MONTANASTATESYMBOLSWIKI

= Grizzly Bear = = Montana State Animal = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

(Ursus arctos horribilis) as the official state animal in 1983. Grizzly bears can be found in Glacier National Park and the mountains of northwest Montana. Grizzly bears are the largest carnivores in America. An adult grizzly bear can stand 8 feet tall on its hind legs, weigh up to 1,500 pounds, and run at speeds up to thirty-five miles an hour.

The grizzly bear is considered a subspecies of brown bear, distinguished by their larger size, longer claws, and concave facial profile. The grizzly also has a large hump over the shoulders(a mass of muscle used to power the forelimbs in digging). Wildlife experts say fewer than 1,000 grizzlies are left in the western United States. The grizzly bear is listed as threatened in the contiguous United States and endangered in parts of Canada.

Their coloring ranges from blond to deep brown or black. Grizzly bears are omnivorous, feeding on a variety of plants (ncluding berries, roots, sprouts, and fungi) as well as fish, insects and small mammals. A grizzly bear will put on hundreds of pounds of fat in preparation for winter hibernation.

Color varies from pale yellowish to dark brown. White tips on its hairs five it a grizzled appearance. Its face is dish shaped in profile, and it has a distinct hump at the shoulder, which is lacking in the Black Bear. Its front claws, which are longer than a Black Bear's, are useful in digging up rodents and excavating dens. Eats meat, fruit, grasses, fish, and other foods. Makes its own trails, which it uses over and over. At one time it was widespread in the Great Plains and the entire West. Now it survives mainly in national parks such as Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff, Jasper, and Denali. It can weigh up to 850 pounds.

Secretary of State Jim Waltermire wanted to give Montana school children a lesson in how government works by letting them choose the state's official animal in 1982. When students finally voted, the grizzly bear won by a 2-1 margin over the runner-up, the elk. "It has historic significance. Lewis and Clark made numerous references to grizzly spottings and episodes in their journals." On April 7, 1983, Governor Ted Schwinden, wearing a grizzly bear cap, signed the bill into law designating the grizzly bear (Ursus Arctos Horribilis) as the official animal of the state of Montana. Also the official mascot of the University of Montana in Missoula, the grizzly is usually brownish in color with silver tips on the hairs. Adults may grow to be eight feet in length and may weigh up to 1,000 pounds.** SOME FACTS ABOUT GRIZZLY BEARS **

= = = = = = = = = = = **GRIZZLY BEAR VIDEOS - INSERTED BY ALEX** =

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SOME PICTURES OF GRIZZLY BEARS


 * THE MONTANA GRIZZLY BEAR**