Grizzly Bear Biology: What's Under All That Fur?

Physical Appearance      Paws, Claws & Tracks      Size      Skulls & Humps      Bear Senses        Bear Abilities        Life Cycle

 
Grizzly Bear Abilities

•  Intelligence 

  • Grizzlies are extremely intelligent and curious 

  • Bears have a large brain compared to their size 

  • They are one of the more intelligent mammals 

  • They have excellent long-term memory 

  • Their navigation ability is superior to humans 

  • They can generalize to the simple concept level 

Source: Webshots

•  Locomotion 

  • Walking Ability 

    • Grizzlies usually walk on all four paws but they can walk upright on their hind legs too 

    • When they are alarmed, Grizzly Bears often stand upright on their hind legs to get a better view of potential dangers 

    • They may also stand upright when they claw trees, fence posts, or utility poles, or to display aggression when they encounter another bear... Grizzlies in BC 

    • They can only walk on their hind legs for short distances and they are slow  

  • Swimming Ability 

    • Grizzly Bears are excellent, strong swimmers 

    • They can cross rivers and small lakes 

  • Climbing Ability 

    • Their long foreclaws aren’t adapted for climbing trees 

  • Running Ability

    	Grizzlies are swift runners, and can easily catch a black bear unless it climbs a tree to safety
    	Over short distances they can run 10 metres per second or speeds up to 48 km per hour
    	However they can only run this fast for short distances...Natural History Museum

Source:  Bears In BC - Hinterland - BC Government - Grizzly Bears In BC

Learn more about Grizzly Bear Senses at Hinterland's Who's Who 

Grizzly Bear Index

Grizzly Bear Introduction
What Colour Are They?
What's Under All That Fur?
Grizzly Bears In Action
Grizzly Bear Activities
To Black Bears ...