Who is bigger: a grizzly bear or a Siberian bear. Grizzly bear. Habitat and lifestyle of the grizzly bear. How much does a polar bear weigh?

The brown bear once lived almost all over the world - from Europe to northwest Africa, from Mexico to China. However, on this moment this animal has been exterminated almost throughout the entire territory of its former range. The most extensive zone of its habitat is in Russia - it lives in all wooded areas.

There are several subspecies of brown bears. Most major representatives The species lives in Alaska and Kamchatka. The weight of these individuals is 500 kilograms or more. European browns are a little more modest - 300-400 kg.

Despite the fact that it is generally ordinary Brown bear smaller than the white one, its individual was a male caught on Kodiak Island, 1334 kg, i.e., it was much larger than the large white individual.

Polar bear

White and brown seem very different, but they have more in common than you might imagine. For a long time it was believed that as a species it separated from the brown one. However, more modern data suggest that brown and white beast there was a common ancestor, and about 600 thousand years ago both species separated from it. A little later, a hybrid of these two species appeared, which, in general, is the modern polar bear.

Interestingly, polar bears have completely black skin. His White wool It is almost transparent hairs that transmit ultraviolet radiation and warm the body. The color of a bear can range from pure white to yellowish.

The polar bear is larger and, accordingly, heavier than the brown bear. This is due to the territory of his residence. To survive in such harsh conditions, bears have to store in huge quantities nutrients. Polar bears are one of the largest predators on earth. Males usually weigh from 400 to 450 kg, and their body length is from 200 to 250 cm. Females are almost half the size - 200-300 kg. By the way, about 12,000 years ago the short-beaked bear became extinct. It was the most A big bear who ever lived on our planet - his weight and height were 2 times higher than those of a polar bear.

In subtropical and tropical forests India, Indonesia, Thailand and Burma are home to the smallest bear on earth - the Malayan biruang. The height of his body at the withers is no more than 70 cm.

The heaviest polar bear weighed was a male weighing 1003 kg. The span of his paws was 3 m 38 cm.

In addition to weight and dimensions, polar bear differs from brown in structure. Him Long neck and a flat head.

This family does not have a wide variety of species. Scientists identify only eight. But the quantity makes them very common. All of them have the right to claim to be included in the list called “The World's Largest Bear.” This is explained by the fact that they are incredibly heavy and tall. And yet, among the giants, one can also single out the very best. For bears, this is a Kodiak.

Brown giant

These are rightfully the most big bears in size and weight. Kodiaks are a subspecies of browns. Among all the predators on our planet, they are the largest. These bears grow up to four meters in length. Their height at the withers can reach one and a half meters. Kodiak is truly the world's largest bear.

If we talk about the weight of giants, then its average values ​​are as follows: for females - two and a half centners, and for males - about five. These numbers are not maximum. Data have been recorded that the weight of some individuals reaches one ton. After these figures, there is no doubt which bear is the largest in the world.

The name of this subspecies of bears corresponds to its habitat. Their distribution area is the Kodiak archipelago, located near the southern coast of Alaska. The climate in this area is characterized by short and mild winters. AND natural enemies bears don't. This explains their huge size.

The diet of predators consists not only of animal meat. It also includes berries and herbs, roots and fish. It is known that they do not even disdain carrion.

Despite the fact that these bears have no enemies, their population is small. Today there are about three thousand Kodiaks in the world. Therefore they are protected.

Northern giant - polar bear

Most often, when asked which bear is the largest in the world, they receive the following answer: “White.” It is also called polar, northern, sea, oshkuy. Its ancestor, like the Kodiak, is the brown bear. The maximum dimensions of this animal reach the following values: length - three meters, weight - up to eight centners. However, smaller individuals are most often found. Their length is less than a meter, and their weight is about five centners. Females are usually even smaller.

