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Post by King Kodiak on Dec 26, 2019 18:11:45 GMT -5
This is interesting. I've never heard this mentioned before. The food resources in that area must be good. Yeah, and if you read more down on that study, they even saw something similar with the Croatian brown bear.
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Post by King Kodiak on Jan 11, 2020 10:18:03 GMT -5
The most threatened Italian mammal: marsican brown bear Conservation problems are social and economic, not scientific, yet biologists have traditionally been expected to solve them" George B. Schaller, 1992 After a review of the taxonomic knowledge regarding the Marsican bear, the authors summarize the reasons for which a different and more incisive approach is necessary for its conservation, with the necessity to integrate new skills in the work group that coordinates the conservation strategies of this endemic Italian bear. Full study hare: www.researchgate.net/publication/328943295_The_most_threatened_Italian_mammal_marsican_brown_bear
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Post by brobear on Jan 12, 2020 6:02:53 GMT -5
svenskjakt.se/start/nyhet/skot-sveriges-storsta-bjorn/ Shot Sweden's largest bear Simon Blind borrowed the hunting companions' laikas. A hunt that ended with him shooting a bear that turned out to weigh 352.1 kilos. The largest one that fell in Sweden. - It was really fun. It is hardly believed that it is true. It has been a few days since the now historic bear hunt and for Simon Blind, from Arjeplog, it has now begun to sink in that he has dropped the largest free-living bear in Sweden to date. Dense forest - I had borrowed both of my friend's East Siberian laikas. I dropped the dogs in the morning in an area a few miles north of Arjeplog and they pulled away a mile and eventually raised a bear. It became a pedestal and it came straight to me where I was standing, in a marsh area with fairly dense forest. But when the dogs and the bear were only about 30 meters from me, it turned. It was such a dense forest that I did not see the bear, Simon Blind tells Swedish Hunt. But he moved a little, got a hatch and managed to trap the big bear. The County Administrative Board weighed the bear in connection with the inspection and the balance stayed at 352.1 kilos. ( 776.25 pounds ). Heaviest bear Erik Ågren at the National Veterinary Institute, SVA, says that he noted the information on the weight of the bear that the county administrative board brought into Rovbase, the database for large predators. - If the weight is right, it is the heaviest bear, closest to two bears weighing 338 kilos, says Erik Ågren. The bearskin has now been sent to a conservator in Västerbotten. - I'll let it stop, it should stand on its hind legs, says Simon Blind.
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Post by King Kodiak on Jan 12, 2020 7:12:28 GMT -5
So now they killed Sweden's biggest bear? And i quote "It was really fun." ?
I will stop here because if i tell you what would be "fun" for me, then Tom will get pissed off and probably ban me. Just read my mind.
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Jan 12, 2020 7:39:47 GMT -5
I get pissed off too when people shoot bears for fun.
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Post by King Kodiak on Mar 3, 2020 6:09:11 GMT -5
CANTABRIAN BROWN BEAR AND CUBS.
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Post by brobear on Mar 21, 2020 2:27:15 GMT -5
From the pages of THE BEAR - History of a Fallen King - by Michel Pastoureau. Going back a few centuries, Charlemagne organized great campaigns of bear slaughters in Germany in the years 772-773, 782-785, and 794-799. These slaughters were one element in a general policy of the eradication of pagan cults, particularly those having to do with the forces of nature. The Christian religion everywhere replaced or at least overlaid the old cults. Just as thousands of trees were cut down in Saxony and Westphalia, stones displaced or made into buildings, springs diverted or turned into fountains, sacred places turned into chapels, so thousands of bears were massacred. The beast that was too much venerated by the Germans seemed to be an enemy of Christ. So, victims of a major program of evangelization, the bears of northern Germany saw their numbers decrease significantly in the course of thirty years. The decline was speeded by the simultaneous battle against trees and forests, which forced bears to move, change territory, take refuge in still-wooded hills, and then emigrate toward the mountains to the south. Charlemagne and his missionaries were imitated a few decades later by other evangelizers who killed bears or cleared forests. To the east, Slavic and Baltic bears were similarly victims of the inroads of Christianity. To the north, the conversion of the Scandinavian countries was less brutal, but bears suffered from the retreat of forests, laid waste by heavy consumption of wood. Indeed, the great clearings everywhere in the West, consequences of demographic growth, changed the forest landscape, plant covering, and the habits of animal populations after the year 1000. The bear gradually disappeared from plains areas and became exclusively a mountain animal, coming down only when food was too scarce. At the same time, although the bear remained omnivorous, its diet changed: 80 percent carnivorous in antiquity, the European brown bear was probably only 40 percent carnivorous in the Middle Ages. This evolution, more-over, continued into modern times, so that today something between 85 to 90 percent of the diet of the few brown bears still living in the wild in Europe is vegetarian.
