Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bear facts at a glance

What is a group of grizzly bears called?

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Diet and feeding

Despite their fearsome reputation, grizzlies are omnivores that eat far more plants than meat. They feast on berries, roots, nuts, insects, fish, and carrion, and famously gather at rivers to catch salmon during the run. In autumn a grizzly may eat for up to 20 hours a day, packing on fat before winter.

Hibernation

Grizzlies spend the harshest months in a den in a state of deep dormancy, living off the fat reserves they built up in autumn. Females give birth during this time, and tiny cubs nurse and grow in the den before emerging in spring. A bear's heart rate and metabolism slow dramatically while it sleeps.

Power and the body

A grizzly is built for strength, with a distinctive shoulder hump of muscle that powers its digging and a bite strong enough to crush bone. Despite their bulk, grizzlies can sprint at 56 km/h (35 mph) over short distances, faster than any human, and they are strong swimmers and capable climbers when young.

Conservation

Brown bears as a whole are listed as Least Concern, but grizzlies were driven out of much of their former range in the lower United States. They survive today mainly in protected areas such as Yellowstone and the northern Rockies, and recovery efforts continue to manage human-bear conflict.

Diet and hibernation

Grizzly bears are omnivores with a hugely varied diet of berries, roots, insects, fish, and mammals. Before winter they enter a feeding frenzy called hyperphagia to build fat reserves, then hibernate for months in a den, during which females give birth to tiny cubs.

Range and behavior

A subspecies of the brown bear, the grizzly once roamed much of western North America but is now concentrated in Alaska, western Canada, and a few areas of the northern United States. Despite their bulk, grizzlies can run up to 56 km/h (35 mph) in short bursts.

Did you know? Grizzly Bear facts

• The grizzly bear is a large North American subspecies of brown bear, named for the grizzled, silver-tipped fur on its back.
• Grizzlies are a subspecies of brown bear. The name usually refers to inland populations, while coastal brown bears that feed heavily on salmon grow much larger.
• Yes. Grizzlies hibernate through winter for up to five or six months, living off the fat reserves they built up during autumn.
• All grizzlies are brown bears, but not all brown bears are grizzlies. Grizzly refers to the inland North American subspecies, while coastal brown bears that eat more salmon grow larger. The grizzled, silver-tipped fur gives the grizzly its name.
• Grizzly bears can run up to about 56 km/h (35 mph) in short bursts, which is faster than the fastest human sprinter. You cannot outrun a bear, so wildlife agencies advise other safety measures instead.
• Conservation: Least Concern (IUCN).

Diet & feeding

Grizzly Bear feeds primarily as a omnivore. Despite their fearsome reputation, grizzlies are omnivores that eat far more plants than meat. They feast on berries, roots, nuts, insects, fish, and carrion, and famously gather at rivers to catch salmon during the run. In autumn a grizzly may eat for up to 20 hours a day, p

Adaptations

• Despite their fearsome reputation, grizzlies are omnivores that eat far more plants than meat. They feast on berries, roots, nuts, insects, fish, and carrion, and famously gather at rivers to catch salmon during the run. In autumn a grizzly may eat for up to 20 hours a day, packing on fat before winter.
• Grizzlies spend the harshest months in a den in a state of deep dormancy, living off the fat reserves they built up in autumn. Females give birth during this time, and tiny cubs nurse and grow in the den before emerging in spring. A bear's heart rate and metabolism slow dramatically while it sleeps.

Behaviour & ecology

• Despite their fearsome reputation, grizzlies are omnivores that eat far more plants than meat. They feast on berries, roots, nuts, insects, fish, and carrion, and famously gather at rivers to catch salmon during the run. In autumn a grizzly may eat for up to 20 hours a day, packing on fat before winter.
• Grizzlies spend the harshest months in a den in a state of deep dormancy, living off the fat reserves they built up in autumn. Females give birth during this time, and tiny cubs nurse and grow in the den before emerging in spring. A bear's heart rate and metabolism slow dramatically while it sleeps.
• A grizzly is built for strength, with a distinctive shoulder hump of muscle that powers its digging and a bite strong enough to crush bone. Despite their bulk, grizzlies can sprint at 56 km/h (35 mph) over short distances, faster than any human, and they are strong swimmers and capable climbers when young.

Communication

• Grizzly Bear uses scent, posture, and vocal signals to mark territory and coordinate social behaviour.
• Communication intensity often peaks during breeding seasons and territorial disputes.

Habitat & range

Forests, meadows, and mountains

Ecological role

Grizzly Bear plays a recognised ecological role in forests, meadows, and mountains.

Conservation status of the Grizzly Bear

Sources & references

This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Grizzly Bear:

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  Conservation status (Least Concern) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Ursus arctos horribilis.

• IUCN Red List — Ursus arctos horribilis.

  Conservation status (Least Concern) and population trends.

• Animal Diversity Web — Ursus arctos horribilis. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

  Life history, morphology, and range.

• Wikipedia — Grizzly Bear.

  General taxonomy and overview (cross-check primary sources).

• Global Animal Guide editorial standards

  How we research, source, review, and update every guide for accuracy.