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Grizzly bears are some of the largest carnivores on Earth, but did you know that 90% of their diet is vegetation? Or that a grizzly bear’s sense of smell is 2,100 times stronger than that of a human? Here are 10 of the most incredible grizzly bear facts!
1. The Bear Diet is 90% vegetarian.
When most people think of grizzly bears, they mistake them for carnivores. With these teeth and this growl, they can surely become a dangerous predator for some. Oddly enough, grizzly bears are not carnivores, but omnivores, feeding on both animals and plants.
In small corners of the world where grizzlies still roam the land freely, they live on a mostly plant-based diet. Grizzly bears actually consume 20% or less of their meat and flesh on average.
Grizzly bears, from berries to grass and roots, will eat everything that nature has to offer.
2. Bears can be cannibals too.
Man-eating bears may seem a little dramatic, but the truth is that grizzlies sometimes eat their own younger and smaller bear species.
Many male animals kill and eat their own or the young of others; it’s called infanticide, showing the instinctive and heartless side of the grizzly that many don’t want to see.
Sexually selected infanticide has been reported in both grizzly bears and other species. In this mating system, males have almost exclusive breeding rights with at least one female. Often, when the dominant male is not around, the other kills the offspring of the dominant male, trying to take the female as his own.
3. Grizzly bears are tiny in infancy.
Grizzly bears are a subspecies of the brown bear that is scientifically named. Ursus Arktos… When brown bears are born, they weigh about a pound, which is surprisingly little considering that they weigh at least 400 times as much as in adulthood.
Grizzly bears are very vulnerable, they are born without fur and sight. Cubs gain weight quickly, as breast milk is 33% fat.
4. Only 2% of grizzly bear habitats remain in the United States.
Many believe that grizzly bears have been around for at least 20,000 years, but their fate is in the hands of humans. The estimated population of grizzly bears in North America is 50,000, of which only about 1,200 grizzly bears are found in the 48 lower parts of the United States.
From 1850 to 1920, 95% of the grizzly bear’s natural habitat in the United States was destroyed by European settlers. Thereafter, the grizzly population suffered again between 1920 and 1970 due to unregulated hunting. Overall, over the past 100 years, 98% of grizzly bear habitats in the continental United States have been destroyed.
British Columbia, western Alberta, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Alaska are the primary habitats for North American grizzly bears.
5. The grizzly bear one of the lowest reproduction rates among mammals!
Grizzly bears don’t reach puberty until 4-1 / 2-10 years old! For 1/6 to 1/3 of their lives, they do not mate. Some young bears can take from one to 18 months to reach full sexual maturity.
Unlike cats and dogs, which reach sexual maturity in just 5-8 months, bears spend most of their life at puberty, resulting in one of the lowest reproduction rates of any mammal.
6. Grizzly bears can live up to 25 years.
The oldest bear recently reported was 34 years old. However, bears usually live up to 15-25 years in the wild. That is, unless they find an early end in the hands of humans or climate change.
Since bears need such a large area to live in, it can be difficult to maintain a stable life situation. Fortunately, there are many reserves and habitats of the brown bear around the world. These conservation ecosystems allow bears to move freely in their natural habitat without disturbing the rest and with little threat.
7. What’s good for grizzly bears is good for the forest
Grizzly bears are an integral part of the forest and mountain ecosystems of which they are a part. Grizzlies are eating more and more berries due to climate change and seasons. However, they scatter undigested seeds throughout the forest along with manure fertilization to aid the growth process!
Grizzlies even contribute to composting. Not in an airtight container like ours; they pull their weight. Grizzly bears dig and shake the ground, collecting corpses left behind in winter, as well as ground rodents. Uses feed for roots, bulbs and grasses, increasing nitrogen levels in alpine ecosystems and creating richer soil.
8. Grizzly bears smell better than bloodhounds!
Even the average dog can smell about 100 times better than a human, and bloodhounds hold the title of the best sniffer among dogs. You can explode when you learn that a bear’s sense of smell is seven times that of a bloodhound, which means that a bear’s sense of smell is 2,100 times that of a human!
9. Grizzly bears have very long claws
Yes, a grizzly bear is just a species of brown bear, but there are certain characteristics that only a grizzly bear exhibits. One of them is their massive claws, which can be up to 4 inches long! It’s about the length of a human finger, but there is a sharp end at the end!
Other unique characteristics of a grizzly bear are a bulging nose or a concave depression between the eyes and the tip of the nose.
Grizzly bears also have a signature grizzly hump between the shoulders. Grizzlies develop above average clarity due to rock flipping and frequent use of the shoulder muscles.
10. Grizzly bears are not the predators they are created by.
We’ve all heard of a grizzly bear attack in the mountains, but in reality, a grizzly bear attack is usually a reaction to fear or a sense of threat. Like humans, grizzly bears don’t like being welcomed at home.
Grizzlies will show their violent side if they think their cubs, food, or refuge are threatened, but they are not interested in pursuing human flesh, as some dramatizations might suggest.
Travelers and hikers in grizzly areas often carry bear spray with them to prevent aggressive encounters with these massive and beautiful creatures. Noise on the trail will alert the bears that you are approaching and give them enough time to take off.
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