BEAR habitat

differing habitats

Grizzly and black bears may be alike in certain ways such as their food habits, but they do differ in what habitat they live in. Black bears like to stay hidden and thrive in a forested environment. They are able to find all their food sources, hunt and climb. Grizzly bears like to roam in wide open spaces like prairies or foothills. They are an apex predator, making it less of a worry to be hidden.

habitat differences

black bears

North American Black Bears like to be hidden in forested areas.
They thrive where there are a lot of wooden areas with a flourishing variety of berries, shrubs and nut producing species.
They like to be in lowlands that have wetlands nearby for another great source of vegetation.
Black bears are omnivores, but their diet does consist of more plants than grizzly bears.
Black bears also tend to be in forested areas because the trees are great refuge for their cubs. They are able to climb up high and hide from predators.

grizzly bears

Grizzlies have a wider selection of habitat that they like to roam, but they tend to thrive in prairie and foothills grasslands.
They like open spaces rather than the forest. Grizzly bears are an apex predator which means they are high up in the food chain and they hunt animals more than they are hunted.
As a result, being in open spaces like prairies is not as much of a threat.

This does not mean that grizzlies do not go into forested areas and black bears do not go in the prairies. These areas are not exclusive to one type of species or animal. A bear’s home range is constantly changing in size from one year to the next, or from one area to another, largely based upon distribution of food and other resources.

HOW NOT TO BE A "TOURON"

recreating in bear country

IDENTIFYING BEARS

TRASH TIPS

PETS & BEARS

BEAR HABITAT