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Post by King Kodiak on Jan 8, 2020 18:00:56 GMT -5
Dynamics of Brown Bear Range and Status of Isolated Populations in European Russia, Western Siberia and Adjacent Countries The brown bear (Ursus arctos) population in Russia is approximately 130,000 animals, the largest population of this species remaining in the world. While the eastern part of brown bear range probably has not changed significantly for ages, the western part, especially that in the European part of the country, has been dramatically reduced compared with previous centuries. Progressive deforestation led to the southern border of bear range retreating northward. The northern border of brown bear range in Russia is still limited exclusively by natural zonation. This study reviewed the changes in brown bear range that occurred during the last 30-40 years using literature sources and a mail survey of local game managers. Brown bear distribution in Western Siberia did not appear to change significantly since 1960, while in European Russia the species range progressively enlarged to the south. The largest extension of brown bear distribution was observed in neighboring Estonia, where bears are now more widespread than they were 130 years ago. However, some insular populations were eliminated, and 5 remain in danger. www.jstor.org/stable/3872659?seq=1
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Post by brobear on Aug 16, 2020 5:44:56 GMT -5
www.futura-sciences.us/dico/d/zoology-ussuri-brown-bear-50003924/ Ussuri brown bear (Gray 1867) - Ursus arctos lasiotus Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae Subfamily: Ursinae Genus: Ursus Size: 1.20 m to 2.00 m Weight: 90 to 360 kg Life span: 25 to 30 years IUCN conservation status: LC low concern Nevertheless, the population in the Heilongjiang region of Northern China is classified as vulnerable. Description of the Ussuri brown bear The Ussuri brown bear is known as the black grizzly, as it has a strong but darker resemblance to its American counterpart. It is smaller than its cousin, the Kamchatka brown bear. Ancestors of this large plantigrade migrated to Alaska about 100,000 years ago to form the current grizzly population. It is also called the horse bear as it is high on its legs. Its body and skull are long and straight, its fur is thick smooth, and its wide paws have long claws. Habitat of the Ussuri brown bear The animal is found in the Siberian Ussuri taiga, as its name indicates, on Sakhalin Island, along the banks of the Amour River, on the Korean peninsula, and in Northeast China and in Japan. In fact, five sub-populations have been identified on Hokkaido Island. It inhabits mixed forests in mountainous areas, where Asian black bears also live. But encounters between the species are rare, as they do not live at the same altitudes. Behaviour of the Ussuri brown bear This bear is solitary, crepuscular and nocturnal. It spends its days roaming the taiga and looking for food. The Siberian summer is short and the bear only has a few months to reproduce and build up its fat reserves. Reproduction of the Ussuri brown bear This species, much like its cousins, has a relatively short mating season which begins as soon as it comes out of hibernation. Males then travel long distances to find consenting females. Those still raising their young from the previous litter violently chase suitors away to prevent them from attacking their cubs. It is common for males to kill rival's cubs so that the female is willing to mate sooner. After mating the embryo is stored and only resumes development when the female's fat reserves are restored. Cubs are born naked and blind in the heart of winter in their mother's lair, where she will nurse them for several weeks. Sexual maturity is reached at the end of a period that may range from three to seven years. Diet of the Ussuri brown bear The animal mainly feeds on dried fruit (acorns, beechnut, seeds), berries, wild fruit, shoots, grass, tubers and roots, as well as mushrooms, small mammals and fish. It won't turn down the occasional rotting corpse or sick deer that it may fight over with wolves. Threats to the Ussuri brown bear The bear is mainly threatened by exploitation of the forest, hunting and poaching. In fact, although there are many organised bear hunting operations in Russia, smugglers have not stopped shooting these bears to sell their furs or organs, which are used in traditional medicine. On the other hand, in Japan, the bear's survival is threatened by famine. These bears mainly eat acorns, beechnuts and other seeds of broad-leaved trees which are exploited in large-scale operations and replaced by larch or other resinous trees that do not provide food for the animal. This pushes some bears to seek out areas with better food sources, where, obviously, they are confronted by man. Between April and September 2010, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment recorded 84 attacks against people, of which four were fatal, in the North and centre of the country. Siberia is also the only place where one of the world's largest carnivores can become preyed on by an even bigger hunter. In fact, the Ussuri bear may occasionally cross paths with the Siberian tiger, who lives in the same habitat. Like the bear, the Siberian tiger lives in open spaces. Despite its size, the plantigrade is more vulnerable than its cousin the black bear, since it does not climb trees. But in the end, hunting threatens to have its way with the population of Ussuri bears. Russian authorities estimate that there are between 15,000 and 30,000 specimens left. Note the precision of the number. Cruel practices are often used by hunters. Wealthy people looking for thrills pay others to take them near a bear's winter lair. The trackers force the bear out of its lethargy by filling its lair with smoke. Furious and disoriented, the bear leaves its den to escape, and then it is shot with bullets usually used to kill elephants! Source on bear attacks in Japan: The Associated Press Tokyo dated 21.10.2010. Sources on bear hunting in Siberia: VSD no. 1647 - 18 dated 24 March 2009 Andreï Rudakov Acknowledgements to the IUCN on protection status.
