? Brown Bear Conservation status: Lower risk
Brown bear rearing
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae Genus: Ursus Species: U. arctos
Binomial name
Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758
Brown bear footprint

The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) is a species of bear that can reach weights of 130–700 kg (300–1500 pounds). The grizzly bear, the Kodiak bear and the Mexican brown bear are North American subspecies of the brown bear. It is sometimes referred to poetically as the bruin. Download high resolution version (588x800, 155 KB) Image info Animal species  Brown Bear Location/Date  Hagenbeck Zoological Garden, Hamburg (Germany), May 1999 Taken/scanned with  Pentax ME with Soligor 60-300/Nikon Coolscan III LS-30 Original picture  3467x2257 pixels, 23. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Subregnum Bilateria  Acoelomorpha  Orthonectida  Rhombozoa  Myxozoa  Superphylum Deuterostomia     Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascideiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of mammary glands... Families Canidae Felidae Herpestidae Hyaenidae Mephitidae Mustelidae Nandiniidae Odobenidae Pinnipedia Procyonidae Ursidae Viverridae The diverse order Carnivora includes over 260 placental mammals. ... For other meanings, see Bear (disambiguation). ... Species Ursus arctos Ursus americanus Ursus maritimus Ursus thibetanus Ursus spelaeus (extinct) Ursus is a genus in the family Ursidae (bears) that includes the widely distributed brown bears and black bears. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is a standard convention used for naming species. ... A painting of Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as Carl von Linné (   listen?), and who wrote under the Latinized name Carolus Linnaeus (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of taxonomy. ... 1758 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Image File history File links Footprint of a brown bear in Kamchatka. ... For other meanings, see Bear (disambiguation). ... To help compare different orders of magnitude we list here masses between 100 and 1000 kilograms. ... Officially the pound is the name for at least three different units of mass: The pound (avoirdupois). ... World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west... In taxonomy, a subspecies is the taxon immediately subordinate to a species. ... Bruin is a word for brown bear (Ursos arctos), or for any bear, usually poetically or archaically. ...

Appearance

Brown bears have coats in shades of blond, brown, black, or a combination of those colours; the long outer guard hairs are often tipped with white or silver, giving a "grizzled" appearance. Brown bears have a large hump of muscle over their shoulders which gives strength to the forelimbs for digging. The Brown Bear posesses tremendous power: a large specimen can break a bison's spine with one blow of its powerful forepaw. Their heads are large and round with a concave facial profile. In spite of their size, some have been clocked at speeds in excess of 35 miles per hour. Aside from their overwhelming strength and deceptive speed, Brown Bears are legendary for their physical stamina. They are capable of running at full speed for miles and miles at a time without stopping. The largest subpecies of the brown bear is the Kodiak bear and Alaskan Coastal bear. The largest Kodiak bear was captured on Kodiak island and brought to the Berlin zoo; it weighed 1200 kg, or over 2500 pounds, according to Great Bear Almanac by Garry Brown, though captive Kodiak bears sometimes weigh near 1500 kg in Autumn. A top-down view of skeletal muscle Muscle is a contractile form of tissue. ... In geometry, concavity is a property of certain geometric figures, and in calculus, a property of certain graphs of functions. ...

