Black Bear or Grizzly
I posted an image of a grizzly bear, yesterday, and decided I'd post another bear photograph today. I composed this image on a gloomy and rainy morning while travelling through my beloved Kananaskis Country, west of Calgary.
In sharing this image, I pose this question: "How does one differentiate a black bear from a grizazly?"
Colour doesn't help, unfortunately. Black bears come in a range of colours, as do grizzlies. Adult grizzlies are much bigger than their black bear counterparts, but who knows the age of a bear one sees?
While size may not be a telltale sign, there are several other distinguishing physical features that can help you easily tell the difference between grizzly and black bears. Grizzly bears have a very pronounced shoulder hump, which is one of the quickest ways to distinguish between the two. Grizzlies also have relatively short, rounded ears, while those of black bears are more of an elongated oval shape. Additionally, a black bear's hind quarters or rump will be higher than its shoulders while walking on all four, while a grizzly's will be lower. Finally, a grizzly bear has a concave face profile. Black bears, on the other hand, have a very straight snout from the tip of their nose to their eyes.
This bear has good-sized ears, a straight nose, no shoulder hump and its rear end is higher than its shoulders. Black bear it is, then, in my estimation. Do you agree?
Black Bear or Grizzly
I posted an image of a grizzly bear, yesterday, and decided I'd post another bear photograph today. I composed this image on a gloomy and rainy morning while travelling through my beloved Kananaskis Country, west of Calgary.
In sharing this image, I pose this question: "How does one differentiate a black bear from a grizazly?"
Colour doesn't help, unfortunately. Black bears come in a range of colours, as do grizzlies. Adult grizzlies are much bigger than their black bear counterparts, but who knows the age of a bear one sees?
While size may not be a telltale sign, there are several other distinguishing physical features that can help you easily tell the difference between grizzly and black bears. Grizzly bears have a very pronounced shoulder hump, which is one of the quickest ways to distinguish between the two. Grizzlies also have relatively short, rounded ears, while those of black bears are more of an elongated oval shape. Additionally, a black bear's hind quarters or rump will be higher than its shoulders while walking on all four, while a grizzly's will be lower. Finally, a grizzly bear has a concave face profile. Black bears, on the other hand, have a very straight snout from the tip of their nose to their eyes.
This bear has good-sized ears, a straight nose, no shoulder hump and its rear end is higher than its shoulders. Black bear it is, then, in my estimation. Do you agree?