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Post by brobear on Sept 9, 2020 14:15:34 GMT -5
shaggygod.proboards.com/thread/887/ussuri-brown-bear-general In the South of Far East resides an aggressive form of brown bear, Ursus arctos lasiotus. Hunters often ascribe this bear to not fear and attack humans - biologist lives have been lost in the study of this bear. The Ussuri brown bear is thought to be the genetic ancestor to the North American grizzly bear. It's coloration ranges from dark black to brown & sometimes a rare form of pale yellow blonde. Regrettably, research-study of this bear has been limited as it lives in an area, at least on the mainland Russia, that is remote & deep forested/mountainous & sparsely populated (excluding northeast China). Study of this bear from northeast China, the Manchurian brown bear, is also limited. Stronger Ussuri brown bear data can be found from the the nearby populations on the Sakhalin Oblast & to lesser extent Shantar & Kuril Islands. On the latter populations of Ussuri brown bear, please review the following threads: shaggygod.proboards.com/ A lot of questions as to the size of this bear are often asked & I thought I might address some of them in the following posts. As noted, study of this bear has been poor but it does not mean there is absence. Some of our Russian audience will be familiar with the following material and Russian wildlife authorities: What I find interesting about the late S.P. Kucherenko's article (below) is the morphometric data produced from Russian hunting agencies and Russian museum collections. I am ignoring the errors in some of his tables, the transparent local patriotism, and the less than thorough collection of North American material, rather, the interest has always been in the production of raw data. Most notably, the remarkable dressed weight information and body measurements (e.g., front paw width) from the hunting archives. S.P. Kucherenko (2003) Due to poorly developed bear-hunting in the Far East in the postwar years, until recently, there are old and therefore very large bears. Unfortunately, we have, in addition to the collection of skulls do not have a qualified body measurements of the Bears-Giants, but give the information verified, validated receipts for receiving carcasses zagotpunktah promhozov. So, in November 1958 Brothers Fedorenko in the upper Great Ussurka extracted beast, weighing no viscera, feet and skin 470 kg. AP Pleshankov in November 1966 on the river saddle killed the bear, whose weight without viscera was 437 kg. Live weight of the two bears are unlikely to be less than 600 kg. At the extracted SS Solomonyukom River Avvakumovke male is very oily carcass without feet, viscera, skin and head weighed 506 kg. Live weight of this instance could not be less than seven quintals. Skull of the murdered male Solomonyukom available in our collection, and it is not in it is the largest (Table 1). We can assume that the more massive skull (Table 3) belonged to the bears, in the autumn vesivshim obesity in good years to 800 kg, and possibly more. To illustrate this give a comparison of the basic measurements of the largest brown bear skulls from different regions of the country (Table 2). About the size of the Ussuri and the bears can be seen from the measured paw prints (without claws). In November 1962 in the upper Muhena met very clear signs of recent (in cm): hind foot 22.5 x 36 cm, width of the front - 24. In 1966 the upper Bikin measured trace 22 x 35 and 24 cm respectively, in 1967, at p. Avvakumovke - 21 x 34 and 23, 1972, at p. Tyrma - 20 x 31 and 22, 1975 at p. Karanak - 23 x 36 and 25 cm using the table of the relation of body length and size of prints of paws, one can calculate that shows signs of bears, who had a body length of up to 270 -280 cm. For the full article, please read the following below links: www.safariclub.ru/trofy.php?action=view&id=24 translate.google.com/translate?prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.safariclub.ru%2Ftrofy.php%3Faction%3Dview%26id%3D24&sl=ru&tl=en&history_state0=
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Post by brobear on Sept 9, 2020 14:18:06 GMT -5
From the materials of Russian biologist Ivan Seryodkin.