Habitat

Once native to Asia, Africa, Europe and North America, [1] brown bears are now extinct in some areas and have had their numbers greatly reduced in others. They prefer semi-open country, usually in mountainous areas. The brown bear ranges from Alaska east through the Yukon and Northwest Territories, south through British Columbia and through the western half of Alberta. Isolated populations exist in northwestern Washington, northern Idaho, western Montana, and northwestern Wyoming. World map showing location of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of Eurasia, defined by subtracting Europe from Eurasia. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest continent and second most populous after Asia. ... World map showing location of Europe When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west... State nickname: The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Other U.S. States Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Governor Frank Murkowski (R) Official languages English Area 1,067,653 mi² / 1,717,854 km² (1st)  - Land 1,481,347 km²  - Water 236,507 km² (13. ... Motto: none Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Whitehorse Largest city Whitehorse Commissioner Jack Cable Premier Dennis Fentie (Yukon Party) Area 482,443 km² (9th) Land 474,391 km² Water 8,052 km² (1. ... Motto: None Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Yellowknife Largest city Yellowknife Commissioner Tony Whitford Premier Joe Handley (Consensus government - no party affiliations) Area 1,346,106 km² (3rd) Land 1,183,085 km² Water 163,021 km² (12. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Splendour without diminishment) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Area 944,735 km² (5th) Land 925,186 km² Water 19,549 km² (2. ... Motto: Fortis et Liber (Strong and free) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ralph Klein (PC) Area 661,848 km² (6th) Land 642,317 km² Water 19,531 km² (2. ... State nickname: The Evergreen State Other U.S. States Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Governor Christine Gregoire (D) Official languages None Area 184,824 km² (18th)  - Land 172,587 km²  - Water 12,237 km² (6. ... State nickname: Gem State Other U.S. States Capital Boise Largest city Boise Governor Dirk Kempthorne (R) Official languages none Area 216,632 km² (14th)  - Land 214,499 km²  - Water 2,133 km² (0. ... State nickname: Treasure State Other U.S. States Capital Helena Largest city Billings Governor Brian Schweitzer (D) Official languages English Area 381,156 km² (4th)  - Land 377,295 km²  - Water 3,862 km² (1%) Population (2000)  - Population 902,195 (44th)  - Density 2. ... State nickname: Equality State Other U.S. States Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Governor Dave Freudenthal (D) Official languages English Area 253,554 km² (10th)  - Land 251,706 km²  - Water 1,851 km² (0. ...

• The subspecies U. arctos horribilis (the Grizzly Bear) is the common brown bear of continental North America;
• The subspecies U. arctos middendorffi (Kodiak bear) includes bears on the Alaskan islands of Kodiak Island, Afognak Island, and Shuyak Island.
• The range of the subspecies U. arctos nelsoni is in northern Mexico.
• In Asia, the Himalayan Brown Bear (U. arctos isabellinus) is found in the foothills of the Himalaya,
• and the Higuma or Hokkaido brown bear (U. arctos yesoensis) is found on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

It is not known how long Ursus arctos has existed in North America. While there were certainly some there during the last part of the Ice Age, it is thought that the brown bear was not the dominant carnivore at the time. That role belonged to the far larger, taller, and stronger Giant Short Faced Bear, aka Bulldog Bear, which was almost certainly dominant when the two animals met. The Giant Short Faced Bear was adapted for fast running and meat from rather large animals was the main part of its diet, in contrast to the Grizzly or Brown Bear, which has teeth adapted to an omnivorous diet. The Giant Short Faced Bear, on average, weighed twice as much as the Grizzly, despite some exceptional Grizzly Bears in the later Old West that were recorded to have grown to 800 kilograms or so. Kodiak Island is a large island on the south coast of Alaska, separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait. ... Afognak is an island 5 km (3 miles) from Kodiak Island in Alaska. ... The Himalaya is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. ... Hokkaido   listen? (北海道 Hokkaidō, literal meaning: North Sea Route, Ainu: Mosir), formerly known as Ezo, is the second largest island of Japan. ... ... ... The international prototype, made of platinum-iridium, which is kept at the BIPM under conditions specified by the 1st CGPM in 1889. ...

Ursus arctos also shared the land with the American Lion and Sabertooth, both at least a match for any Grizzly and both apparantly also dependent on large animals for food. But the Grizzly could eat plant food, insects, carrion, small animals of all kinds, and large mammals if needed, in contrast to the far more restricted food menu available to the giant cats and the Giant Short Faced Bear. This made the other big carnivores very vulnerable to starvation if the supply of available large mammals gave out, which eventually happened through hunting by humans. Trinomial name Panthera leo atrox (Leidy, 1853) The American lion, also known as the North American or American cave lion, is an extinct feline known from fossils. ... Sabretooth (Victor Creed) is a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, and an arch-enemy of Wolverine. ...

