Grizzly Bear (Silvertip Bear)

The grizzly bear or Silvertip Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) is a sub-species of the brown bear (Ursus Arctos). Grizzly bears are classified as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN due to habitat loss, hunting and poaching.

They can generally be found in North-West America and are the second largest carnivore in that area after the polar bear. They can also be found in Asia and some parts of Europe.

Grizzly bear sows (females) will typically have one to four cubs, with two being the most likely, every other year.

Did you know that a grizzly bear can run at a speed of 55 kilometers per hour (around 35mph!)? Unlike other animals grizzly bears are faster at running uphill than downhill. This is because of how muscle-y they are on the shoulders and so they have to be careful not to overbalance.

Characteristic to brown bears, grizzly bears have a big shoulder hump. This is because these bears dig a lot so their shoulders have to have very strong muscles.

Depending on the geographical range in which the individual grizzly lives the colour of its coat can vary from almost white to nearly-black. Browns and greys are the most common coat colour. They are called ‘grizzly bears’ because of the grizzly grey hairs that are mixed in with their fur. However when it came to giving the scientific name for this species, ‘grizzly’ was mistaken for ‘grisly’ so that was why its Latin name ended in ‘horribilis’!

Grizzly bears are actually omnivores, yet bears are carnivorous.