Grizzly Bear

Grizzly bears and Alaskan brown bears are thought to be members of the same species. Both types of bears are huge and have humped shoulders and elevated foreheads that appear to be somewhat concave, or sunk in. Their fur is brownish to buff. The tips of the hairs are usually silver- or pale-tipped and give a grizzled effect. Large adult grizzlies may be about 2.5 meters (8 feet) long and weigh about 410 kilograms (900 pounds). Grizzly bears feed on game, fish, berries, and occasionally even grass. They often store food in shallow holes. They will dig into the ground in search of mice and other rodents. Grizzly cubs, usually twins, are born in the winter after about a 6-8 month gestation; at birth, they weigh about 0.5-0.75 kilograms. Grizzly bears once roamed over western North America from Mexico to Alaska. They are now found protected in national parks and zoos.

credit: LuRay Parker, Wyoming Game and Fish and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service