Montana State Animal

Grizzly Bear

(Ursus arctos horribilis)

Adopted in 1982

Secretary of State Jim Waltermire wanted to give Montana school children a lesson in how government works by letting them choose the state's official animal, the Grizzly Bear, Ursus arctos horribilis, in 1982. The Office of Public Instruction, under State Superintendent Ed Argenbright, and the Montana School Boards' Association, under Executive Director Wayne Buchanan, endorsed the State Animal Project.

Description of the Montana State Animal

Grizzly Bears are large brown bears that live in cool mountain forests and river valleys. These solitary mammals can run up to 35 mph (56 kph) for short bursts. Grizzlies are a threatened species

Adult grizzlies can grow to weigh 1,500 pounds and be eight feet long. Their claws are sharp as knives and about four inches long. Their back feet leave pawprints as big as magazines. Grizzlies have been seen killing and eating over 100 fish in one day. They can run as fast as a horse for short distances. They are the biggest meat-eating land animals in America. Wildlife experts say fewer than 1,000 grizzlies are left in the western United States. When grizzlies are seen in northwestern Montana, it's usually in places like the Cabinet and Mission Mountains, or Glacier National Park.

The brown bear's distinctive features include humped shoulders, a long snout, long curved claws and a grayish, silvery back. They can weigh anywhere from 350 to 800 pounds and reach a shoulder height of 4.5 feet when on all fours (a male Kodiak bear can reach up to 1,400 pounds). Standing on its hind legs, a brown bear can reach up to 8 feet.

Brown bears can be found in coastal regions, while grizzlies prefer rugged mountains and forests undisturbed by human encroachment.

Some of a brown bear's favorite foods include nuts, berries, insects, salmon, carrion and small mammals. The diet of a brown bear varies depending on the season and habitat. Brown bears in the coastal areas of Alaska eat primarily salmon, which contributes to their larger sizes. Grizzlies in high mountain areas eat mostly berries and insects.

Bears hibernate during the winter, usually digging their own dens with their claws. They will often choose the side of a slope where snow collects, providing good insulation. Brown bears need to eat a lot in the summer in order to survive through a winter of hibernation. The brown bear defends its breeding territory, and mothers fiercely guard their cubs.

Taxonomic Hierarchy of the Grizzly Bear