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Post by brobear on Mar 21, 2020 2:31:08 GMT -5
As told in Reply #72 above, basically the same thing happened in America from the mid 19th century into the early 20th century. The American grizzly was once much more carnivorous than those Rocky Mountain grizzlies we see today. The diet and habits and the basic nature of bears are greatly affected by man-kind's influence.
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Mar 21, 2020 8:05:06 GMT -5
Violence in Chicago is horrible. Should we then have open season on citizens of Chicago? I don't think so. I definitely agree. The good news is that the brown bear population in Romania is increasing.Brown bears are one of the most adaptable animals on the planet. Men should just leave them alone and they will increase in numbers very quickly.
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Post by brobear on Mar 27, 2020 16:47:22 GMT -5
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mam.12127 Read the full text PDFPDFTOOLS SHARE Abstract 1- The brown bear Ursus arctos was Holocene Britain's largest carnivoran and has appeared in recent rewilding discussions. 2- Despite widespread interest, we know very little about the species in Holocene Britain, as few studies have been undertaken. This paper draws together information on the brown bear to examine its presence and extinction through evaluation of the archaeological and palaeontological evidence. 3- Data were collected from published literature and museum catalogues. Information on the chronological date of archaeological sites, the number of bear specimens, and the body parts present were particularly sought. 4- A total of 85 sites were identified, 57 are well‐dated, 25 are of uncertain date but are likely to be Holocene, and three have uncertain species identifications. Very few specimens from non‐anthropogenic sites (e.g. fens and caves) are well‐dated, skewing the data towards anthropogenic sites such as settlements and graves. 5- Analysis of body part representation shows that the bear bones found in the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and most of the early medieval period are largely phalanges or metapodials, which are likely to be derived from skins. Other body parts are present during the Romano‐British, medieval, and post‐medieval period, indicating that live bears were present and were probably imported for entertainment. 6- It seems that the brown bear was rare in Britain throughout the Holocene, and, based on current evidence, two extinction scenarios can be put forward: extinction in the late Neolithic/early Bronze Age, or extinction in the early medieval period.
