The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is among the largest and most powerful of all land carnivores. Brown bears have non-retractable claws that they use primarily for digging. They can run at a considerable clip despite their large size and are know to reach speeds of up to 35mph. Brown bears have a coat of black, brown or tan fur with longer outer hair often of a different color. They have a sizable mass of muscle on their shoulders that gives them necessary strength to dig.
Brown bears are usually solitary animals. Occasionally though, bears may gather to feed at salmon-rich fishing spots. Another exception to their solitary lifestyle is that of females with their cubs. The mother bear remains with her bear cubs until the cubs are ready for independence (2 to 3 years of age).
Brown bears are more active in the morning and evening and often rest during the day. Seasonal activity of brown bears varies depending on where they live. Bears excavate dens in sheltered ground (such as on a slope or behind a large rock) in which they sleep and during the winter months can enter a deep sleep and their body temperature can drop several degrees.
- Mass: 80-600kg (176 to 1320lbs)
- Diet: brown bears are omnivorous; their diet includes fish, mammals, carrion, invertebrates, and plant matter such as leaves, roots, nuts, and fruit
- Mating Season: May–July
- Gestation Period: 180 to 266 days
- Number of Offspring: usually 1 to 4 cubs (usually 2)
Classification:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Carnivora
- Family: Ursidae
- Genus: Ursus
- Species: Ursus arctos
New to animal classification? Find out more about how scientists classify animals.
There are many conflicting classification schemes for brown bears and consequently the number of subspecies varies widely (ranging from as few as five to as many as 90). Some of the subspecies commonly recognized include:
- Carpathian Bear (Ursus arctos formicarius)
- European Brown Bear (Ursus arctos arctos)
- Gobi Bear (Ursus arctos gobiensis)
- Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)
- Himalayan Brown Bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus)
- Hokkaido Brown Bear (Ursus arctos yesoensis)
- Kamchatka Bear (Ursus arctos piscivorus)
- Kodiak Bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi)
- Marsican Bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus)
- Mexican Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos nelsoni)
- Siberian Brown Bear (Ursus arctos beringianus)
- Syrian Brown Bear (Ursus arctos syriacus)
- Tibetan Blue Bear (Ursus arctos pruinosus)
- Ussuri Brown Bear (Ursus arctos lasiotus)
Where to See: Brown bears live in a variety of habitats including boreal forests, alpine forests and meadows, tundra, and coastal regions. Their range is the most extensive of all bears and includes northern and central Europe, Asia, Alaska, Canada, and the western United States (with populations in the Sierra Nevada and Rockies).
References:
- Burnie, D. and D.E. Wilson. 2001. Animal. London: Dorling Kindersley.
- Brown Bear. Wikipedia. (Accessed Online). Dewey, T. and L. Ballenger. 2002. Ursus arctos (On-line). Animal Diversity Web. Accessed December 04, 2007.
