Brown bears are one of the more familiar bears since they are widely distributed compared to other species of bears and they used to roam across much of the northern hemisphere. Due to habitat encroachment by humans and other environmental factors their habitat has decreased significantly. Today they are most abundant in Alaska and Siberia. They are found inland and in mountainous habitats are called "grizzlies" while bears living in coastal areas are called coastal brown bears. They are genetically identical and they can and do interbreed, because they have a better and easier food source the coastal bears are quite a bit larger than interior grizzlies. Grizzlies have also developed a more aggressive disposition because of the need to compete for fewer resources in their habitat.
They are solitary animals since they have no natural predators they have not developed a defensive herding instinct and since they are solitary feeders they have no packing behavior. For a very intelligent wild animal they have a surprisingly simple social structure. They are are mostly seen alone unless breeding, congregating around a rich food source or in the case of mothers raising cubs. Except from the polar bear they are the largest of all the bear species. Brown bears in general are very large and heavily built., they are massive animals, males weighing from 300 to 780 kg and measuring 1.7 to 2.2 m in length. On some occasions they have been known to live anything from 35-50 years which is quite a long time for a wild animal. Brown bears are told from black bears by their large size, distinctive shoulder hump and long, straight claws (both adaptations for digging roots, clams on the beach and small mammals), They do not climb trees, primarily because they are too big and their straight claws are not suited for climbing. Brown Bears have coats in shades of blond, brown, black, or a combination of those colours; the long outer guard hairs are often tipped with white or silver, giving a "grizzled" appearance. Brown Bears have a large hump of muscle over their shoulders which give strength to the forelimbs for digging. Brown bears have an especially good sense of smell and under the right conditions may be able to detect odors more than a mile distant. They are at the top of the food chain and have no natural predators. They are opportunistic and they are omnivorous, eating a mixed diet of grasses, fruits, bulbs, roots, insects, fish, animals and even carrion. They may also hunt and catch larger animals, including moose and caribou particularly in the interior regions. They feed on a large variety of foods and their diets changes according to the season and their location. In spring we see them foraging in coastal meadows eating sedges, digging for roots and digging for clams out on the beach. Brown bears love fish and are fond of the nutrient rich Salmon which is an integral part of their life cycle in Alaska.
They eat all summer long to gain weight for the winter months. They begin gaining weight during the late summer and early fall in preparation for their impending hibernation. Brown bears will hibernate during the winter months after eating plenty and preparing themselves first. Brown bears are not full hibernators, they enter a dormant state, and they can be woken easily. They can excavate a den quickly and easily with their digging power but also use rock caves and hollow trees. Brown bears emerge from hibernation over a 1 to 2 month period. Adult males usually come out first with the mothers and their new cubs emerging last.
They are solitary animals since they have no natural predators they have not developed a defensive herding instinct and since they are solitary feeders they have no packing behavior. For a very intelligent wild animal they have a surprisingly simple social structure. They are are mostly seen alone unless breeding, congregating around a rich food source or in the case of mothers raising cubs. Except from the polar bear they are the largest of all the bear species. Brown bears in general are very large and heavily built., they are massive animals, males weighing from 300 to 780 kg and measuring 1.7 to 2.2 m in length. On some occasions they have been known to live anything from 35-50 years which is quite a long time for a wild animal. Brown bears are told from black bears by their large size, distinctive shoulder hump and long, straight claws (both adaptations for digging roots, clams on the beach and small mammals), They do not climb trees, primarily because they are too big and their straight claws are not suited for climbing. Brown Bears have coats in shades of blond, brown, black, or a combination of those colours; the long outer guard hairs are often tipped with white or silver, giving a "grizzled" appearance. Brown Bears have a large hump of muscle over their shoulders which give strength to the forelimbs for digging. Brown bears have an especially good sense of smell and under the right conditions may be able to detect odors more than a mile distant. They are at the top of the food chain and have no natural predators. They are opportunistic and they are omnivorous, eating a mixed diet of grasses, fruits, bulbs, roots, insects, fish, animals and even carrion. They may also hunt and catch larger animals, including moose and caribou particularly in the interior regions. They feed on a large variety of foods and their diets changes according to the season and their location. In spring we see them foraging in coastal meadows eating sedges, digging for roots and digging for clams out on the beach. Brown bears love fish and are fond of the nutrient rich Salmon which is an integral part of their life cycle in Alaska.
They eat all summer long to gain weight for the winter months. They begin gaining weight during the late summer and early fall in preparation for their impending hibernation. Brown bears will hibernate during the winter months after eating plenty and preparing themselves first. Brown bears are not full hibernators, they enter a dormant state, and they can be woken easily. They can excavate a den quickly and easily with their digging power but also use rock caves and hollow trees. Brown bears emerge from hibernation over a 1 to 2 month period. Adult males usually come out first with the mothers and their new cubs emerging last.