THE KODIAK BEAR
■ Type: Mammal
■ Diet: Omnivore
■ Average life span in the wild: 27 to 34 years
■ Size: 5 to 10 ft (1.5 to 3 m)
■ Weight: 500 to 1400 lbs (225 to 635 kg)
■ Size relative to a man:
■ Diet: Omnivore
■ Average life span in the wild: 27 to 34 years
■ Size: 5 to 10 ft (1.5 to 3 m)
■ Weight: 500 to 1400 lbs (225 to 635 kg)
■ Size relative to a man:
Kodiak bears are generally solitary in nature; however, when food is concentrated in small areas, such as along salmon spawning streams, grass/sedge flats, berry patches, a dead whale, or even an open garbage dump they often occur in large groups. Along a few drainages on Kodiak, up to 60 bears can be seen simultaneously in a square mile area (2.6 km2). To maximize food intake at these important areas, bears have learned to minimize fighting and fatal interactions by developing a complex language (both verbal and body posturing) and social structure.
They reach sexual maturity at age five and the average time between litters is four years. Mating season for Kodiak bears is during May and June. They are serially monogamous (having one partner at a time), staying together from two days to two weeks. As soon as the egg is fertilized and divides a few times, it enters a state of suspended animation until autumn when it finally implants on the uterine wall and begins to grow again. Cubs are born in the den during January or February. Weighing less than a pound (<450 g) at birth with little hair and closed eyes, they suckle for several months, emerging from the den in May or June, weighing 15–20 pounds (7–9 kg). Typical litter sizes on Kodiak are 2–3 cubs, with a long-term average of 2.4 cubs per litter. Sows are sometimes seen with five or six cubs in tow, probably due to adopting cubs from other litters. Most cubs stay with their mothers for three years. Almost half of the cubs die before they leave, with cannibalism by adult males being one of the major causes of death.
Kodiak bears that have recently left their mothers, at ages 3–5 years, have high mortality rates with only 56 percent of males and 89 percent of females surviving. Most young female bears stay within or near their mother’s home range, while most males move farther away. Kodiak bears become sexually mature at age five, but most sows are over nine years old when they successfully wean their first litter. The average interval between litters is about four years. Sows continue to produce cubs throughout their lives but their productivity diminishes after they are 20 years old. Most adult sows die of natural causes (56 percent) while most adult bears are killed by hunters (91 percent). The oldest known bear in wild was 27 years old, and the oldest sow was 34 .
Kodiak bears begin entering their dens in late October. Pregnant sows are usually the first to go to dens, males are the last. Males begin emerging from their dens in early April, while sows with new cubs may stay in dens until late June. Bears living on the north end of Kodiak Island tend to have longer denning periods than bears in the southern areas. Most Kodiak bears dig their dens in hill or mountain sides and they use a wide variety of denning habitats depending on which part of the archipelago they live on. Almost a quarter of the adult bears forgo denning, staying somewhat active throughout the winter. Bears on Kodiak are naturally diurnal (active during the day), but when faced with competition for food or space, they adopt a more nocturnal (active at night) lifestyle
Bears live throughout the archipelago, adapting to local resources and retaining relatively small home ranges and comparable densities in most habitats. Emerging vegetation and animals that died during the winter are the first foods bears eat in the spring. As summer progresses, a wide variety of vegetation supplies nutritional needs until salmon return. Salmon runs extend from May through September on most of the archipelago and bears consume the five species of Pacific salmon that spawn in local streams and lakes. In the late summer and early fall, bears consume several types of berries. Bears also feed on wind-rowed seaweed and invertebrates on some beaches throughout the year. Although deer, moose and mountain goats are abundant on the archipelago, few Kodiak bears actively prey on them.
They reach sexual maturity at age five and the average time between litters is four years. Mating season for Kodiak bears is during May and June. They are serially monogamous (having one partner at a time), staying together from two days to two weeks. As soon as the egg is fertilized and divides a few times, it enters a state of suspended animation until autumn when it finally implants on the uterine wall and begins to grow again. Cubs are born in the den during January or February. Weighing less than a pound (<450 g) at birth with little hair and closed eyes, they suckle for several months, emerging from the den in May or June, weighing 15–20 pounds (7–9 kg). Typical litter sizes on Kodiak are 2–3 cubs, with a long-term average of 2.4 cubs per litter. Sows are sometimes seen with five or six cubs in tow, probably due to adopting cubs from other litters. Most cubs stay with their mothers for three years. Almost half of the cubs die before they leave, with cannibalism by adult males being one of the major causes of death.
Kodiak bears that have recently left their mothers, at ages 3–5 years, have high mortality rates with only 56 percent of males and 89 percent of females surviving. Most young female bears stay within or near their mother’s home range, while most males move farther away. Kodiak bears become sexually mature at age five, but most sows are over nine years old when they successfully wean their first litter. The average interval between litters is about four years. Sows continue to produce cubs throughout their lives but their productivity diminishes after they are 20 years old. Most adult sows die of natural causes (56 percent) while most adult bears are killed by hunters (91 percent). The oldest known bear in wild was 27 years old, and the oldest sow was 34 .
Kodiak bears begin entering their dens in late October. Pregnant sows are usually the first to go to dens, males are the last. Males begin emerging from their dens in early April, while sows with new cubs may stay in dens until late June. Bears living on the north end of Kodiak Island tend to have longer denning periods than bears in the southern areas. Most Kodiak bears dig their dens in hill or mountain sides and they use a wide variety of denning habitats depending on which part of the archipelago they live on. Almost a quarter of the adult bears forgo denning, staying somewhat active throughout the winter. Bears on Kodiak are naturally diurnal (active during the day), but when faced with competition for food or space, they adopt a more nocturnal (active at night) lifestyle
Bears live throughout the archipelago, adapting to local resources and retaining relatively small home ranges and comparable densities in most habitats. Emerging vegetation and animals that died during the winter are the first foods bears eat in the spring. As summer progresses, a wide variety of vegetation supplies nutritional needs until salmon return. Salmon runs extend from May through September on most of the archipelago and bears consume the five species of Pacific salmon that spawn in local streams and lakes. In the late summer and early fall, bears consume several types of berries. Bears also feed on wind-rowed seaweed and invertebrates on some beaches throughout the year. Although deer, moose and mountain goats are abundant on the archipelago, few Kodiak bears actively prey on them.
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All info I took out of here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodiak_Bear
All pictures I took out of Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/
All pictures I took out of Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/