For whatever reason the Ice Age herbivorous megafauna became extinct; the Sabertooth, American Lion, and Short Faced Bear could no longer find enough suitable food, and faded into extinction, leaving the Brown Bear/Grizzly as top North American predator alongside wolves, the jaguar in the south, the black bear, and puma. It is not known precisely how long humans have lived in America, but the biggest human emigration there was about the time of the last Ice Age period, when the Paleo-Indians showed up. These people brought with them the Clovis Point and advanced hunting techniques. If these people were responsible for wiping out the Ice Age herbivore megafauna, it can be argued that Ursus arctos benefited in numbers and range by the extinction of the competing predators. Sabretooth (Victor Creed) is a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, and an arch-enemy of Wolverine. ... Trinomial name Panthera leo atrox (Leidy, 1853) The American lion, also known as the North American or American cave lion, is an extinct feline known from fossils. ... ... Binomial name Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 The Wolf or Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) is a mammal of the Canidae family and the ancestor of the domestic dog. ... Binomial name Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758) The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a large member of the cat family native to warm regions of America. ... Binomial name Ursus americanus The American Black Bear (Ursus americanus), also known as simply the black bear or cinnamon bear, is the most common bear in North America. ... Binomial name Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) The puma (Puma concolor) is a type of big cat found in North, Central and South America. ... Paleo-Indians is an English term used to refer to the ancient peoples of America who were present at the end of the last Ice Age. ...

There are estimated to be about 200,000 brown bears in the world. The largest populations are in Russia, with 120,000, United States, with 32,500, and Canada with 21,750. Ninety-five percent of the population in the United States is in Alaska, though slowly in the West the bears seem to be repopulating along the Rockies and plains. In Europe, there are 14,000 brown bears in ten separate fragmented populations, from Spain to Russia and north into Scandinavia. They are extinct in the British Isles, extremely threatened or extirpated in France and in trouble over most of Central Europe. Rocky Mountain National Park (photo courtesy of NPS) View of Colorado Rockies. ... Scandinavia, Fennoscandia, and the Kola Peninsula. ... The British Isles consist of Great Britain, Ireland and a number of much smaller surrounding islands. ...

Behaviour

The brown bear is primarily nocturnal and, in the summer, puts on up to 180 kg (400 pounds) of fat, on which it relies to make it through winter, when it becomes very lethargic. Although they are not true hibernators and can be woken easily, they like to den in a protected spot such as a cave, crevice, or hollow log during the winter months. A nocturnal animal is one that sleeps during the day and is active at night - the opposite of the human (diurnal) schedule. ... Look up fat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Hibernation is a state of regulated hypothermia, lasting several days or weeks, that allows animals to conserve energy during the winter. ... Alternate meanings: Cave (disambiguation) The outside world viewed from a cave A cave is a natural underground void large enough for an adult human to enter. ...

They are omnivores and feed on a variety of plant parts, including berries, roots, and sprouts; fungi; and fish, insects, small mammals, and unattended picnic baskets. Contrary to popular mythology, brown bears are not particularly carnivorous; they derive up to three-fourths of their dietary food energy from vegetable matter. Interestingly, bears eat an enormous number of moths during the summer (sometimes as many as 20,000 to 40,000 in a day) and may derive up to a third of their food energy from these insects. They also occasionally prey on deer (Odocoeilus spp.; Dama spp., Capreolus spp.), red deer (Cervus elaphus spp., or American elk), moose (Alces spp.) and wild boar (Sus scrofa). Omnivores are organisms that consume both plants and animals. ... Primary and secondary roots in a cotton plant In vascular plants, the root is that organ of a plant body that typically lies below the surface of the soil (compare with stem). ... Sprouting is the practice of soaking then draining and leaving seeds until they germinate and begin to sprout. ... Divisions Chytridiomycota Zygomycota Glomeromycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota Yellow fungus For the fictional character, see Fungus the Bogeyman. ... Groups Conodonta Hyperoartia Petromyzontidae (lampreys) Pteraspidomorphi (early jawless fish) Thelodonti Anaspida Cephalaspidomorphi (early jawless fish) Galeaspida Pituriaspida Osteostraci Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) Placodermi Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish) Acanthodii Osteichthyes (bony fish) Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish) Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) Actinistia (coelacanths) Dipnoi (lungfish) A fish is a poikilothermic (cold-blooded)* water-dwelling... Classes & Orders Subclass: Apterygota Orders Archaeognatha (Bristletails) Thysanura (Silverfish) Monura - extinct Subclass: Pterygota Orders Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Diaphanopteroidea - extinct Palaeodictyoptera - extinct Megasecoptera - extinct Archodonata - extinct Infraclass: Neoptera Orders Blattodea (cockroaches) Isoptera (termites) Mantodea (mantids) Dermaptera (earwigs) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, etc) Phasmatodea (walking sticks) Embioptera (webspinners) Zoraptera... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of mammary glands... A picnic basket is a basket or other container intended to hold food and tableware for a picnic meal. ... Food energy is the amount of energy in food. ... A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly. ... Subfamilies Capreolinae Cervinae Hydropotinae Muntiacinae Defined strictly, a deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. ... Binomial name Cervus elaphus Linnaeus,, 1758 Subspecies Numerous - see text. ... The word Elk has several possible meanings: In Europe, Elk is the animal known in North America as the Moose (Alces alces). ... Binomial name Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758) A female moose. ... Binomial name Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 The Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) is the wild ancestor of the domesticated pig. ...

