Theresa Emminizer - Grizzly Bears

Published in 2020 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010

Copyright 2020 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

First Edition

Editor: Elizabeth Krajnik

Book Design: Reann Nye

Photo Credits: Cover, p. 10 Scott E Read/Shutterstock.com; pp. 5, 11, 18, 22 Dennis W Donohue/Shutterstock.com; p. 6 Daria Rybakova/Shutterstock.com; p. 7 by wildestanimal/Moment/Getty Images; p. 8 Kane513/Shutterstock.com; p. 9 Ian Stotesbury Photography/Moment/Getty Images; p. 12 Nick Dale / Design Pics/Getty Images; p. 13 Martin Rudlof Photography/Shutterstock. com; p. 14 Sergey Uryadnikov/Shutterstock.com; p. 15 Mike Korostelev www.mkorostelev.com/Moment/Getty Images; p. 17 Volodymyr Burdiak/Shutterstock.com; p. 19 Martin Mecnarowski/Shutterstock.com; p. 21 Kent Weakley/Shutterstock.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Emminizer, Theresa, author.

Title: Grizzly bears / Theresa Emminizer.

Description: New York : PowerKids Press, [2020] | Series: Killers of the animal kingdom | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019001188| ISBN 9781725306059 (paperback) | ISBN 9781725306073 (library bound) | ISBN 9781725306066 (6 pack)

Subjects: LCSH: Grizzly bear--Juvenile literature.

Classification: LCC QL737.C27 E53 2020 | DDC 599.784--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019001188

Manufactured in the United States of America

CPSIA Compliance Information: Batch #CSPK19. For Further Information contact Rosen Publishing, New York, New York at 1-800-237-9932.

THE GREAT GRIZZLY

The grizzly bear is a kind of North American brown bear that lives in parts of Canada and the United States. Top predators armed with sharp claws, long teeth, and powerful muscles, these mighty animals have long been feared by humans. But are grizzly bears really as scary as theyre made out to be? Is it possible that these animals are misunderstood?

To find out if these killers live up to their bad reputation, youll need to take a closer look at how grizzly bears live in the wild. How do bears raise their young? What do they eat? How do they behave? Read on to find out!

KILLER FACTS

Grizzly bears got their name because of the descriptions written by late 18th and early 19th century explorers Edward Umfreville, Sir Alexander MacKenzie, Meriwether Lewis, and William Clark.

There are many myths about grizzly bears. Its important to sort out whats true and whats false.

A BEARS LIFE

Grizzly bears reach adulthood when theyre about four years old. During late spring and early summer, adults come together to mate, or make babies.Baby grizzlies, which are called cubs, are born in January or February. At birth they weigh just one pound (0.45 kg).

KILLER FACTS

Male grizzly bears dont help females raise their cubs. While raising their young, mother bears are careful to stay away from males, who sometimes harm cubs.

Mother bears usually have two cubs at a time. However, they can have up to four cubs at a time.

Mother bears raise their cubs inside a den until April or May, when the cubs are strong enough to come out. Cubs will gain about 19 pounds (8.6 kg) before theyre able to leave the den. Grizzly cubs stay with their mothers until they reach adulthood and, on average, can live to be 25 years old.

BEAR BEHAVIOR

Grizzly bears enter their den between October and December and stay inside until early spring. While inside their den, grizzly bears go into a deep sleep called torpor. During this time, the bears heart rate and breathing slow and their body temperature drops a little. Torpor is different from hibernation because the bear can be awoken to fight off predators or give birth to its cubs.

During torpor, grizzly bears dont eat or go to the bathroom, and may lose up to 40 percent of their body weight. Males come out of their dens after about 131 days and females come out about 40 days later.

To get ready for torpor, grizzly bears eat up to 90 pounds (40.8 kg) of food a day.

BASIC BEAR FACTS

One reason grizzly bears got their name is because the long fur on their shoulders has silvery-gray tips. Grizzled means mixed with gray. Grizzly bears range in color from almost white to black, with many shades of brown in between. Some may be blond or even reddish-colored. A grizzly bears color depends on what its parents look like.

When standing upright, grizzly bears can be up to 8 feet (2.4 m) tall!

Grizzly bears can weigh more than 700 pounds (317.5 kg). Male grizzlies are larger than females. Grizzly bears measure 3 to 3.5 feet (0.9 to 1.1 m) at shoulder height and are 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 m) long.

WHAT DO THEY EAT?

Grizzly bears are apex predators. That means theyre at the top of the food chain. They hunt large animals, such as elk, caribou, moose, mountain goats, and mountain sheep, as well as small animals, such as mice and salmon.

Although grizzlies spend much of their time alone, they come together in places where a lot of food can be found, such as rivers full of salmon.

Although they are powerful hunters, grizzly bears are omnivores, meaning they eat plants and animals. Grizzlies feed on nuts, berries, fruit, leaves, and roots. In some places where grizzly bears live, plants make up 80 to 90 percent of what they eat. Grizzly bears usually eat more during the summer and fall to build up fat so they can survive the cold winter inside their dens.

POWERFUL PREDATORS

Grizzly bears have a number of special skills that make them