8090

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8090
• Author: Colorado Division of Wildlife.
• Title: Wildlife in Danger.
• USFW Year: 1986.
• USFW - Doc Type: Denver
• Copyright Material: NO

Grizzly Bear
Ursus arctos
(Endangered Colorado, Threatened Federally)
"When the grizzly is gone, we shall have lost the most sublime specimen of wildlife
that exalts the western wilderness." Those words, coined by John McGuire, founder
of Outdoor Life Magazine stand as a warning to those who have neglected the plight
of this storied member of the ecosystem.
One of the largest members of the bear family, the grizzly may exceed 1,000 pounds
and stretch up to eight feet tall. Grizzlies are generally brownish in color, and adults
often have white-tipped hairs along the back, a distinction that resulted in the
common name "silvertip."
While the silver tipped fur, the large size and a hump on the back are all considered
characteristics of the grizzly, the best way to distinguish the species is by its concave
muzzle or snout. That differs from the rounded snout of the more common black
bear. In addition, the grizzly's claws on the front feet are much longer than the
hind claws.
Although its name came from its grizzled coat and not its fearsome temper, authors
have depicted the grizzly as a terrifying animal that followed the herds of bison and
attacked men without provocation. Even today, grizzlies fear no other animal in the
wild, and they're capable of hunting and killing most animals.
The federal government now lists the grizzly as threatened in the United States
outside of Alaska, and it's classified as endangered in Colorado. The last documented
grizzly in Colorado was killed in 1979, and two others were killed in 1951.
Conflicts with man and the civilization of wilderness areas resulted in the elimina-
tion of the grizzly from Colorado. There's little chance that any grizzly bears still exist
in the state.
°=Fa
.
front
At a walking gait, the grizzly track _
measures about 10 inches long and g
5112 inches wide. Claws of adult grizzlies
are rarely less than 1314 inches long
while black bear claws seldom exceed `
1112 inches. Left: Grizzly bear in
Denali National Park, Alaska. pLE
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_
hind =