subject: The World Of Grizzly Bears [print this page] Even though many may be quite familiar with the polar bear, there are some other types of bears that are also very intriguing and surely worth mentioning. In the latter category are the grizzly bears, which can also be simply referred to as grizzlies. Very territorial unlike the polar bears, grizzly bears are very amazing creatures, even within the bear family. Also known by other names like the North American bear or the silvertip bear, grizzly bears are found mainly in North America and that includes the nations of Canada and the United States of America.
Unlike the polar bears which are strictly carnivorous in nature and feed primarily on seal meat, grizzly bears actually follow an omnivorous pattern of feeding. They hunt big prey on the uplands of the North America, and on the regular menu are deer, bison, caribou and the legendary moose (North American elk). An even more fascinating diet pattern with the grizzly bear is that they actively fish in streams, rivers, lakes and all sorts of water bodies.
It is a frequently-demonstrated fact that grizzly bears feed on fish species and the most popular of these is the salmon. Apart from salmon, others include trout and bass. Grizzlies tend to have an accurate calendar of when the salmon start their spawning season and move upstream. All the grizzly has to do is to stay on a ledge in the water and grab the jumping salmon with its razor-sharp teeth. They can also feed on insects, plants, nuts and even seeds.
When studying the demography (population distribution) of the grizzlies, one very interesting discovery is made. The grizzly bears found in the mountain ranges of the United States differ in size from those found further up north in the Alaskan or Canadian Rockies where the grizzlies are relatively bigger and much more massive. AT this juncture, it is quite important to chip in a fact. Even though the primary range for the grizzly are the uplands of North America, other brown bears are also found in Europe and even some parts of Asia. By nature, the grizzly is not a gregarious creature even though it is quite vibrant. Grizzly bears do not move in herds and can only be found in groups occasionally, like during the salmon spawning seasons.
Talking of physical size, the grizzly is comparably smaller than its counterparts in the Polar Regions. A male grizzly can reach over 350 kg while the male polar bear can tip the scales at almost 700 kg. But, this is nonetheless, very impressive and remarkable in all ramifications. Even though the typical grizzly is brown in color, it is not unusual to stumble upon those with very light shades or dark hues.
But, in spite of all the attractive features of the grizzly that have been outlined, it must be noted that grizzlies can be quite aggressive towards humans. Luckily, they normally avoid contact with people, and very rarely do they attack people as their prey. That said, a good place to start viewing grizzlies is the Denali National Park in Alaska.
