Brown bears have a large hump of muscle on top of their shoulders, and grizzly bears have the most distinctive hump of all. Their great front claws make all brown bears powerful diggers. They may build a shallow bed on the ground made of leaf litter. When the weather cools, they seek out large, cozy dens for their winter home. Find out more!

This “winter sleep” allows the bears to stay alive for a long period of time when there is little or no food available to them. Bears in warmer climates spend less of their time curled up in their dens than those in areas with a longer winter.

Brown bears are more versatile in their choice of habitats than any of the other bear species. They may be found in forests, mountain areas, tundra, and even semi-desert areas.

Brown bears are true omnivores and eat anything nutritious that they find. Most of their diet consists of plant matter, but they certainly eat meat if they can find it. Bears dig for roots, tubers, and insects, scavenge for carrion, and even occasionally hunt prey such as rodents, young deer, and elk. However, the food that first comes to mind when one thinks of bears is salmon.

As brown bear breeding season approaches (May to July), the boars become more aggressive toward each other. To show dominance, they stand upright, growling and roaring at each other.