| Family Ursidae physical characteristics | • 5 toes on each foot
• Plantigrade (walk on whole foot)
• Claws are not retractable
• Large and heavy bodies
• Small tail and ears
• Omnivores
• Have less developed carnassials; plus have low crowned or “bunodont” molars modified for an omnivorous diet
• Dentition: I 3/3 + C 1/1 + P 2-4/2-4 + M 2/3 x 2=
34-42 |
| Grizzly bear scientific name | Ursus arctos horribilis |
| Grizzly physical characteristics | - Guard hairs long and often silver tipped (give the
“grizzled” appearance)
- Grizzlies known as “Silver tips” have concentrations of lighter fur on shoulders and back |
| What is the conservation status of grizzlies and why is this hard to determine? | - Blue listed (BC), special concern (COSEWIC)
-secretive, prefer remote wilderness areas, low population densities (Approx. 17,000 in BC) |
| Grizzly behaviour | - Mostly solitary (except sows with cubs, during the mating season)
-Coastal bears will congregate in large river estuaries during the salmon spawning season
-Male biased dispersal |
| Grizzly habitat | • wide range of habitats (estuaries, coastal forests, boreal forests, subalpine and alpine meadows, and tundra)
• largely dependent on food availability and seasons (mating, hibernation, salmon spawning, etc.)
• Home ranges variable - 25 km2 for coastal females up to 2500 km2 for interior males
• ranges marked by clawing trees; bear trails may form between commonly used areas |
| Grizzly food and feeding | - Omnivorous diet
- Diet varies throughout year
- will cache food or cover it until eaten |
| Coastal Grizzly diet | • Spring = grasses and sedges
• Late spring = emergent vegetation and roots
• Summer = berries
• Fall = Salmon |
| Interior Grizzly diet | •Spring = roots of Hedysarum (western sweet-broom)
•Late Spring = prey on winter kills of ungulates and newborn ungulates
•Summer = greens and berries and small mammals, especially ground squirrels
•Fall = roots, berries, nuts until denning for the winter |
| Grizzly denning | •den at higher elevations in areas of high snowfall
• lethargic several weeks before and after denning
• Coastal den less time (4-5 mo) than interior (5-6mo)
• During denning body temperature ↓ slightly,
respiration and heart rate ↓ more markedly |
| Grizzly reproduction | Lowest reproductive rate of terrestrial mammals in
North America
– Females mature at 4 to 7 years of age
– Litters produced at 2-3 year intervals until reaching their mid 20s (avg. age is 30 years, 40 max)
– 1-4 cubs per litter (twins most common)
-- Cubs stay with mother for 2 to 3 years |
| Black bear scientific name | Ursus americanus |
| List the 6 black bear subspecies | – Coastal black bear (U. a. altifrontalis)
– Queen Charlotte Island black bear (U. a. carlottae)
– Vancouver Island black bear (U. a. vancouveri)
– Cinnamon black bear (U. a. cinnamomum)
– Kermode black bear (U. a. kermodei)
– Glacier black bear (U. a. emmonsii) |
| Which black bear subspecies is the spirit bear? | Kermode (U. a. kermodei) |
| Black bear behaviour | - Mostly solitary (except sows with cubs, mating season, during salmon spawning)
- Semi-arboreal, good tree climbers |
| Black bear habitat | - almost all habitats that provide food and shelter
- Frequent valley bottoms in spring and
summer, and forest openings (burns and cutblocks) in fall and early winter |
| Black bear denning | - use hollow trees in old growth forests
- Time depend on latitude and local conditions
- South coast bears only den for 3-4 mo, 7 mo for northern populations
- black bears are facultative hibernators - enter a torpid state rather than full hibernation |
| Black bear food and feeding | - Omnivorous - 75% plant
- fish, small mammals, birds, ungulates, and insects
- will utilize garbage |
| Black bear reproduction | – Females sexually maturity at age 4 to 5 (max life span is 35 to 40 years)
– Breed June to July
– Gestation ~ 220 days, includes delayed implantation
– Cubs born in den mid-Jan to early Feb
– Litter size 2 – 4 (lower in Northern BC)
–Females breed every 2 years (longer intervals in north) |
| 6 ways to distinguish black bear from grizzly | – Skull profile
– Ear size and shape
– Highest point of body
– Claw size and shape
– Upper molar size
– Lower molar cusps |
| Striped skunk scientific name | Mephitis mephitis |
| Striped skunk characteristics | • Black with 2 dorsal stripes down back
• Strong anal scent gland |
| Spotted skunk scientific name | Spilogale gracilis |
| Spotted skunk characteristics | • 6 white body stripes, broken
into spots
AKA pole cat |
| Family procyonidae characteristics | -No specialization of carnassial teeth
-Molars are low crowned
-5 digits on each foot; soles are naked
-Non retractile claws |
| Racoon scientific name | Procyon lotor |
| Racoon characteristics | - Highly adaptable - variety of habitats from forests, farms to urban parks
• Omnivores and very opportunistic
• Primarily nocturnal; adept climbers use hollow trees for dens
• Mate in late Jan to March
• Gestation is 63 days
• Litter of 1-5 born in April-May; family stays together through first winter |