The Ussuri brown bear has the reputation to be one of the most aggressive & at times, predatory; brown bears walking. Residents, hunters, and biologists alike all comment about the dangerous mean-streak in these bears.
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Post by brobear on Sept 9, 2020 14:24:05 GMT -5
Warsaw: shaggygod.proboards.com/ Ursus arctos mandchuricus (Heude) Manchurian Brown Bear Ursarctos mandchuricus HEUDE, 1898, MWm. Conc. l'Hist. Nat. l'Emp. Chin., Ursus arctos mandchuricus (Heude) Manchurian Brown Bear Ursarctos mandchuricus HEUDE, 1898, MWm. Conc. l'Hist. Nat. l'Emp. Chin., IV, p. 23, P1. I. One skull without skin: Nelta River, sixty miles north of Khabarovsk. A large bear skull with well-worn teeth, purchased from the natives at a lumber camp, sixty miles north of Khabarovsk, is here provisionally referred to the above species. The brown bears of eastern Asia are rather imperfectly known. Gray's name (lasiotus) of 1867 appears to have been disregarded by later authors, but according to Lonnberg, it is applicable to the big bear of Mongolia and the interior of China. It is possible that this species is identical with mandchuricus, and, if such is the case, Gray's name has the priority. The question of identity of the two named forms can hardly be decided at the present time. Sowerby applied Heude's specific name cavifrons to a bear from North Kirin, Manchuria. In cranial measurements and characters described nothing prohibits the specific identity of this bear with the present specimen. Sowerby refers Heude's cavifrons to Spelaeus. As characteristic of the latter he mentions "very high forehead so that the cranial outline at this point is concave." The same is true of the present specimen. This character is very variable in other species of bears and there is a probability that the same is true here and the high brow may be an age character. The skull of mandchuricus is said to be large, long and narrow with a very slightly concave outline. The important skull characters mentioned by Gray as distinguishing the grizzly bears from the arctos group-a narrow palate constricted behind-are not mentioned for cavifrons, but if such should happen to be the case our Amur skull has nothing to do with it, because the latter has a broad palate not constricted behind the molars, and therefore belongs to the arctos group. Ognev accepts Heude's name, mandchuricus, and refers the big brown bear of northern Manchuria, Maritime and Amur districts, to this species. 1933] 5 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES Measurements: greatest length, 420 mm.; zygomatic breadth, 265 mm.; interorbital breadth, 118 mm.; width of palate inside p2, least width of palate behind molars, 47 mm.; distance from back of palate to front of incisors, 217 mm.; front of canine to back of last molar, 157 mm.; combined length of p4 mI m2, 85 mm.; length of m2, 42 mm.; width of m2, 24 mm.; length of lower jaw, 275 mm. The specimen was killed on February 7, by natives, who found its tracks in the snow in zero weather. I saw a number of bear skulls hung up on branches at the outskirts of Tungus villages to drive away evil spirits. They were all small skulls, however, and probably of the Selenarctos thibetans group. digitallibrary.amnh.org/bitstream/handle/2246/3862/v2/dspace/ingest/pdfSource/nov/N0681.pdf?sequence=1
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Post by brobear on Sept 9, 2020 14:51:20 GMT -5
Reply #42 - S.P. Kucherenko (2003) We can assume that the more massive skull (Table 3) belonged to the bears, in the autumn vesivshim obesity in good years to 800 kg, and possibly more. To illustrate this give a comparison of the basic measurements of the largest brown bear skulls from different regions of the country (Table 2). *800 kilograms is equal to 1,763.70 pounds ( or more ).
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Post by brobear on Sept 9, 2020 14:58:04 GMT -5
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subspecies_of_brown_bear Ursus arctos lasiotus – Ussuri brown bear (or Amur brown bear, Ezo brown bear, or black grizzly bear) Russia: the southern Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, the Maritime Territory and the Ussuri/Amur River region south of the Stanovoy Range, China (former Manchuria): Heilongjiang, Japan: Hokkaidō, Honshu (in the last glacial period), and the Korean Peninsula: North Korea. Became extinct on Rebun and Rishiri Islands in the 13th century. Ursus arctos lasiotus is quite variable in size. Skull dimensions from mainland Russia (i.e. the Primorsky and the Khabarovsk) indicate they can rival Kamchatkan brown bears in size. By contrast, the population found in Hokkaido is one of the smallest northern forms of the brown bear. Nonetheless, individuals from Hokkaido can reportedly get larger than expected and have reached 400 to 550 kg (880 to 1,210 lb). in weight by feeding on cultivations. This bear is thought to be the ancestor of U. a. horribilis. It is perhaps the darkest-colored population on average and some specimens are almost fully black in colour, although lighter brown and intermediate forms are known. Due to its coloring, this subspecies is sometimes informally referred to as the "black grizzly bear".
