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Canyon Country Animals

Mammals: Bear

This page introduces some basic information on how to recognize a black bear from a grizzly bear.

The Best Way to Avoid Conflict with Bears is to Prevent It

Bear Facts: Black Bears vs. Grizzly Bears

Black bears range in color from black to cinnamon, often with a white blaze on the chest.
Males are much larger than females. On average, a black bear is about 3.5 feet tall, standing on all four feet, and weigh about 200 pounds, but some males can weigh over 500 pounds.
Black bears are strong swimmers and tree climbers.
Although they have a clumsy walk, they are surprisingly fast sprinters, reaching speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.
In the wild, black bears occupy forests and wooded mountains. They are omnivorous, meaning they eat both meat and vegetation. They eat whatever is available, depending on the season. A typical diet consists of berries, plants, nuts, roots, fruit, honey, honeycombs, bees, insects, and larvae. Bears also catch and eat fish and small mammals, and will eat carrion (dead animals).
Female bears mate beginning at four years of age, and produce cubs every other year. The cubs remain with their mother for 18-20 months, learning to forage and hunt.
As winter approaches, bears will forage up to 20 hours a day, storing enough fat to sustain them through hibernation. They seek out a suitable den, such as a hollow tree—sometimes 40 to 60 feet above the ground—and line it with leaves or pine needles.
Females with yearling cubs will hibernate with their cubs.
Bears remain in their dens, without eating, until spring. They will often return to the same den to hibernate year after year.
Large trees are very important to bears.

Black Bear (foreground) and Grizzly Bear

To distinguish between Black Bears and Grizzly Bears, look for:

	Black Bear (Ursus americansus)	Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos)
Size & Weight	Adults are 2.5 to 3 feet at the shoulder and weigh up to 200 to 300 pounds.	Adults are about 3.5 feet at the shoulder and weigh from 300 to 700 pounds.
Color	Varies from black to blond. Many black bears in this region are black with a light brown muzzle.	Varies from black to blond; dark fur with long, pale guard hairs accounts for a mixed dark and light, or grizzled, appearance.
Appearance	Straight face; no shoulder hump; rump higher than shoulders.	Dished-in face; tine ears; prominent shoulder hump; rump lower than shoulders.
Claws	Short and curved for climbing. Claws do not always show in tracks.	Long and straight. Claws often show in tracks.
Paws	Claws are closer to the pads; toes are more separated and more arced.	Claws are farther away from pads; toes are closer together and less arced.
	A line drawn under the big toe across the top of the pad runs through the top one-half of the little toe on black bear tracks and through or below the bottom one-half of the little toe on grizzly tracks.

Notes

The photo of the bears at the top of this page is taken from a commercial clip art package and was not produced by the author. The drawing of the Black Bear and the Grizzly bear was taken from Teewinot, the official newspaper of Grand Teton National Park.

Bear Advisory

The Department of Fish and Wildlife Management advises hikers, hunters, fishermen, and golfers to take extra precautions and be on the alert for bears while in the mountains during the spring and summer months.

Be advised that those hiking or camping in the mountains should wear noise-producing devices, such as little bells, on their clothing to alert, but not to startle, the bears unexpectedly. They also advise hikers and others to carry pepper spray, in case of an unavoidable encounter with a bear.

It is also a good idea to watch for signs of bear activity. Hikers and campers should be able to recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear droppings. Black bear droppings are smaller and contain berries and possibly squirrel or other small animal fur. Grizzly bear droppings contain small bells and smell like pepper spray.

Note: In case you hadn't figured it out, the above text is meant to be humorous. But encounters with bears can be frightening experiences. We have found that it is best to stay out of areas where there are reports of active bears, especially during the seasons when mother bears are with their young. There are plenty of places for us to hike and camp away from bear habitat.

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