Although significant numbers remained in Alaska and northern Canada, individuals were restricted largely to the confines of national parks and wilderness areas in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. By 1975, grizzly bear populations in the 48 contiguous states had been reduced to between 700 to 800. In some areas, the protections came too late. In the early 20th century, new regulations were designed to stop future extirpations. Grizzly bears were reduced to close to 2% of their former range in the 48 contiguous states by the 1930s, with a corresponding decrease in population, approximately 125 years after first contact with European settlers. The resulting declines in range and population were dramatic with rapid extinction of populations from most of Mexico and from the central and southwestern United States and California. In the 1800s, in concert with European settlement of the American West and government-funded bounty programs which aimed at eradication, grizzly bears were shot, poisoned and trapped wherever they were found. With the arrival of Europeans to North America, grizzly bears were seen as a threat to livestock and human safety and, therefore, an impediment to westward expansion and settlement. Grizzly bears were less common or did not occur in large expanses of the North American deserts and Great Plains ecoregions. Grizzly bears were probably most common in the Rocky Mountains, along the Upper Missouri River and in California. Prior to 1800, an estimated 50,000 grizzly bears were distributed in one large contiguous area throughout all or portions of 18 western States, including Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. horribilis is limited to North America and historically existed throughout much of the western half of the contiguous United States, central Mexico, western Canada and most of Alaska. arctos, that occurs in North America, Europe and Asia. Grizzly bears, Ursus arctos horribilis, are a member of the brown bear species, U. Grizzly bears are long-lived mammals, generally living into their mid to late 20s, although some wild bears have lived for over 35 years. The coat features longer guard hairs over a dense underfur with tips that are usually silver or golden in color hence the name grizzly. They can be distinguished from black bears by longer, less curved front claws, humped shoulders, and a facial profile that appears concave. Their coloration varies from light brown to nearly black. Adult males average 200 to 300 kilograms (kg) (400 to 600 pounds (lb)) and adult females 110 to 160 kg (250 to 350 lb) in the lower-48 States. Grizzly bears ( Ursus arctos horribilis) are generally larger and heavier than other bears.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |