Search results
The grizzly bear ( Ursus arctos horribilis ), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies [3] of the brown bear inhabiting North America .
Learn about the grizzly bear, a North American subspecies of the brown bear, and its diet, behavior, habitat, and threats. See stunning images of these powerful and majestic animals and how they are protected by law.
Jun 16, 2024 · Learn about the grizzly bear, a subspecies of brown bear that lives in North America and has a distinctive silver-tipped fur. Find out how grizzlies feed, reproduce, mark their territory, and face threats from humans and other predators.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Grizzly bears are large and range in color from very light tan (almost white) to dark brown. They have a dished face, short, rounded ears, and a large shoulder hump. The hump is where a mass of muscles attach to the bear’s backbone and give the bear additional strength for digging.
- They are a subspecies of the brown bear. Grizzly bears are considered a subspecies of the brown bear (Ursus arctos). The main difference between them is in diet and geography.
- They are called “grizzly” both for their fur and their nature. Their hair is grizzled, meaning silver tipped. However, it is believed they originally got their name after the word “grisly” meaning gruesome or scary.
- They are apex predators. This means they are at the top of the food chain. They hunt large mammals, such as moose, caribou, and bison, using their speed and strength to catch them.
- Grizzly bears are also very opportunistic eaters. They’ll also eat carrion (things that are already dead), forage for berries, dig into sand for razor clams, eat grass, and go fishing in rivers.
Learn about the grizzly bear, including where to see in the wild, their diet and how they hunt and conservation efforts in BBC Wildlife's expert guide.
Learn about the grizzly bear, a subspecies of the brown bear that lives in North America. Find out its appearance, distribution, behavior, diet, mating habits and more on Animalia.bio.