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Post by brobear on Oct 7, 2020 6:14:58 GMT -5
This info from - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subspecies_of_brown_bear In Eurasia, the size of bears roughly increases from the west to the east, with the largest bears there native to eastern Russia. Even in the nominate subspecies, size increases in the eastern limits, with mature male bears in Arkhangelsk Oblast and Bashkortostan commonly exceeding 300 kg (660 lb). Other bears of intermediate size may occur in inland populations of Russia. Much like the grizzly and Eurasian brown bear, populations of the Ussuri brown bear (U. a. lasiotus) and the East Siberian brown bear (U. a. collaris) may vary widely in size. In some cases, the big adult males of these populations may have matched the Kodiak bear in size. East Siberian brown bears from outside the sub-Arctic and mainland Ussuri brown bears average about the same size as the largest-bodied populations of grizzly bears, i.e. those of similar latitude in Alaska, and have been credited with weights ranging from 100 to 400 kg (220 to 880 lb) throughout the seasons. On the other hand, the Ussuri brown bears found in the insular population of Hokkaido are usually quite small, usually weighing less than 150 kg (330 lb), exactly half the weight reported for male Ussuri brown bears from Khabarovsk Krai. This is due presumably to the enclosed mixed forest habitat of Hokkaido. A similarly diminished size has been reported in East Siberian brown bears from Yakutia, as even adult males average around 145 kg (320 lb), thus about 40% less than the average weight of male bears of this subtype from central Siberia and the Chukchi Peninsula.
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Oct 8, 2020 5:08:47 GMT -5
brobear , what is the weight of an exceptionally large male Ussuri brown bear. I heard they can reach Kodiak bear size on rare occasions.
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Post by brobear on Oct 8, 2020 5:58:42 GMT -5
brobear , what is the weight of an exceptionally large male Ussuri brown bear. I heard they can reach Kodiak bear size on rare occasions. From the opening post on this topic: "The Ussuri brown bear can differ in size depending on its location; bears in the southern regions of Injeba’k Mountain can weigh up to five hundred and fifty-one pounds, while the bears found north of the mountain can weigh up to 1,322 pounds." Reply #46: "Nonetheless, individuals from Hokkaido can reportedly get larger than expected and have reached 400 to 550 kg (880 to 1,210 lb). in weight by feeding on cultivations." Reply #42: "We can assume that the more massive skull (Table 3) belonged to the bears, in the autumn vesivshim obesity in good years to 800 kg, and possibly more." ( 800kg = 1,763.70 pounds ). *To be honest, I have no idea of the heaviest actually weighed. So few brown bears are put onto scales by biologists and hunters simply collect skulls.
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Oct 8, 2020 8:20:33 GMT -5
An exceptionally heavy Ussuri brown bear can surpass the weight of even a large male polar bear.
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Post by brobear on Oct 8, 2020 9:18:50 GMT -5
An exceptionally heavy Ussuri brown bear can surpass the weight of even a large male polar bear. I would get too excited; we have no confirmed record weights here thus far.
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Post by brobear on Nov 11, 2020 23:04:26 GMT -5
This Ussuri brown bear is for you. Ussuri brown bear - Amur brown bear - Manchurian brown bear - black grizzly - Ursus arctos lasiotus.
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Post by brobear on Nov 21, 2020 4:26:37 GMT -5
From: wildfact.com/forum/ I used the table to get to 2 others: a table on adult male bears and a table on adult female brown bears. Bears III (a 2-3 year old male), IX (a 4-year old female) and XV (a 3-year old female) were not used for the tables on account of their age (immature). Here's the table on adult females. They averaged 181,17 cm in total length (most probably measured 'over curves') and 163,75 kg (361 pounds). The sample, however, is very small:
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Post by brobear on Nov 21, 2020 4:27:45 GMT -5
And here's the table on adult males. They averaged 211,63 cm in total length (most probably measured 'over curves') and 257,50 kg (almost 568 pounds). The heaviest male (No. V) was weighed in May. It's very likely he would have been over 400 kg. in late autumn:
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Post by brobear on Nov 21, 2020 4:29:16 GMT -5
A few decades ago, N. Kucherenko published a table in a publication on adult Ussuri brown bears. I'm referring to this well-known table:
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Nov 24, 2020 6:24:35 GMT -5
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Post by brobear on Nov 27, 2020 5:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by brobear on Nov 27, 2020 5:55:52 GMT -5
By Shadow: Peter Wrote: THE USSURI BROWN BEAR OR BLACK GRIZZLY (Ursus arctos lasiotus) - NEW INFORMATION ON LENGTH AND WEIGHT Good posting, some remarks.
