monitors the boundaries of his possessions and the places where he hunts and eats.
A sudden meeting with a bear, so to speak, face to face, can be explained by his lack of vision (myopia) and the inability to clearly see objects further than 45-50 meters. However, compensating for the lack of vision, he has excellent hearing, is well oriented thanks to it and is therefore able to react to even the quietest rustle. In particular, you should be wary of “connecting rod” bears, which for some reason woke up in the middle of winter and cannot fall asleep again.
Invincible and severe grizzly
Although the figure for the weight of a brown bear inspires respect, it still does not mean that it is the largest animal on the planet. The grizzly bear represents a very serious competition for him. The average weight of this huge animal is about 700 kg. If someone decides to take a chance and weigh a grizzly bear on a scale, then the brute will need to provide at least three brown bears to counterbalance this. If the weighed individual is larger than usual, then 4-5 brown ones.
Interestingly, it was once documented that a grizzly bear shot while hunting weighed 726 kg. If he stood on his hind legs, then his height would exceed the three-meter mark, and this animal would absolutely calmly be able to look out the window on the second floor if he wanted to be a guest. Those who decide that when they meet him they will simply run away from him, do not flatter themselves and do not harbor false hopes. This bear is fast, agile and an excellent swimmer. The raking gait of this animal is often deceptive. Besides, his clumsiness is a kind of myth. In fact, clubfoot is just a feature of a bear’s gait, which consists in the fact that the animal simply steps on both right or left paws at once.
Conclusion
It has always been common for people special attitude towards bears. These are frequent heroes of legends, fairy tales, and instructive stories. This is probably due to the fact that the power and greatness of this wild animal not only frightened - they often aroused admiration and a desire to imitate in the best qualities.
The image of bears is often used in heraldry. Both in our time and in ancient times, observation of the existence, characteristics and habits of this giant has not stopped. Groups of researchers from the group still carry out various activities to study bear territories.
Sensors and video cameras installed for these purposes can give a very complete picture:
- about the number of individuals in general,
- about the number of newborn babies,
- physical parameters of each individual.
This is also done in order to preserve bears as a species. After all, we must understand that only people are able to protect even such harsh and strong representatives of the animal world from harm and protect from extinction.
