Grizzly Bear.Description, Characteristics

The grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a large population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America.Show more

Multiple morphological forms sometimes recognized as subspecies exist, including the mainland grizzly (Ursus arctos horribilis), Kodiak bear (U. a. middendorffi), peninsular grizzly (U. a. gyas), and the extinct California (U. a. californicus†), Mexican (U. a. nelsoni†), and Ungava-Labrador (U. a. ungavaesis†) grizzlies. On average, bears near the coast tend to be larger while inland grizzlies tend to be smaller.

The Ussuri brown bear (U. a. lasiotus), inhabiting Russia, Northern China, Japan, and Korea, is sometimes referred to as the "black grizzly", although it is a different subspecies from the bears in America.