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Scientific name: Ursus arctos horribilis
Size/weight/height
Head/Tail Length: 9'
Shoulder Height: 3-4'
Weight: 300-850 lbs.
(size notably related to available food)
Behavior
Hibernation: bears not classified as hibernators, in winter they enter dormancy period; body temperature/pulse doesn't drop; doesn't eat (lives off fat built-up during fall).
Adult males solitary with range encompassing several adult females' ranges;
males reduce potential competition by evicting (even killing) sub-adult males; females vigorously defend young
Reproduction/life span
Life span: wild 25-30 yrs., captivity maximum 47 yrs. (documented)
Mature: 6-8 yrs.
Breed: May-June
Gestation: 210-255 days
Birth Interval: 3-5 years; dependent on available food
Litter: 2-3
Cubs: weigh 12-14 oz; can't regulate body temperature; remain with mom 1-4 years
Reproduction Activity: (female 1st birth, litter size, birth interval) controlled by nutritional factors
Diet - Omnivore
Wild: almost anything; includes succulent vegetation, tubers, berries, insect grubs, small rodents, salmon, trout, carrion, young hoofed mammals (deer, etc.), & livestock if opportunity arises; eats 26-35 lbs. daily
Zoo: omnivore chow, carrots, apples, herring, & bone 1 day/week
Habitat/range: Mountainous forests, NW North America, especially Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, & Yellowstone National Park
Status: U.S. Threatened, CITES App II
Other:
Color: Variable- cream, cinnamon, brown to almost black; fur bleaches in sun
Speed: maximum 30 mph, almost as fast as a deer.
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