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Post by theundertaker45 on Mar 28, 2020 7:35:25 GMT -5
I don't know if this has already been shared here but here is a study on the growth and size of European brown bears inhabiting Croatia/Norway/Slovenia/Sweden: Abstract: "We tested six hypotheses to explain expected geographical differences in body masses of 1,771 brown bears (Ursus arctos) from northern and southern Europe (Sweden and Norway compared with Slovenia and Croatia): Bergmann’s rule, the fasting endurance hypothesis, and the dietary meat hypothesis, which predicted larger bears in the north; and hypotheses stressing the role of high primary productivity, high population density, low seasonality, and lengthofthegrowingseason,whichpredicted largerbearsin the south. Although brown bear populations in North America vary greatly in body mass, we found no significant difference in body mass between the two European populations using a new analytical approach incorporating modeled age-standardized body masses in linear models, when correcting for sex and season. The greater variation in NorthAmericamay bedueprimarilytothepresence oflarge bears that feed on salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), which does not occur in Europe. Asymptotic body masses were 115 ± 9 (SE) kg in spring and 141 ± 9 kg in autumn for southern females, 248 ± 25 and 243 ± 24 kg for southern males, 96 ± 2 and 158 ± 4 kg for northern females, and 201 ± 4 and 273 ± 6 kg for northern males, respectively. Northern bears gained more body mass before hibernation and lost more during hibernation than southern bears, probably because hibernation was twice as long in the north. Northern bears gained and southern bears lost mass during the spring, perhapsduetothegreateravailabilityanduseofprotein-rich food in spring in the north. As reproductive success in bears is correlated with adult female body mass in interpopulation comparisons, brown bears may have relatively similar reproductive rates throughout Europe, although minimum age at primiparity and litter interval are lower in the south."It appears that Eurasian brown bears don't have a big varation in size across their various populations which makes Ursus arctos arctos bigger than Ursus arctos horribilis on average (taking all populations into account). Eurasian Brown Bear Weight Data.pdf (383.44 KB)
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Post by brobear on Mar 28, 2020 7:38:12 GMT -5
Quote: It appears that Eurasian brown bears don't have a big varation in size across their various populations which makes Ursus arctos arctos bigger than Ursus arctos horribilis on average (taking all populations into account). *I did not know this. Interesting information. Thank you.
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Post by King Kodiak on Mar 28, 2020 8:12:14 GMT -5
Well, we knew that the Carpathian brown bear from Romania (Ursus arctos arctos) weights on average 268 kg (590 lbs). Their max weight is 440 kg (970 lbs). So yeah, European brown bears in general are definitely larger than Ursus arctos Horribilis.
domainofthebears.proboards.com/post/26657/thread
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Post by brobear on Apr 1, 2020 5:04:05 GMT -5
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_brown_bear The Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) is one of the most common subspecies of the brown bear, and is found in much of Eurasia. It is also known as the European brown bear, common brown bear, common bear, and colloquially by many other names. "The genetic diversity of present-day brown bears (Ursus arctos) has been extensively studied over the years and appears to be geographically structured into five main clades based upon analysis of the mtDNA. The Eurasian brown bear has brown fur, which ranges from yellow-brownish to dark brown, red-brown, and almost black in some cases; albinism has also been recorded. The fur is dense to varying degrees and the hair can grow up to 10 cm in length. The head normally is quite round in shape and has relatively small rounded ears, a wide skull and a mouth equipped with 42 teeth, including predatory teeth. It has a powerful bone structure and large paws equipped with claws that can grow up to 10 cm in length. The weight varies depending on habitat and the time of the year. A full-grown male weighs on average between 250 and 300 kilograms (550 and 660 lb), and reaches a maximum weight of 481 kg (1,058 lb) and length of nearly 2.5 m (8.2 ft). Females typically range between 150 and 250 kg (330 and 550 lb). They have a lifespan of “20 to 30 years in the wild”.
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Post by brobear on Apr 1, 2020 5:07:36 GMT -5
Continued - History. Brown bears were present in Britain until no later than AD 1000, when they had been exterminated through over-hunting.
Eurasian brown bears were used in Ancient Rome for fighting in arenas. The strongest bears apparently came from Caledonia and Dalmatia.
In antiquity, the Eurasian brown bear was largely carnivorous, with 80% of its diet consisting of animal matter. However, as its habitat increasingly diminished, the portion of meat in its diet decreased with it until by the late Middle Ages, meat consisted of only 40% of its dietary intake. Today, meat makes up little more than 10–15% of its diet. Whenever possible, the brown bear will consume sheep.
Unlike in North America, where an average of two people a year are killed by bears, Scandinavia only has records of three fatal bear attacks within the last century. Species origin. The oldest fossils are from the Choukoutien, China, and date back about 500,000 years. It is known from mtDNA studies that during the Pleistocene ice age it was too cold for the brown bear to survive in Europe except in three places: Russia, Spain, and the Balkans.