Brown bears have also been found stealing the kills of tigers, wolves, and pumas. Two male tigers were found killed by brown bears in the year 2000. Tigers (Panthera tigris) are mammals of the Felidae family and one of four big cats in the Panthera genus. ... Binomial name Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 The Grey Wolf (Canis lupus), also known colloquially as the wolf, is a mammal of the Canidae family and the ancestor of the domestic dog. ... Binomial name Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) The puma (Puma concolor) is a type of big cat found in North, Central and South America. ...

Normally a solitary animal, the brown bear congregates alongside streams and rivers during the salmon spawn in the fall. Every other year females produce one to four young, which weigh only about 2 to 5 kg (1 to 2 lb) at birth. Raised entirely by their mother, the cubs are taught to climb trees at the sign of danger. The Chinook or King Salmon is the largest salmon in North America and can grow up to 58 long and 126 pounds. ...

Habituation to human areas

A fed bear is a dead bear -- bears are transported when possible, but repeat offenders may be killed, when they have associated humans with food sources.

With the encroachment of humans into bear habitat, bears may become attracted to human-related food sources such as garbage dumps, litter bins, dumpsters, and so on, and may even venture into human dwellings or barns in search of food. In the U.S., it is not unheard of for a bear to kill and eat farm animals. Once a bear comes to associate human activity with a 'food reward', a bear is likely to continue to become emboldened in its quest for food and human/bear encounters become more likely. There is a saying, "a fed bear is a dead bear", which has come into use to popularize the idea that allowing bears to scavenge human garbage, pet food, or other food sources that draw the bear into contact with humans can result in disaster—for the bear. Image File history File links This image is taken from an apparently copyright image, published in July/August 2005 Sierra Magazine. ... Image File history File links This image is taken from an apparently copyright image, published in July/August 2005 Sierra Magazine. ...

Though bears have been relocated to areas distant from human populations, some bears become 'hooked' on a given food source and will return to the same location. Bears that have repeatedly returned to a given area, and thus have become perceived as dangerous, are sometimes killed to prevent human injuries or death.

Yellowstone National Park, an enormous reserve located in the Western United States, contains prime habitat for the Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), as well as other Brown Bears, but due to the enormous number of visitors, human-bear encounters are not rare. The scenic beauty of the area has caused an influx of people moving into the area. In addition, because there are so many bear relocations to the same remote areas of Yellowstone, and because male bears tend to dominate the center of the relocation zone, female bears tend to be pushed to the boundaries of the region and beyond. The result is that a large proportion of repeat offender bears—bears that are destroyed for the public safety—are females. This creates a further depressive effect on an already endangered species (the Grizzly Bear is officialy described as threatened in the U.S). Though the problem is most significant with regard to Grizzlies, these issues affect the other types of Brown Bear as well. Yellowstone National Park is a U.S. National Park located in the states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. ...

In Europe, part of the problem lies with shepherds: Over the past two centuries, many sheep and goat herders have gradually abandoned the more traditional practice of using dogs to guard flocks (which have concurrently grown larger.) Typically they allow the herds to graze freely over sizeable tracts of land. As bears reclaim parts of their range, they may take livestock as a means of survival. The shepherd is forced to shoot the bear to protect his livelihood, the community goes up in arms, and often the bears pay the price. In a draw in a mountainous region, a shepherd guides a flock of about 20 sheep amidst scrub and olive trees. ... For other members of the dog family, see Canidae. ...

