Grizzly Bears

Ursus arctos horribilis

   

Front Track Hind Track

7 in. L X 5 in. W

11 in. L X 6 in. W

Grizzly Bear Tracks

 

Front track on the left. Hind track on the right. Claws longer on front foot for digging.

Click here to hear a bear roar. (48K WAV file)

 

 

Natural History of Grizzly Bears

   
Grizzly bear drawing by Kim A. Cabrera Grizzly bears are also called brown bears. They live in forested areas and do a lot of feeding along the edges where the forest meets open meadows. Their diet is similar to that of black bears. They rip open logs to get grubs and ants. They eat whole wasp nests, hive and all. They are also good hunters and can move very fast over short distances. Grizzlies are well-known for their love of salmon. 

Tracks show five toes on both front and hind feet. The front foot has longer claws, used for digging. If you see a bear from a distance and you can clearly see the claws, it is most likely a grizzly. Another defining characteristic is the hump on the shoulders. The face of a grizzly in more pointed than that of a black bear. They get the name grizzly from the grizzled appearance of their fur.



   
   

Grizzly bear track cast. Photo copyright by
                        Kim A. Cabrera 1999.

This track casting from a grizzly bear foot came from Alaska. A friend of mine took this cast and said there was a wolf track inside the grizzly bear's track. Can you see the wolf track in the above casting? Look carefully. It is near the top edge.

 

Personal Notes on Grizzly Bears

 

No grizzlies live in California (except in zoos). The last California grizzly was shot in 1922 in Tulare County. In Humboldt County, where I live, the first explorers through the area encountered numerous grizzlies as they made their way south. This was in late 1849 and early 1850. In fact, one of the explorers was attacked by a grizzly near the present-day town of Miranda. By 1868, there were no more grizzlies in Humboldt County.

I have never met a grizzly up close. I've visited grizzly country though. A friend of mine brought me a plaster cast of a grizzly bear track once. It is the biggest bear track I've ever seen. Dwarfs the black bear tracks I usually see!

 

 

Find grizzly bear track posters, greeting cards, postage stamps and more in my new store.

Visit Beartracker's Nature Store online store at: www.dirt-time.com   Happy tracking!!

What else can you find in the nature store? Beartracker's T-shirts, sweatshirts, journals, book bags, toddler and infant apparel, mouse pads, posters, postcards, coffee mugs, travel mugs, clocks, Frisbees, bumper stickers, hats, stickers, and many more items. All with tracks or paw  prints, or nature scenes. Custom products are available. If you don't see the track you want on the product you want, email me and I can probably create it. Proceeds from all sales go to pay the monthly fees for this web site. You can help support this site as well as get great tracking products! Thank you!

 

Find other tracking products: www.zazzle.com/tracker8459*

 

Also visit these fine stores for more products of interest:

NDN Pride shop - For Indian Pride items for all tribes. Custom items available on request.

ASL Signs of Love - For anyone who uses or is learning ASL, American Sign Language. Custom name items and more are available here.

Sales from all stores give commissions to Beartracker's Animal Tracks Den, which helps keep this site online as a free service. We are celebrating ten years online this year!

 

If you wish to help keep this site online, donations are accepted through PayPal.
Beartracker's Animal Tracks Den is provided as a free service, but your
donations are sincerely appreciated to pay the monthly hosting fees.
If you do not wish to donate, we do have a store where you can purchase
custom tracking items.
Thank you and happy tracking!

 

 

 

 

prints prints

Got a bear story? E-mail me and tell me about it.

tracker777@hotmail.com

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Copyright © 1998, 2018. Text and drawings by Kim A. Cabrera

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