Modern research has made it possible to track the origin of the subspecies. The species to which it belongs developed more than 500,000 years ago, and researchers have found that the Eurasian brown bear separated about 850,000 years ago, with one branch based in Western Europe and the other branch in Western Europe, Russia, Eastern Europe and Asia Through research of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), researchers have found that the European family has divided into two clades—one in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balkans, the other in Russia.
There is a population in Scandinavia that includes bears of the western and eastern lineages. By analyzing the mtDNA of the southern population, researchers have found that they have probably come from populations in the Pyrenees in Southern France and Spain and the Cantabrian Mountains (Spain). Bears from these populations spread to southern Scandinavia after the last ice age. The northern bear populations originate in the Finnish/Russian population. Probably their ancestors survived the ice age in the ice-free areas west of the Ural Mountains, and thereafter spread to Northern Europe.
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Post by brobear on Apr 1, 2020 5:11:12 GMT -5
Continued - Distribution. Brown bears could once be found across most of Eurasia, compared to its more limited range today.
Although included as of Least Concern on the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (which refers to the global species, not to the Eurasian brown bear specifically), local populations are becoming increasingly scarce. And as the IUCN itself adds:
"Least Concern does not always mean that species are not at risk. There are declining species that are evaluated as Least Concern."
The brown bear has long been extinct in Ireland and Britain, but still exists in Northern Europe and in Russia. There is a small but growing population ( at least 43 bears ) in the Pyrenees, on the border between Spain and France, which was once on the edge of extinction, as well as two subpopulations in the Cantabrian Mountains in Spain ( amounting to around 250 individuals ). There are also populations totalling around one hundred bears in the Abruzzo, South Tyrol and Trentino regions of Italy.
Populations in Baltoscandia are slowly increasing. They include almost 3000 bears in Sweden, another 2000 in Finland, 700 in Estonia and around 100 in Norway. Large populations can be found in Romania ( around 6000 individuals ), Slovakia (around 1200), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia ( 1200 ), Slovenia (500-700 ), North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Poland, Turkey, and Georgia; smaller but still significant populations can also be found in Albania, Greece, Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro.[19] In 2005, there were an estimated 200 in Ukraine; these populations are part of two distinct metapopulations: the Carpathian with over 5000 individuals, and the Dinaric-Pindos ( Balkans ) with around 3000 individuals.
The largest brown bear population in Europe is in Russia, where it has now recovered from an all-time low caused by intensive hunting.
Globally, the largest population is found east of the Ural mountain range, in the large Siberian forests; brown bears are also present in smaller numbers in parts of central Asia ( former Soviet states ).
Other clades of brown bear persist in small, isolated and for the most part highly threatened populations in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of northwest India and central China, and on the island of Hokkaidō in Japan.
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Post by brobear on Apr 1, 2020 5:15:30 GMT -5
Continued - Cultural depictions. The historic distribution of bears and the impression the bear has made on people are reflected in the names of a number of localities ( some notable examples include Berlin, Bern, Medvednica, Otepää and Ayu-Dag ), as well as personal names—for example, Xiong (熊), Bernard, Arthur, Ursula, Urs, Ursicinus, Orsolya, Björn, Nedved, Medvedev and Otso.
Bears of this subspecies appear very frequently in the fairy tales and fables of Europe, in particular tales collected by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm. The European brown bear was once common in Germany and alpine lands like Northern Italy, Eastern France, and most of Switzerland, and thus appears in tales of various dialects of German.
The bear is traditionally regarded as the symbol of Russian ( military and political ) might. It is also Finland's national animal; and in Croatia, a brown bear is depicted on the reverse of the Croatian 5 kuna coin, minted since 1993.
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Post by brobear on Apr 8, 2020 14:36:09 GMT -5
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Post by King Kodiak on Apr 8, 2020 17:07:07 GMT -5
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Post by brobear on Apr 8, 2020 19:24:02 GMT -5
Quote: i think that bear is a Carpathian brown bear from Poland. *OK; I would have guessed Ussuri brown bear because of the black coat. But, that's a thing about brown bears; multiple coat colors.
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