These bears are distinguished from brown bears by their head structure. They have it flat on their elongated neck. And the ears on the head are significantly smaller. Polar bears have black skin. This is invisible due to the incredibly thick fur. By the way, it can also be yellow. Only most often the wool fades under the rays of the scorching sun.

It received its polar name due to its limited range. This bear rarely visits the mainland. He spends almost his entire life in the Arctic.

The diet of this giant is limited to what can be found in the ice. And these are mainly marine animals, such as walrus and seal. Its hunting style involves ambushing its prey in cover and hitting it on the head. The animal is unable to quickly recover from this powerful slap. In constant winter conditions, the polar bear needs a lot of food. Therefore, hunting methods may change. The main thing is to get meat or fish, because at one time he needs up to 20 kg of food. Although most often the portion is about 7 kg. You don't really have to choose. May pick up carrion or eat chicks.

Due to the slow reproduction of offspring (one bear cub appears every three years) and the high mortality rate of young individuals, the northern bear is listed in the Red Book. Today its population is wildlife numbers about seven thousand.

Some interesting facts about the life of a polar bear

He is not only the largest bear in the world, but also the most agile, because he runs fast, swims excellently and dives remarkably. northern Bear can move in water over distances of up to 80 km.

The animal is distinguished by very thick fur, which consists of two layers. The lower one, very short and incredibly thick, is designed to protect against the cold. The upper one, long and waterproof, allows you to swim and get out of the water dry.

This type of bear is capable of creating a pair with a brown one.

Brown "American" - grizzly bear

If he is not the largest bear in the world, then on the American continent he is certainly. This is where the grizzly bear's habitat extends. Most often it can be found in Canada and Alaska. Although there are known cases of its detection in Mexico.

The grizzly bear is also a subspecies of the brown bear. But it is distinguished by very long claws, which can reach 15 cm. With these it will not be possible to climb trees. This is only available to babies until their claws grow back. These bears owe their name to gray shade, making the animal a little gray. Translated from English into Russian, the word “grizzly” means “gray”.

The sizes of these giants are similar to those already listed earlier. They can grow up to 4 meters in length and weigh about a ton.

Baby grizzlies eat mainly plant foods, while adults need a lot of meat. During the spawning period, animals do not mind catching fish; they master this skill in childhood.

Due to its large size and enormous strength, this bear is dangerous for humans, because one blow from its paw can be fatal.

Territories national parks The United States is inhabited by grizzly bears, which are protected. Like other species, they are practically not allowed to be shot.

A little about other types of bears

Brown

Since all of the above species are its subspecies, we can say that it is the largest bear in the world. The body length of the animal is about 2.5-3 meters, and it weighs about 7 centners. But such indicators are more likely characteristic of the inhabitants Far East and Kamchatka. Bears in the European part of Russia most often do not grow large. Their weight varies between two centners. The variability of the coat color of these animals is interesting. It can be from light fawn to almost black.

Himalayan

This is not the largest bear in the world, but it is definitely the slenderest. Its difference is that it is almost black in color with a white tick on its chest. Because of this feature, it is sometimes called white-breasted.

Baribal

It is distinguished by its sharper muzzle and long hind legs. Its fur is significantly shorter than that of other representatives of the bear species.

Spectacled

This bear is the only one of his relatives who has chosen the open spaces South America, and there he prefers the mountains.

Grizzly, from the English Grizzly bear or gray bear, is a name referring to one or more American subspecies of the brown bear. This is one of the largest and most dangerous predatory animals currently inhabiting our planet.

Description and appearance

The grizzly is a wild forest animal with simply incredible large sizes and an extremely ferocious disposition, which allowed it to be classified as the most ruthless and bloodthirsty species of predatory animals. Scientific name grizzly – horribilis, translated means “terrible or terrible”.

Appearance

Grizzlies are characterized by a fairly massive physique. Distinctive feature The grizzly bear is represented by long, 15-16-centimeter claws, thanks to which the predator is completely unable to climb trees, but is excellent at hunting its prey. The claws are conical and arched.