Subspecies

The subspecies of brown bears have been listed as follows; however, there is little agreement on classification:-

• Ursus arctos arctos — European brown bear
• Ursus arctos californicus — golden bear (extinct)
• Ursus arctos horribilis — grizzly bear, United States
• Ursus arctos isabellinus — Himalayan Brown Bear, Nepal
• Ursus arctos middendorffi — Kodiak bear, Alaska
• Ursus arctos nelsoni — Mexican grizzly bear, (extinct?)
• Ursus arctos pruinosus — Tibetan blue bear, Western China
• Ursus arctos yesoensis — Hokkaido bear, Japan

blue bear is 2. ...

Legal status

The grizzly bear (sometimes called the silvertip bear) is listed as threatened in the continguous United States. It is currently slowly repopulating areas where it was previously extirpated, though it is still vulnerable. The continental United States refers (except sometimes in U.S. federal law and regulations) to the largest part of the U.S. that is delimited by a continuous border. ...

• The golden bear disappeared from the state of California in 1922 when the last one was shot in Tulare County, California. It can be seen on the state flag of California and as the mascot of the sports teams of the University of California, Berkeley.
• The Mexican grizzly bear is listed as endangered and may be extinct.
• The grizzly bear is state listed as threatened in the lower 48 states in the United States. In Canada, it is listed as vulnerable in Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, and Yukon Territory. Prairie populations of grizzly bear are listed as extirpated in Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Tulare County is a county located in U.S. state of Californias Central Valley, south of Fresno. ... The modern Bear Flag of California The flag of California was first flown during the Bear Flag Revolt and was adopted by the California state legislature in 1911. ... University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (also known as Cal, University of California, UC Berkeley, UCB, or simply Berkeley) is a public coeducational university situated in Berkeley, California, USA to the east of San Francisco Bay, overlooking the Golden Gate. ... The American bison numbered as few as 750 in 1890 due to extreme overhunting. ... The continental United States refers (except sometimes in U.S. federal law and regulations) to the largest part of the U.S. that is delimited by a continuous border. ...

Bear encounters

It is extremely rare that brown bears kill or seriously injure humans but fatal encounters do happen. There are an average of two fatal attacks a year in North America.¹ In Scandinavia there are only three known cases during the last 100 years where humans have been killed by bears. This has usually happened because the bear is injured or a human encounters a mother bear with cubs. Some types of bears such as polar bears, are more likely to attack humans when searching for food while black bears are much less likely to attack. Scandinavia, Fennoscandia, and the Kola Peninsula. ... Binomial name Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774 The polar bear (scientific Latin name Ursus maritimus), also known as white bear or northern bear, is a large mammal of the order Carnivora (meat eaters), family Ursidae (bears). ... Binomial name Ursus americanus The American Black Bear (Ursus americanus), also known as simply the black bear or cinnamon bear, is the most common bear in North America. ...

The Scandinavian Bear Research project lists the following situations as potentially dangerous:

1. Meeting an injured bear
2. A human suddenly appearing between a mother and her cubs
3. Meeting a bear in its cave
4. Meeting a bear who has been provoked by a dog

A careful person should always try to avoid these situations. Anybody who walks in a forest where there are bears could carry around a bell since a brown bear's natural instinct is to run away from humans; in groups trail songs are also effective. If camping, do not bring food into the tent and be sure to clean up all garbage-a bear thinks with its stomach. If one still meets a bear it is important to remain calm and to slowly walk in the opposite direction. A running human may trigger the bear's chasing instinct and typically a running bear can outrun a human adult. It is important not to make threatening moves, not to make eye contact nor to shout.

If a bear attacks and it is not possible to get away, the person should lie down in a fetal position and put his/her hands around the head to protect from bites. Do not panic. But some say that this method will not work with a black bear, which attacks to kill and to eat. Fetal position is a medical term used to describe the positioning of the body of a prenatal fetus as it develops. ... Binomial name Ursus americanus The American Black Bear (Ursus americanus), also known as simply the black bear or cinnamon bear, is the most common bear in North America. ...

Footnotes

Note 1: Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance, Stephen Herrero, revised edition, 2002.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has more media related to:

Brown Bear

• National Geographic Creature Feature: Brown Bears
• GrizzlyBear.org
• Bears
• Largest Skulls - Black Bear
• Spanish bear news (http://www.iberianature.com/material/spainbearnews.htm) regularly-updated news archive on brown bears in Spain