Brown Bear

Common Name: Brown bear Ours brun (Fr); Oso pardo (Sp)

Scientific Name: Ursus arctos

Habitat: Temperate Broadleaf Forests

Location: Europe, Asia, Northern America

Background

© WWF - Canon / Darron JEW

Few animals have captured the imagination like brown bears. They can stand on two legs, have eyes in the front of their heads, walk on the soles of their feet, pick things up with their 'fingers,' eat what we eat and nurse their young as we do.

Physical Description

This species is one of the largest living carnivores. On average, adult males are 8 to 10 percent larger than females but sizes vary according to the location of the species. Brown bears are notably strong and show remarkable endurance, reportedly being able to outrun a horse, and drag a dead elk up a hill.

Bears communicate by leaving scratch marks on trees, through smells and sounds, but their eyesight is poor. They may be heard 'moaning' sometimes when they are foraging. By scratching and rubbing on trees they mark their territory and indicate their reproductive status.

Brown bears usually forage in the morning and evening and rest under dense vegetation during the day. Depending on the season, brown bears may travel hundreds of miles during the autumn to locate food supplies.

Hibernation lasts from around October/December to March/May. In certain southern areas however, hibernation is very short or may not occur at all. To hibernate, bears choose a location such as a burrow, located on a sheltered slope under a large stone or among the roots of a large tree. Dens may be used on repeated occasions over the years.

The brown bear moves slowly (it 'ambles'), although when it needs to it can pick up impressive speeds.

Size
Brown bears can grow to a huge size, males up to 770 pounds, females to 440 pounds. The biggest brown bear was caught in Romania and weighed over 1,000 pounds.

Color
Although the pelage of this species is usually dark brown, it can vary from cream to almost black depending on the location of the species. In the Rocky Mountains, they have long hairs on the shoulders and back which are frosted with white.

Habitat

Major habitat type
Temperate Broadleaf Forests

Biogeographic realm
Nearctic, Palearctic

Range States
Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Belarus, Latvia, European Russia, Romania, Ukraine, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslav Federation, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Austria, Italy, Bulgaria, Spain, France, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijhan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Mongolia, Central/eastern Russia, Japan, United States, Canada

Geographical Location
Europe, Asia, Northern America

Why is this species important?

Bears are considered of high priority in conservation. Given their dependence on large natural areas, they are important management indicators for a number of other wildlife species. Moreover, brown bears play important roles as predators (keeping populations in check) and as seed dispersers.