THE BEARSNature Nugget

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GRIZZLY BEARS VS. BLACK BEARS

Males--500 lbs., females 350 lbs., approximately

Stand about 6.5 ft.

Distinct shoulder hump

Depression between eyes and the end of nose

Short, rounded ears

Long claws (2-4 in)

Average 110-300 lbs. Large male can top a female grizzly, so size is not accurate indicator.

Standing about 5 ft

No shoulder hump

“Roman” profile with straight line from between forehead and tip of nose. Snout usually light in color.

Larger, more pointed ears

Shorter claws (1.5 in)

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PAW TRACKS

Grizzly--minimal arch and toe imprints are close togethers, usually touching each other.

Black--Large toe arch, often definite space between the toes, claw marks often not seen.Black

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George Lamson

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ucumari_flickr

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J. Stephen Conn

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Arthur Chapman

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bimiers2_flickr

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Scott Calleja

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Arthur Chapman

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sonson_flickr

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Kris

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Kent Kanouse

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BEARS HAVE . . .

Keen sense of smell--that is why you must protect your food when camping.

Mostly likely no other animal has a keener sense of smell.

The area of nasal membrane in a bear’s head is 100 times larger than in a human, and they have another organ in the roof of their mouths that assists in smell, the Jacobson’s organ.

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A black bear was once seen to travel 3 miles upwind in a straight line to reach the carcass of a dead deer.

Male polar bears march in a straight line, over the tops of pressure ridges of uplifted ice . . . up to 40 miles to reach a prey animal they have detected

A bear has been known to detect a human scent more than 14 hours after the person passed along the trail.

Because of this keen sense of smell, always be bear aware in bear country.

Taken from the Great Bear Almanac by Gary Brown

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Eyesight at least as good as humans, and polar bears have the best eyesight because of special adaptions to see under water and to filter out snow glare.

Seem to have color vision and it is thought they have the same color vision humans do; however, they are nearsighted.

Bears’ eyes are reflective and mirror moonlight. A special lining on the back of the eyeball reflects the light back through the retina, allowing the light to stimulate the rods a second time, thus improving night vision.

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BEARS HAVE . . .

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BEARS EAT . . .

mostly berries, nuts, grasses, carrion, and insect larvae.

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BEAR FACTS . . .

They are good tree climbers and swimmers.

They can run up to 35 mph.

They can go without food for up to 7 months during hibernation.

They can live over 25 years in the wild.

They are typically shy and easily frightened.

They are very intelligent and curious.

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Alex Berger

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Alex Berger

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Travel Manitoba

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Travel Manitoba

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BEAR FAMILY IS URSIDAE, AND SUBFAMILIES INCLUDE

Pandas

Spectacled bears

Sun bear

Sloth bear

American black bear, brown bear (which includes the grizzly and the Kodiak), polar bear.

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BEAR SOUNDS . . .

Moaning--a mild warning or made in fear

Barking--alarm or excitement

Huffing--between mother and cubs to warn of danger

Growling--strong warning to potential threats or in anger

Roaring--strong warning and also to proclaim territory and for intimidation

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HIBERNATION . . .

Bears normally do not wake, so they do not eat, drink, urinate, or defecate during the entire period.

Body temperature drops only a few degrees, and heart rate slows only slightly.

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RELATIONSHIPS WITH HUMANS . . .

Bears are dangerous to humans, especially in areas where they have become used to people.

All bears are powerful and capable of fatally attacking a person, and a mother will behave ferociously if she feels her cubs are threatened.

Give all bears a wide berth because their behavior is unpredictable.

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