Eurasian Brown Bear by Ghirin

The Eurasian brown bear is the Old World population of Ursus arctos, equivalent to the grizzly and Kodiak bears of North America. These bears have considerable size range, from the small bear of southern Europe to the giant bears of the Kamchatka peninsula (eastern Siberia). Likewise, the fur has a wide range of color, from blonde to almost black.

The brown bear has adapted to many of the habitats found on the Eurasian continent, including the dry environment of the Gobi desert and the mountain ranges of southern Asia. Populations have been recorded in Russia, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, China, the Himalayas, Turkey, and Hokkaido. Small, isolated populations have also been found in continental Western Europe.

Brown bears have a varied diet. They usually eat what is most available at the time. Spring foods include grasses, sedges, moss and roots while later in the year, berries become more important. Other foods such as insects, fungi, and meat are eaten when available. In areas where there are salmon runs, bears will harvest salmon as the fish make their way up rivers to spawn.

Late fall is the time that brown bears seek out dens for hibernation. The bear might dig its own den, and then make a bed of dry vegetation. During hibernation, there is a significant depression in the bear's hear rate and respiration. However the bear can be easily roused if it needs to escape from danger.

Created by Ghirin 2003

Updated 2010-11-03

Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.

Nothing new.