Brown bear:
There are two subspecies of brown bear: the
Grizzly and the Kodiak, the largest of the
species.
Brown bears can weigh up to 860 pounds.
The best identification characteristic for brown
bears is the hump above the front shoulders; no
other bear species has this hump.
In North America, brown bears can be found in
western Canada, Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho,
and Washington.
Brown bears breed between May and July.
Female brown bears can produce as many as four
cubs per season.
Black bear:
Black bear weigh between 130 and 660 pounds.
Breeding for black bear occurs in June, July and
August.
Black bears can be found in 32 of the United
States, northern Mexico and all of Canada except
Prince Edward Island.
Black bear coloration can vary greatly. Different
color phases, from darkest to lightest, include
black, cinnamon, brown, blonde and even in rare
occurrences, typically in southeast Alaska, white.
Polar bear:
Polar bears weigh between 440 and 1,760 pounds.
Polar bears inhabit portions of Greenland, Russia,
Norway, Canada and Alaska.
Breeding among polar bears takes place between
March and May.
A female polar bear can produce up to four cubs;
however, survival of all four cubs is very rare. A
more common number of cubs is one or two.
While most bear species are omnivorous (feeding on
meat and berries, roots, grasses, etc.), polar
bears are primarily carnivorous, feeding on seals.
They will, however, eat berries and shrubs when
these are available.
The polar bear is the only species of bear
documented to stalk and kill humans.
