Dogs: Brown Bear Information and Pictures

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Brown Bear
Characteristics

Scientific Name:
Ursus arctos

Family Name:
Ursidae

Head & Body Size:
67-110 in. (170-280 cm)

Tail Size:
2-8 in. (6-21 cm)

Weight:
300-860 lb (135-390 kg)

Color:
all shades of brown with a grizzling effect.

Life Span:
25 years (wild); 50 years (captivity)

Diet:
Vegetable matter, such as roots, tubers, grasses, herbaceous plants, corns, berries, fruits, and nuts comprise 60 - 90 % of their diet. Common animal matter consumed is insects, rodents, hoofed mammals, fish and carcasses of dead sea mammals. Brown bears will occasionally prey upon the smaller black bear. Brown bears that live along the coastal regions of Alaska, British Columbia, and Kamchatka enjoy a feast of salmon during the salmon's spawning season. In some areas they have become predators of elk, deer, moose and caribou.

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Brown Bear


		Brown Bear Snapshot

Brown Bear Picture Gallery


		Brown Bear Description

	The brown bear is the second largest species in the world. It includes the grizzle bear of North America, and the Kodiak bear of Alaska which is the largest of the brown bear subspecies. The Kodiak bear rivals in size with the polar bear. It has unretractable claws that can reach lengths up to 4 inches. Depending on the seasons and availability of food, the brown bears weight changes considerably. Males are larger than the females. Like all bears, the brown bear is plantigrade, which means that it walks with its entire foot like a human. It can also stand on its hind legs for extended periods time and sit on its rear like humans. It also has a short, stubby tail, like all bears. Brown bears have sturdy frames with a snout that looks concave when viewed in profile. It has a broad muzzle that houses 42 teeth, including two large canines. Its ears are relatively small and often concealed by the winter coat and more noticeable in the summer once it has shed its winter coat. Its fur is dense and is about 4 inches long in the wintertime. In the summertime when it sheds its winter coat, it is much shorter and darker. Many brown bears have a noticeable hump above their shoulders.


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