Grizzly Bear Penis

Web stats can be interesting – this blog’s most popular post is “grizzly bear penis” so here’s another one!

Blonde Grizzly Bear Photo

This is a photo of the bear we named “Cheetah” on the first day I met her.  (We were to become good friends).  When her fur is dry, she is one of the lightest colored grizzly bears I’ve ever seen.  Cheetah walked up to us, curious but never ever aggressive.  She was a grizzly who was very comfortable around people, but quite cranky around other bears.  Her large size and attitude allowed her to bully other bears who invaded her personal space.

Tall grizzly bear

This grizzly bear male has grown quite tall, but he has a lot of filling out left to do in coming years.  He has a very dark brown coat, one of many grizzly bear color variations.

White grizzly bear claws

Some grizzly bears have white claws.  This is a very old grizzly with a busted jaw causing one of his teeth to stick outside his mouth.

Blonde Grizzly Bear

A very blonde grizzly bear in Katmai National Park, Alaska.

Grizzly Bear Tongue

A first year grizzly bear cub sticks her tongue out.

White Grizzly Bear in Alaska

For some reason the white color variation on grizzly bears in Alaska seems more prominent in the female bears.  Perhaps it is a genetic trait expressed by female bears?  The high concentration of white grizzlies in particular bays on the coast of Katmai National Park makes one wonder if related female grizzlies have close home ranges.

Grizzly Bear Evolution into Polar Bears

Polar bears evolved directly from grizzly bears.  The polar bear evolved recently (in geological time) and the two species have even been known to mate in present day.  The photo above shows a grizzly bear with striking polar bear like traits.  He has a long neck which helps keep the nose above water while swimming and very small ears which reduces loss of heat.  Since polar bears do not hibernate through winter like grizzlies, they have evolved traits like small ears and fur covered paws to conserve precious body heat.

The photo below shows one of the white/blond grizzly bears that inhabit the coast of Alaska.  It is easy to imagine how blond bears and bears with long necks would be more successful hunting for seals in the water and on white ice like the polar bear.  Over time, grizzlies with these traits evolved into the white, long necked, smaller eared polar bear.

Grizzly Bear Nasal Cavity

You can peer into the nasal cavity of this grizzly bear skull.  Not only is the nasal cavity taking up a huge portion of the grizzly bear’s skull, but the cavity has a honey comb like structure.  This provides a great amount of surface area for the processing of olfactory information.  Grizzly bears are thought to have a sense of smell 100,000 times greater than humans.

Grizzly Bear Vagina

This photo shows a female grizzly bear’s vagina during mating season.  Her genitals are swollen and more visible than other times of the year.  This suggests that male bears may use their sense of sight (in addition to smell) to determine if a female bear is in estrus (ovulating).

Grizzly bear females will ovulate once a year usually in May and June.  If her eggs are successfully fertilized, the baby bears will be born in the middle of winter while she is in her den.  Her eggs may be fertilized by more than one grizzly male, meaning that grizzly bear siblings may have different fathers.  Occasionally you will wonder about this when you spot cubs that are the same age but drastically different sizes.