What comes to those weight of the bears it was interesting to see some new figures. When looking at male bears I found it quite interesting that out of sample of only eight bears, there were two which were pretty big ones. First was that bear weighed May 19th and weight was 363 kg. By getting only 10% weight increase it would be a 400 kg bear which is a lot for so called ”inland grizzly”. I dare to claim, that just before hibernation it could weight at least anything in between 400-440 kg. To compare with biggest weighed wild bears ever in Scandinavia and Finland heaviest bear has been 372 or 373 kg (I always forget which was exact number).
Another big bear was weighed July 19th and 305 kg. What makes it interesting is, that while people often think that bears are in their lightest condition right after hibernation it isn´t the whole story. Some bears can be, but many are as light as they are right after mating time. Male bears move hundreds of kilometers while searching female bears to mate and they are quite aggressive and naturally fighting for mating rights. So a bear weighed in July can be pretty light when comparing what it is before hibernation. A 300 kg in July bear can be expected to gain 100 kg more weight before it starts to hibernate without being unrealistic. It can be less or more, but that bear could be in November something like 375-415 kg, imo.
I find this interesting also because of the study I noticed recently concerning brown bears living in Hokkaido (I shared it in brown bears thread). They are considered by some to be same subspecies as Ussuri brown bears and some think, that different population. They had a lot of bears around 400 kg and a few even bigger (up to 520 kg). These things seem to back up claims, that Ussuri brown bears are, what comes to size, somewhere in between ”normal” inland brown bears and brown bears with access to salmon rivers. While Hokkaido brown bears have been quite isolated it´s natural to assume that the bears living in Russian far east have more genetic variation nowadays. But maybe still producing some really big ones more often than most other brown bear subspecies/populations.
Then what comes to that one tigress suspected to be killed by a brown bear, but which wasn´t eaten. Looks to be somewhat unclear case, but most of the fights between brown bears and tigers are known to end to dispersion. It of course doesn´t mean, that all indivduals would survive long after fight, even though not dying on spot. So that tigress could have got lethal injuries while fighting and then dying some time later. Or not.
If it would have died during fight, bear would have eaten it without a doubt, bears aren´t picky and eat what they kill of course. But some cases remain unclear and looks like that case remains as possible, but not sure. This part was then again one, which I´m not sure what you meant: ”Some male Ussuri bears, and non-hibernating bears ('Schatuns' or satellite bears) in particular, however, follow, and sometimes hunt tigresses with cubs and immature tigers. It has to be added, however, that no such incidents have been recorded in the period 1992-2020.”
When you write that no such incidents have been recorded in the period 1992-2020, you mean cases that bears would have hunted some tiger to kill it? And maybe non-hibernating bears following tigers in winter, which is rare too?
I ask because Asiatic black bears and brown bears both are known to follow tigers in order to have their share of tiger kills or usurping those kills. And this, as far as I know, happens all the time from spring to autumn more or less. Like that famous case with tigress Rachel which was practically persecuted by a brown bear to the point, that group of hunters were gathered in order to shoot the bear and help Rachel to keep her kills. I found that case a bit odd, that people were intervening, but of course brown bears aren´t endangered (yet) while tigers are and Rachel had that time cubs too. It s´naturally just one example. I mention this because, imo, that text could be understood in wrong way what comes to bears following tigers.
While that new book didn´t seem to bring in anything new to this tiger-bear topic, one interesting thing giving some new data are camera trap photos. Some already shared ones show tigers and bears captured to photos in same places, but looks like, that not too many of these photos are published yet. Hopefully in future more of these photos come out and more information about it which bears and how often there are etc.
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Post by theundertaker45 on Nov 28, 2020 20:19:38 GMT -5
Thank you for the sample, Kodiak; that's very clear information as you also have the specific age classes attached to it. It's like I expected, the difference in size between bears below 9y of age and above 9y of age is definitely there.
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