Brown bear and Grizzly bear photos
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Bear photos on this site and license them as stock photos or purchase as fine art display pictures for home or office decor. The photographs were taken throughout Alaska's interior, coastal,
arctic, and Kodiak regions. Search the links below, browse a category to the left or use our keyword search above right for a more specific query.
Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)
Technically, brown and grizzly bears are classified as the same species,
Ursus arctos. © Patrick J. Endres The brown bear resembles its close relative the black bear,
Ursus americanus. The brown bear, however, is usually larger,
has a more prominent shoulder hump, less prominent ears, and
longer, straighter claws. Both the prominent hump and the long
claws of the brown bear are adaptations that are related to
feeding behavior.  The long claws are useful in digging for roots
or excavating burrows of small mammals. The musculature and
bone structure of the hump are adaptations for digging and for
attaining bursts of speed necessary for capture of moose or
caribou for food.
Color is not a reliable key in differentiating these bears
because both species have many color phases. Black bears, for
example, occur in many hues of brown, and even shades of blue
and white. Brown bear colors range from dark brown through light
blond.
 Inland bears are usually smaller than coastal
bears, probably because they do not have a readily available
supply of protein-rich food, such as salmon, in their diet. © Patrick J. Endres
Brown bear in the Brooks river. © Patrick J. Endres Brown bears have been known to live 34 years in the wild, though
this is rare. Usually, old males may reach 22 years. Old females
may live to 26. Brown bears have an especially good sense of
smell and under the right conditions may be able to detect odors
more than a mile distant. Their hearing and eyesight are probably
equivalent to that of humans. When bears stand upright, it is
not to get ready to charge but to test the wind and to see better.
Life history
Litter size ranges from one to four cubs, but
two is most common. © Patrick J. Endres
Interior grizzly bear in Denali National Park, Alaska. © Patrick J. Endres Bear populations vary depending on the productivity of the
environment. In areas of low productivity, such as on Alaska’s
North Slope, studies have revealed bear densities as low as
one bear per 300 square miles. In areas teeming with easily
available food, such as Admiralty Island in Southeast Alaska,
densities as high as one bear per square mile have been found.
In central Alaska, both north and south of the Alaska Range,
bear densities tend to be intermediate, about one bear per 15-23
square miles. These are average figures which should not’t
be interpreted to mean that each bear has this much territory
for its exclusive use. The area occupied by any individual bear
may overlap that used by many other individuals.
Safety
 Brown bears along the Brooks river in southwest Alaska share the same river with fishermen. All brown bears should be treated with respect and
can be safe |
