Post by brobear on Nov 14, 2019 10:53:43 GMT -5
carnivoraforum.com/topic/9350067/1/
By Taipan:
[/bKodiak Bear - Ursus a. middendorffi
The Kodiak bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi), also known as the Kodiak brown bear or the Alaskan grizzly bear or American brown bear, is the largest subspecies of the brown bear. They have lived isolated from other bears for over 10,000 years. In the wild, Kodiak bears are found only on the islands in the Kodiak Archipelago off the south coast of Alaska. They are believed to have been isolated there since the last Ice Age over 10,000 years ago. Because of the abundance of food on Kodiak Island, they have smaller home ranges than any other brown bears and have no need to defend territories. The average adult male Kodiak bear stands five feet at the shoulder when on all four and can measure over 10 feet when standing upright. The average male weighs from 310 to 360 kgs. Between the springtime when they leave hibernation and the fall, their weight can increase by more than 50 percent. Females are about 20 percent smaller in size and weigh 30 percent lighter than males. Kodiak bears vary in color from beige to dark brown. Although there are Kodiak bears on record for having dimensions measuring larger than that of the polar bears', the polar bear on average is still by far the largest species of bear alive. Bears that die of natural causes live to be 20 to 25 years on average.
Polar Bear - Ursus maritimus
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus), a bear native to the Arctic, is the apex predator within its range. Its thick blubber and fur insulate it against the cold. Its fur is hollow and translucent but usually appears as white or cream coloured, thus providing the animal with effective camouflage. Its skin is actually black in color, however. The bear has a short tail and small ears that help reduce heat loss, as well as a relatively small head and long, tapered body to streamline it for swimming. The polar bear is a semi-aquatic marine mammal that depends mainly upon the pack ice and the marine food web for survival. It has adapted for life on a combination of land, sea, and ice.
Scientists and climatologists believe that the projected decreases in the polar sea ice due to global warming will have a significant negative impact on of this species within this century. The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is the largest species of all bears and is the largest terrestrial carnivore on earth. Fully grown male polar bears range from 7' to 11' when standing upright, and weigh from 660 to 1,320 pounds. Females stand from 6' to 8' and weigh anywhere from 400 to 700 pounds. The largest polar bear on record was over 12' and weighed 2,210 pounds.
Largest wild Kodiak weighed 1,648 pounds.
Admin... 2,210 - 1,648 = 562 pound difference.
When speaking of bears of this size, and considering that the polar bear is adapted to an extreme arctic environment, the difference is likely primarily fat. Not all, but much of it. The actual size difference between a polar bear and a Kodiak bear is minimal.
Also note that, unlike the polar bear which feeds on whale blubber and seal blubber in the wild, the brown bear is normally heavier in captivity than in the wild. Food availability is the key.
By Taipan:
[/bKodiak Bear - Ursus a. middendorffi
The Kodiak bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi), also known as the Kodiak brown bear or the Alaskan grizzly bear or American brown bear, is the largest subspecies of the brown bear. They have lived isolated from other bears for over 10,000 years. In the wild, Kodiak bears are found only on the islands in the Kodiak Archipelago off the south coast of Alaska. They are believed to have been isolated there since the last Ice Age over 10,000 years ago. Because of the abundance of food on Kodiak Island, they have smaller home ranges than any other brown bears and have no need to defend territories. The average adult male Kodiak bear stands five feet at the shoulder when on all four and can measure over 10 feet when standing upright. The average male weighs from 310 to 360 kgs. Between the springtime when they leave hibernation and the fall, their weight can increase by more than 50 percent. Females are about 20 percent smaller in size and weigh 30 percent lighter than males. Kodiak bears vary in color from beige to dark brown. Although there are Kodiak bears on record for having dimensions measuring larger than that of the polar bears', the polar bear on average is still by far the largest species of bear alive. Bears that die of natural causes live to be 20 to 25 years on average.
Polar Bear - Ursus maritimus
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus), a bear native to the Arctic, is the apex predator within its range. Its thick blubber and fur insulate it against the cold. Its fur is hollow and translucent but usually appears as white or cream coloured, thus providing the animal with effective camouflage. Its skin is actually black in color, however. The bear has a short tail and small ears that help reduce heat loss, as well as a relatively small head and long, tapered body to streamline it for swimming. The polar bear is a semi-aquatic marine mammal that depends mainly upon the pack ice and the marine food web for survival. It has adapted for life on a combination of land, sea, and ice.
Scientists and climatologists believe that the projected decreases in the polar sea ice due to global warming will have a significant negative impact on of this species within this century. The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is the largest species of all bears and is the largest terrestrial carnivore on earth. Fully grown male polar bears range from 7' to 11' when standing upright, and weigh from 660 to 1,320 pounds. Females stand from 6' to 8' and weigh anywhere from 400 to 700 pounds. The largest polar bear on record was over 12' and weighed 2,210 pounds.
Largest wild Kodiak weighed 1,648 pounds.
Admin... 2,210 - 1,648 = 562 pound difference.
When speaking of bears of this size, and considering that the polar bear is adapted to an extreme arctic environment, the difference is likely primarily fat. Not all, but much of it. The actual size difference between a polar bear and a Kodiak bear is minimal.
Also note that, unlike the polar bear which feeds on whale blubber and seal blubber in the wild, the brown bear is normally heavier in captivity than in the wild. Food availability is the key.