This is interesting! Not only adults, but also young individuals are distinguished by very powerful and well-developed jaws, allowing them to hunt fairly large prey.

The structure of the body, as well as appearance such a bear is very similar to a brown bear, but larger and heavier, clumsy and at the same time incredibly strong. Unlike Eurasian bears, North American bears have a characteristic low skull, and also have well-developed nasal bones and a wide, straight forehead.

The tail part is noticeably shorter. While walking, adult bears waddle heavily and characteristically sway their body.

Grizzly Bear Dimensions

The height of the animal standing on its hind legs is about 2.5 meters with a weight of 380-410 kg. The neck part has a very characteristic, powerful hump, which gives the animal incredible strength. With one blow of the front paw, an adult bear is capable of killing even a fairly large wild moose or its smaller or weaker relative.

Important! The most large grizzly bear a male was recognized that lived in the coastal zone and had a mass of 680 kg. Its height when rising on its hind legs reached three meters, and its height at the shoulder girdle was one and a half meters.

The closest relatives of the grizzly bear are. The animal's ears have a pronounced rounded shape. Animals that live in coastal areas are much larger than individuals inhabiting the deep mainland. If the average weight of a mainland male is approximately 270-275 kg, then coastal individuals can weigh 400 kg or more.

Skin color

The shoulder part, neck area and belly of the grizzly bear are covered with dark brown thick fur, but at the ends there is a lighter coloring, giving the coat an attractive grayish tint. It is thanks to this shade that the species got its name grizzly, which means “gray or gray-haired.”

Compared to the more common brown bears, the grizzly bear's fur has a more intensive development; it is not only longer, but also much fluffier, so it retains heat well.

Lifespan

average life expectancy wild bears Grizzly bears in most cases depend on their habitat and feeding habits. In most cases carnivorous mammal lives no more than a quarter of a century in the wild, and a little more than thirty years if properly kept in captivity.

Where does the grizzly bear live?

The grizzly bear population declined significantly around the end of the nineteenth century, when mass killings of the predator were observed by farmers protecting their livestock from attacks by bears.

Despite the fact that the natural distribution range of grizzly bears is beyond last century has undergone some significant changes, this predator is still most often found in western North America, and also not in the territory southern states, starting from North Dakota or Missouri. In the northern territories, the distribution range reaches British Columbia and Alaska.

Bear lifestyle

Grizzly bears fall into hibernation, which can last about six months. In order to prepare for hibernation, beast of prey consumes a significant amount of nutritious food, after which it settles into a den.

This is interesting! Before hibernation, an adult animal gains on average about 180-200 kg of fat.

During hibernation, the animal does not eat and does not at all fulfill its natural needs. Male grizzlies emerge from hibernation around mid-March, and females a little later - in April or May.

Grizzly bear food and prey

Grizzlies usually hunt large or medium-sized mammals. Extraction predatory bear moose often become, as well as deer and sheep.

A significant part of the diet is represented by fish, including salmon and trout. Among other things, they are eaten by bears wild birds different types and their eggs, as well as various rodents.

As plant food the grizzly bear prefers to use pine nuts, various tubers and berries. An important part of the grizzly's diet is meat, so the predator can hunt animals such as marmots, ground squirrels, lemmings and voles. Most big catch grizzlies are considered bison and elk, as well as whale carcasses washed up on the coastal zone, sea ​​lions and seals.

This is interesting! To feast on the honey of wild bees, a grizzly easily knocks over an adult tree, after which it completely destroys the insects’ nest.

About three-quarters of the diet consists of plant foods in the form of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and cranberries. After the glaciers disappear, bears raid fields with various legumes. In very hungry years, the animal gets close to a person’s home, where livestock can become its prey. Attract wild beast landfills can also food waste located near tourist campsites and tent camps.

Reproduction and offspring

The mating season of gray bears or grizzlies usually occurs in June. It is at this time that males are able to smell females even at a very long distance, amounting to several kilometers. Grizzlies stay in pairs for no more than ten days, after which they return to the solitary lifestyle already familiar to this species.

This is interesting! Unfortunately, not all cubs manage to survive and grow up. Sometimes babies become very easy prey for hungry adult male grizzlies and other predators.

Gestation by the female takes approximately 250 days, after which two or three cubs are born in January-February. Average weight a newborn bear cub, as a rule, does not exceed 410-710 g. Grizzly cubs are born not only naked, but also blind, and also completely toothless, so nutrition in the first months is represented exclusively by mother's milk.

The cubs go out for the first time Fresh air from the den only in late spring, around the end of April or beginning of May. It is from this moment that the female begins to gradually accustom her offspring to obtaining food independently.

As cold weather approaches, the mother bear and cubs begin searching for a new, more spacious den. Bear cubs become independent only in the second year of life, when they are already able to get enough food for themselves. Females reach sexual maturity only at three years, and males about a year later. The adult animal leads a solitary lifestyle characteristic of the species, uniting in pairs only during the mating season.

This is interesting! A special feature of the grizzly bear is the ability to interbreed with individuals of ordinary polar bears, as a result of which fertile offspring appear. Such hybrids are called polar grizzlies.

Population and species status

Currently, grizzly bears are protected, so their main habitat is represented by national parks on American territory. A significant number of individuals inhabit Yellowstone and Mount McKinley parks, as well as the Glacier park area, from where grizzly bears spread to other states.

A small population of wild predators remains in continental America, in northwest Washington and Idaho. General population grizzly bears today number approximately fifty thousand individuals. Once every four years, authorized hunting of this formidable predator is permitted in Alaska.

According to most scientists and renowned zoologists, humans themselves are to blame for a significant portion of all collisions with grizzly bears. In the wild, bears always try to avoid people, so if the rules of behavior are observed, a person does not have the opportunity to encounter such a bloodthirsty predator.

However, we must remember that for all its clubfoot and clumsiness, an adult angry wild animal can run about a hundred meters at the speed of a galloping horse, so it is almost impossible to escape from such a predator.

A bear is one of the animals that you would hardly want to meet one on one. Its dimensions inspire genuine fear. Surprisingly, at birth some bears weigh less than 200 grams, and this inevitably raises the question of how much an adult bear weighs. It all depends on its type and individual characteristics. The most famous bears are: brown, black, white. Since the brown bear lives in our country, we will dwell on it in more detail.

Distribution area

Previously, the brown bear was found throughout almost all of Europe, including Ireland and England. Southern border The area was the African Atlas Mountains, and in the east bears were found even in the territory of modern Japan. It most likely entered North America approximately 40 thousand years ago. Then it settled in territories from Alaska to the northern borders of Mexico. Today, the brown bear is widespread in Finland (in this country it was even declared the national animal) and Scandinavia, and is less common in the center of Europe and the Carpathians. In addition, it also lives in Iranian and Iraqi forests, northern China, Palestine, the Korean Peninsula and Japanese island Hokkaido. IN North America The brown bear is called the “grizzly” and is more often found in western Canada and Alaska. In Russia, the brown bear lives in almost all forests of the country, except for the southern regions.

Appearance

The animal is strong, with distinct withers on the back. The body cover is thick. The coat color is uniform. As a rule, bears shed their coats in the spring, and their coats are renewed in the fall. The ears are small, the eyes are set deep. The tail is practically invisible under the fur and is only 2 cm long. The paws are quite strong, with curved claws (their length can reach 10 cm).

