Grizzly Bear
To access the Animal Info main page, click here!
Grizzly Bear 2Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas
For more photos of Grizzlies and other members of the bear family in my online gallery, click here!
Taxonomy (SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION)
CLASS: Mammalia (Mammals)
ORDER: Carnivora (Carnivores)
FAMILY: Ursidae (Bears)
GENUS/SPECIES/SUB SPECIES: Ursus arctos horriblis
LIFE SPAN: Grizzlies normally live between 15 to 25 years.
HABITAT: Grizzlies inhabit the northwestern portion of the United States in the states of Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. They are also native to the western part of Canada. Grizzlies live in different habitats such as dense forests, subalpine meadows, open plains, and arctic tundra.
DIET: Grizzlies are omnivores (eat both meat and plants), and they have a varied diet. They eat berries, seeds, grasses, and roots. Grizzlies also eat fish, elk, deer, and insects. Grizzlies eat more intensely during the late summer and early fall, in preparation for winter denning, and they have been known to gain more than three pounds in one day!
Grizzly Bear 10Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas
FUN FACTS
A male grizzly bear is called a boar
A female grizzly bear is called a sow
A young grizzly bear is called a cub
A group of Grizzlies is called a sloth or a sleuth
The Grizzly Bear is a sub-species of the Brown Bear, and is also known as the Silvertip Bear.
Grizzlies are typically dark brown in color, but they can also be light cream or even black. The white tips that are quite often found on the long guard hairs on the Grizzlies’ backs and shoulders can give these bears a "grizzled" appearance
While Grizzlies can be seen congregating together around streams during salmon season, they are generally solitary animals.
Due to their large size, there are no known animals that naturally prey on Grizzlies, making them extremely dominant predators.
Grizzlies have many strengths. They are very intelligent and have great memories. They also have a keen sense of smell and can detect food from great distances away. Additionally, Grizzlies are good swimmers and fast runners. They can reach speeds of 35 mph while they are running.
Grizzly Bear 6Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas
CONSERVATION STATUS
The population of Grizzlies in the wild is in decline. According to the Defenders of Wildlife, there are approximately only 2,000 Grizzlies left in the lower 48 US states. This is down from a population of Grizzlies that once numbered over 50,000!
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP GRIZZLIES?
Educate yourself about Grizzlies and their circumstances by reviewing the materials presented below in the Resources section and other materials you may be able to find on your own.
Post messages on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and send emails to your family and friends expressing your concern for the plight of Grizzlies and encouraging them to become involved as well.
Write letters to your elected officials in Washington DC and to leaders in Canada explaining why the conservation of Grizzlies is important to you and encouraging these officials to work to help keep Grizzlies from ever becoming extinct in the wild.
Help to improve the environment around you and around the world by working to reduce, recycle, and reuse. This will help eliminate waste and will greatly improve the world in which we all live.
And when you shop at Joe’s Cowtown Photos, you can designate Grizzly Bear-centric programs and initiatives such as the Defenders of Wildlife’s Electric Fence Incentive Program, the Montana Grizzly Encounter, and the World Wildlife Fund’s Adopt a Grizzly Bear Program as the beneficiary of the charitable portion of your purchase. (For more information on Joe’s Cowtown Photos charitable giving program, Cowtown Photos Cares!, click here.)
Grizzly Bear 7Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas
RESOURCES
Animal Fact Guide’s Grizzly Bear Page
Defenders of Wildlife Grizzly Bear Page
Montana Grizzly Encounter Page
World Wildlife Fund’s Adopt a Grizzly Bear Program
The United States House of Representatives Page
Credits
The information provided in this Animal Info page was compiled by Joe Hoffman (St. Pius X Elementary School Class of 1986 and Founder/Owner of Joe’s Cowtown Photos) and was proof-read and edited by Anita Striegel (Retired 8th Grade Teacher from St. Pius X Elementary School, Joe’s former teacher!)
To access the Animal Info main page, click here!