The grizzly bear have ties which extend deep down to the brown bear. Grizzly bear are marked by their huge demeanor and prefer to live in solitude. The only time they get together is over food i.e. at the popular Alaskan fishing spots when the delicious and ripe salmon are readily available. Grizzlies once inhibited a major portion of western North America and were found even in the Great Plains. They are very much prone to extinction and their numbers have reduced dramatically over the years due to excessive settlement of humans and hunting.

1 Size:

Grizzlies normally range in weight from 300 to 1500 lbs. and are as tall as eight feet. The male grizzlies are usually twice as gigantic as the female bears. The baby grizzly weighs 200 pounds till it reaches its first birthday.

2.Color and Appearance:

Grizzly bears have curved claws and they appear different from other bears because of their humped backs. Their faces give the appearance of pushed in. Grizzlies have always been perceived as brown in color, but they are found in a number of colors like blonde, white, silver and even black. The reason they are called grizzly, is because the tip of their fur is usually of a different color than the rest of their fur.

3.Diet:

Grizzlies are omnivores and can eat a wide variety of food. Their diet includes grasses, seeds, deer, berries, fungi, fish, elk, dead insects and animals. Grizzlies hibernate for 2-4 months in early autumn or late summers. They store calories in the form of fat to strive through the hibernation period.

4.Population:

Historical statistics claim that 50,000 grizzly bears existed in North America. Now their numbers have reduced to 1,800 and they are limited to the 48 states of the US. Grizzlies thrive well in Alaska.

5.Habitats:

Grizzly bears are found in a wide variety of habitats ranging from thick forest to subalpine meadows, plain grasslands to arctic tundra. They are most abundantly found in Canada, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska, Montana and a little percentage of them are found in Washington as well.

6.The Phenomenon  of Rub Trees:

To scratch their backs, Grizzly bears rub their backs against trees which gives them the name of rub trees. They leave their hair and scent on the barks of these trees.

7.Behavior:

Grizzly bears prefer to spend a life of solitude and the only time they are seen in the form of a group is when they are feeding from a common source of food. The mother grizzly bear protects and nurtures her cubs for 2 to 3 years after it is born. After that, the cubs are free and are at their own. The young female grizzly bear sets her own territory quite close to her mother’s territory. The young male grizzlies don’t follow this pattern and set their territories quite apart from their mother’s.

8.  Reproduction:

Grizzly bears don’t have fast rates of reproduction and they are probably the slowest reproducers. Female grizzlies are not apt for reproduction till they are four to five years old. Their mating period is between May to July but the females don’t show signs of implantation till October or November.

9.Running Ability:

Despite their gigantic sizes, grizzly bears have the ability to walk at fast paces. They can run at an average speed of 30 mph or 48 km/h. They are quite dangerous to human beings, especially if they are surprised by human presence or if a grizzly mother fears her cub’s safety due to humans.