What Do Grizzly Bears Eat?

Most people think that grizzly bears are huge and intimidating animals that always feed on meat alone. However, this is far from the truth. On the contrary, they are omnivores that feed on a variety of other food apart from meat. If you are unfamiliar with this species, you should buy a ticket to Yellowstone Bear World to learn more about their behavior adaptations. Here is more information about grizzly bears, including their diet at different times of the year:

What Are Grizzly Bears?

Grizzly bears are a subspecies of North American brown bears like the Kodiak bears of Alaska. They can be light tan color or dark brown with a dished face and short round ears. Grizzly bears also have a hump on the shoulders that gives the bears an additional strength to dig. Another exceptional characteristic is that their long claws also function when digging their dens or searching for food. Overall, they weigh around 700 pounds, but the female grizzly bears can weigh up to 800 pounds.

What Do Grizzly Bears Eat?

As discussed above, grizzly bears are omnivores, meaning they feed on different food other than meat. They have a habit of scavenging, looking for food from plants or household garbage depending on what is convenient. They can even gain up to six pounds in a day as they are big eaters. This is obvious considering their massive body size.

Grizzly Bear Diet

Grizzly bears mainly get their food from eating insects, grass, broad-leaved herbs, tubers, sedges, berries, and roots. Apart from these foods, a grizzly bear will often get its daily nourishment from salmon, deer, moose, ground squirrels, mice, bison, and marmots. Due to their scavenging behavior, it is not rare to find them eating rotting animal carcasses.

Grizzly bears also feed on domestic livestock, which is an excessive loss to farmers who keep livestock for economic purposes. Examples of their favorite livestock are sheep and cows.

What Is The Difference Between Canadian and Alaskan Grizzly Bears?

Canadian and Alaskan grizzly bears are larger compared to the ones you will find in Yellowstone National Park. This difference can be attributed to the diet as Yellowstone grizzly bears eat rodents, grass, tubers, cutworm moths, and nuts, while Alaska bears feed on diets with high-fat content. As a result, Alaska grizzly bears can weigh up to 1200 pounds as they like to live in places where salmon have obstacles or any other suitable fishing ground.

Diet According To Seasons

Grizzly bears feed during the fall, summer, and spring seasons and stay inactive during winter. Therefore, they will consume large meals in summer to serve them until winter ends. Bears also learn when to find particular kinds of foods depending on their ecosystem.

Visit Yellowstone Bear World

There are other interesting facts you can learn about grizzly bears in Yellowstone Bear World. You will see their physical adaptations and also learn more about their behavior throughout the year. Bears are not the only animals you will see here; you will also spot mule deer, moose, and other fantastic wildlife. Call the offices at (208) 359-9688 to schedule a visit.