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Grizzly Bear

Ursus arctos horribilis

Brown or Grizzly?: The grizzly bear, sometimes known as the silver-tip bear, has traditionally been considered a subspecies of the brown bear, but this classification is in dispute.

Distinct Anatomy: A distinctive shoulder hump of muscle sets the grizzly apart from the black bear. Grizzly bears also have concave faces and famously long claws.

Colossal But Quick: The size of grizzly bears varies from range to range depending on the food supply. Adult males tip the scales at 850 pounds while females weigh in at a "diminutive" 450 pounds. A grizzly bear standing on its hind legs can be as tall as 7 feet. Their large size, however, does not slow them down. When these bears "put the pedal to the medal" they can reach speeds of 35 mph.

Unpicky Eaters: Grizzly bears are not picky eaters and will consume vegetation and animals, including grasses, roots, berries, fish, and small and large mammals. They also don't mind a bit of dumpster diving. This has lead to conflicts with humans.

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MORE GRIZZLY BEAR

VIDEO: Grizzly Fights Wolves

SITE: The Grizzly Man Diaries

QUIZ: Grizzly Safety Quiz

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VIDEO: Grizzly Capture Gone Wrong

INTERACTIVE: Anatomy of a Grizzly

ARTICLE: Bear Etiquette 101

DID YOU KNOW?

A Healthy Glutton: Researchers are very interested in the grizzly bear's ability to eat large amounts and store lots of fat for hibernation without suffering from heart disease or cholesterol problems.

Wolves vs. Grizzlies: A grizzly bear will challenge a pack of wolves for its kill, resulting in a game of cat and mouse as the wolves attempt to bait and and thwart the much larger predator.

Subordinate Behavior: A subordinate grizzly bear will move away, or sit or lie down, to avoid confrontation. It may also look the other way, perhaps yawning with feigned disinterest, to indicate it has no ill intentions.

Opportunity Strikes: The grizzly bear is an opportunistic feeder. When the opportunity strikes, it will even prey on large mammals, such as moose, elk, mountain goats and mountain sheep.