8/24/24, 8:56 PM brown bear -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia
brown bear
brown bear, (Ursus arctos), shaggy-haired bear (family Ursidae)
native to Europe, Asia, and northwestern North America. Numerous
forms of the brown bear have been described; they are treated as
several subspecies of Ursus arctos. One subspecies, the Kodiak bear
(U. arctos middendorffi), weighs up to 720 kg (1,600 pounds) and is
often considered to be the world’s largest carnivore, a title it shares
brown bear with the polar bear (U. maritimus), which grows to a similar size.
Brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Finland. Although North American brown bears are traditionally called
grizzlies, this common name refers formally to the subspecies U.
arctos horribilis, which is widespread across northwestern North
America (see grizzly bear).
Brown bears are omnivorous and feed on berries, plant roots and
shoots, small mammals, fish, calves of many hoofed animals, and
carrion. They often cache food in shallow holes, and they dig readily
and vigorously in search of rodents. Except in some southern areas,
bears retire to dens in winter; they accumulate large amounts of fat
during late summer and autumn. Cubs, usually twins, are born in
winter after about six to eight months of gestation. At birth a cub
weighs less than 1 kg (2.2 pounds).
Eurasian brown bears are generally solitary animals that are able to
run and swim well. They are usually 120–210 cm (about 48–83
inches) long and weigh 135–250 kg (300–550 pounds); the
brown bear
exceptionally large Siberian brown bear (U. arctos beringianus),
Brown bear (Ursus arctos). weighing as much as 360 kg (800 pounds), approximates the size of
the North American grizzly. Coat colour is highly variable, ranging
from grayish white through bluish and brownish shades to almost
black. Eurasian brown bears are commonly seen in zoos; formerly
they were often trained to move rhythmically to music—the so-
called dancing bears of European carnivals and festivals. They once
roamed most of Europe and Asia; however, the animal’s southern
Eurasian brown bear range has been significantly reduced.
Eurasian brown bear swimming in a
Brown bears have an extremely large geographic distribution, and
zoo.
their worldwide population totals more than 200,000 individuals. For
these reasons, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species has
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8/24/24, 8:56 PM brown bear -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia
classified the brown bear as a species of least concern. Brown bears
living in close proximity to humans are often regarded as pests
because of the animals’ attraction to human foods. Their large size
and relatively aggressive disposition can unsettle people who come
in contact with them, and brown bears that frequent human
settlements are sometimes killed by landowners and government
officials. Other sources of brown bear mortality include collisions
Geographic ranges of living with trains and automobiles, poaching, and sport hunting. In
species of bears addition, the gallbladder and bile of some brown bears are harvested
Geographic ranges of the eight living to make traditional medicines that purportedly alleviate digestive
species of bears. problems and inflammation and purify the blood. Many harvesting
operations also remove and sell the animals’ paws, which are
considered a delicacy in parts of Asia. The Ainu people of Japan
worship the brown bear as a god of the mountains, and some
mountain-dwelling Ainu consider the bear their ancestor.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most
recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.
brown bear (Ursus arctos) in
Alaska's Katmai Peninsula
Brown bears (Ursus arctos) retire to
dens in winter, and they accumulate
large amounts of fat during late
summer and autumn.
Citation Information
Article Title: brown bear
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 31 July 2024
URL: [Link]
Access Date: August 24, 2024
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