Weight of a brown bear and its dimensions

The average body length of a brown bear is 1-2 meters. recorded in Kamchatka, the Far East and Alaska. These are real giants: their height in a standing position reaches three meters. In addition to height, many are interested in how much a bear weighs. Body weight depends on the sex and age of the animal. As a rule, the male is larger than the female. The weight of an adult bear (male) is 140-400 kg. But among them there are giant individuals weighing up to 600 kg. The female weighs on average 90-210 kg. A bear with a record body weight was discovered on Kodiak Island. His weight was 1134 kg and his height was about 4 meters. Many people are interested in how much someone living in Russia weighs? In our country there are smaller individuals, their body weight on average is 100 kg. How much does a grizzly bear weigh that lives in America? The grizzly bear is a subspecies of the brown bear; its body weight can reach 500 kg. Individual individuals can weigh 700 kg.

Lifespan

How much does a bear weigh and how long does it live - these are probably the most frequently asked questions. Note that the animal directly depends on its habitat. In the wild it can live 20-35 years. If an animal is kept in a zoo or nature reserve, then it lives twice as long - about 50 years, or even more. Puberty occurs at 6-11 years of age.

Behavior

The brown bear has a developed sense of smell. He can smell meat well even from a great distance. The bear has perfectly developed hearing. He often stands on his hind legs to catch the direction of the flow of smell or listen to a sound that interests him. In the forest he behaves like a real owner: he goes around his possessions early morning or after dusk. In bad weather, it can wander through the forests for hours in search of food.

Lifestyle and nutritional habits

The brown bear is considered a forest animal. In Russia it favorite places are thick forested areas with bushes and deciduous trees. Can enter the territory of the tundra and alpine forests. In Europe it often lives in the mountains, and in North America its favorite habitats are alpine meadows, tundra and coast. The male usually lives alone, and the female with cubs. Each individual occupies certain territory from 70 to 400 km, while the male requires 7 times more area than the female. Of course, this does not depend on how much the bear weighs. It’s just that a female more often lives with cubs, and it is more difficult for her to travel long distances than for a single male. Bears mark the boundaries of their territory with urine and scratches on trees.

Animals are omnivores. The diet consists of 75% plant foods - these are berries, tubers, grass stems, nuts, roots and acorns. In lean years they can feed on corn and oat fields. The clubfoot's diet may consist of ants, worms, and small rodents (mice, chipmunks, gophers). Although a bear is not a 100% predator, it can kill an elk or a roe deer. It is not uncommon for grizzlies to attack wolves, and in the Far East, bears sometimes hunt tigers. Honey is considered the favorite delicacy of this animal (that’s why it was called that). Fish is a seasonal object of hunting. At the beginning of spawning, when there are still few fish, the bear eats the entire carcass, but when there is a lot of it, it eats only the fat-rich parts (head, milt and caviar). In hungry years, a bear can hunt domestic animals and often visits apiaries, ruining them.

Brown bear activity occurs in the morning and evening hours. Lifestyle is seasonal. When it gets cold, the bear builds up a subcutaneous layer of fat and lies down in a den to hibernate. At the same time, the average weight of a bear increases by 20%. A den is a dry place under windbreaks or uprooted tree rhizomes. On average, winter sleep lasts about 70-190 days and depends on the climate (October-March, November-April). It turns out that the clubfoot hibernates for about six months. Female bears spend the longest time in hibernation, while older males spend the longest hibernation. It is also interesting to know how much a brown bear weighs after winter sleep. During this time they can lose about 80 kg of weight. If a bear has not managed to accumulate a sufficient amount of fat over the summer and autumn, in winter it awakens and begins to wander through the forest in search of food. Such bears are usually called connecting rods. The connecting rods are dangerous and hungry, so they attack everyone, even humans. Most often, they rarely survive until the end of winter: they die from frost, severe hunger, or from a hunter’s bullet.

Despite the fact that the brown bear's weight is impressive and it looks somewhat clumsy, it runs quite fast, swims well and climbs trees well. The paw strike is so powerful that it can break the back of a large bison or bull.

