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Cool... Don't stress me... (38)
valy67
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1318 W: 52 N: 1782]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (5276) | Grizzly bear (Ursus horribilis)
I visited the zoo of Amnéville, yesterday, and came home with loads and loads of photos ! This one is my favourite, because I love the posture and the expression of this grizzly bear. He was looking how people were passing by, waiting for someone to throw him some food.
Home Range: Grizzly bears can be found in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories; and the US states of Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, Washington, and Montana. In general their home range is between 10 and 380 square miles. A grizzly bear’s home range is basically inland – away from major bodies of water. In most cases, a grizzly bear’s home range includes an area of forested land or shrub cover, which is used mostly for escape.
Food Types: Grizzly bears feed on berries (blueberries, bearberries, etc.), roots, bulbs of plants, ground dwelling rodents, and most importantly whitebark pine nuts. Sometimes grizzlies will locate a cache of these nuts that a ground squirrel has stored for the winter. With their excellent sense of smell, grizzlies can locate carrion from miles away and will readily feed on it.
Grizzlies may also prey on moose, elk, mountain goats and mountain sheep. During the spring months, grizzlies also feed on the calves of these animals.
Another major food source for grizzlies are army cutworm moths. During the summer months in the Yellowstone area, these moths congregate on sub-alpine plants located above the timberline at elevations higher than 10,000 feet. During the early morning hours these moths drink nectar and then during the day they cluster on the surrounding rocks. Grizzlies from all around climb to these high elevations to consume 10,000 to 20,000 of these moths a day. At times like this, when food is abundant, numerous grizzlies will congregate and feed together. Once the food source is depleted, the grizzlies will go their separate ways in search of other food.
Weight: Grizzlies are considered fully grown by 8 to 10 years of age. Females reach their maximum weight of 270 to 770 pounds in 8 years. Males reach their maximum weight of 330 to 1150 pounds in 12 years. The heavier a female is the better are her chances of having cubs. The heavier a male is the better chance he has of successfully breeding with a female. Males are 1.2 to 2.2 times as heavy as females.
Mating: Females generally are first able to reproduce between 4 ½ and 10 years of age. The number of cubs in a litter depends upon the female’s body weight. Mating occurs between early May and mid July with cubs born between the end of January and early March. Usually a female brown bear reproduces once every 3 to 5 years. Since only 1 in 3 females breed in a given year, males must range widely in order to find a mate. A mother brown bear will remain with her young for 1 ½ to 3 ½ years. |
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valy67
(5276)
Rotate, crop
Edited by:mbasil
(3059) |
Like I said in my critique, this is a beutiful shot. I just thought it could use a bit of a rotation and a crop.
Best,
Mike |
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