Reproduction

The female bears offspring once every 2-4 years. Estrus occurs at the end of spring - beginning of summer, lasting only 2-4 weeks. During the breeding season, males often fight among themselves, sometimes with fatal results. occurs with several males, the pregnancy is latent, and embryo development will begin only in November. Pregnancy lasts from 6 to 8 months, the birth itself occurs at the place of hibernation - in the den. There are up to 5 cubs in one litter. I wonder how much a bear weighs at birth if it later reaches that size? Cubs weigh 340-680 grams at birth, their length is 25 cm. They are born completely blind and deaf, with almost no hair. Hearing appears only 14 days after birth, and they become sighted after a month. By 3 months they have baby teeth and can eat berries. The mother bear feeds the cubs with milk for up to 30 months. As a rule, the father does not take part in raising the offspring; on the contrary, he may eat the bear cub because he sees it as a potential rival. Cubs begin to live independently without their mother at about 3-4 years of age.

Security

The brown bear is listed in the Red Book. This animal is vulnerable due to the high mortality rate of young animals and slow reproduction. But in Lately the population is growing. According to some data, there are about 200 thousand individuals in the world, 120,000 of which live in Russia, 14,000 in Europe, 32,500 in the USA ( most of in Alaska), 21,500 in Canada. Bear hunting in many countries is limited or completely prohibited.

Bears are the largest among predatory animals. For example, an adult lion can weigh about 230 kilograms, a tiger - 270 kilograms, but the weight of a large polar bear and grizzly bear reaches 450 kilograms. And yet the largest bear in the world is rightfully called the Alaskan brown bear. The weight of some males of this species was more than 680 kilograms with a height of about three meters. I wouldn't want to meet such a giant somewhere on the trail. But these are average figures, but in real life There are specimens of bears whose parameters are much higher than those above. There is still a debate among people about which bears are the biggest, this is expressed in hunting stories and legends.

The Guinness Book of Records calls the most big bear on the planet of the white polar bear. The average weight of these predators is in the range of 400-600 kg, length - 240-260 cm, height 1.6 m. The largest polar bear that was measured weighed, according to one version, 1002 kg, according to another - 900 kg. The length of this polar bear was 3.5 m. The polar bear's menu includes mainly walruses and seals. A male polar bear gains full physical fitness at the age of 9-10 years.

Among Alaskan brown bears there is an interesting subspecies, which scientists call Kodiak. So, among these Kodiaks, the heaviest bear measured was a giant, whose weight was 1134 kg. If he stood on his hind legs, then his height would be 4 m. Kodiaks are distinguished by long strong limbs, a muscular body and a massive head. These bears live alone and sleep in the winter, just like brown bears. The Kodiak diet includes fish and a variety of plant foods in the form of nuts, roots, berries and grass. Kodiaks very rarely hunt other species of animals. The Kodiak is not afraid of water, so it usually settles along the river bank. Such bears live on south coast Alaska. There is even an island called Kodiak.

The closest relatives of Kodiak bears are grizzly bears, which also reach huge size. Currently, the Kodiak population is constantly increasing. Most of them live in Kodiak National Nature Reserve which is protected by law.

Among fossil animals, bears were also large predators. According to scientists, the largest of them is called the prehistoric South American short-nosed bear. His height was 3.4 m, weight - 1.6 tons. The bones of this giant were found in 1935 in Argentina at the La Plata construction site. According to scientists, this bear was the most large predator on the planet about 2 million years ago. The weight of individual representatives of this species, according to scientists, could reach up to 2 tons.

Recently, a giant man-eating bear was shot and killed by a US Forest Service employee in Alaska. A special commission, after measuring the parameters of the killed bear, found that the prey turned out to be the largest grizzly bear in the world. Such a bear could stand on its hind legs and look at the second floor window. His weight was 726 kg, and his height on his hind legs was 4.3 m.

These are the biggest bears in the world, cute and menacing, cute and scary, in a word prominent representatives animal world.