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Post by brobear on Dec 17, 2018 1:51:08 GMT -5
allspecies.wikia.com/wiki/Glacier_Bear The glacier bear (Ursus americanus emmonsii), sometimes referred to as the blue bear, is a subspecies of American black bear with silver-blue or gray hair endemic to Southeast Alaska. There is little scientific knowledge of their total extent and the cause of their unique coloration. Most of the other black bears in Southeast Alaska are listed under the subspecies Ursus americanus pugnax The chief feature distinguishing the glacier bear from other black bears is its pelage (hair coloration), which ranges from silvery blue to gray. This variation can be seen on individual bears that are often lighter on their backs and shoulders, with their legs and belly being much darker or even black. Currently there is no evidence to determine if this coloration is the only physical characteristic that is unique to the glacier bear compared to other black bears. The glacier bear's habitat ranges from Prince William Sound to Glacier Bay in Southeast Alaska, with a few sightings as far east as Juneau, Alaska and the Taku River. This region includes Glacier Bay National Park and portions of Tongass National Forest, a temperate rainforest preserve. Glacier bears share most of the characteristics of black bears such as their habitat preferences, food sources, size and reproductive cycles. They prefer forest with thick understory and landscapes with lots of vegetation, but can be found in urban populated areas. The glacier bear habitat is dependent upon food source availability, and they will move between forest, meadows, streams and mountains in search of food and shelter. Black bears in general are very capable climbers and can use trees as a place of protection and refuge. Glacier bears will move into their dens in early winter, which can be an overturned tree, a rock ledge or a cave. Breeding habits are much like any other black bear. The glacier bear will normally have their first litter by 3–5 years of age. This breeding period will take place in June through July. Gestation last 235 days and cubs will be born in January to early February. Because of the increasing range of all subspecies of black bear since the last glacier maximum, there is interbreeding taking place. For this reason it is possible to see a black-in-color bear give birth to a bear with the Glacier bear pelage and vice versa. Glacier bears, like all other black bears, are omnivores with their diets varying depending on the food source available during the season and the location. Their diet includes young shoots and roots in early spring. Like most Alaskan bears, during the summer months in Alaska, the glacier bear will eat the abundant Pacific salmon spawning in the streams. In some areas moose and deer are a food source for black bears. During the fall the bears will eat the starchy roots of ground cones and variety of berries found in Alaska such as blueberries, salmonberries, raspberries, and cranberries.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2019 7:45:01 GMT -5
Kemorde bear has a 1/3 success rate of catching a salmon compared to the original american black bear 1/4
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Post by King Kodiak on Apr 1, 2019 5:22:09 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2019 9:35:55 GMT -5
I posted the first picture yesterday. Glad to see you have obtained all three pictures.
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Post by brobear on Dec 27, 2019 6:21:43 GMT -5
www.atlasobscura.com/places/glacier-bears-in-glacier-bay-national-park A rare kind of blue bear can be found chiefly in the national park that shares its name. Bears come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. On their hind legs, they can be as tall as eleven feet or as short as four feet. Their bodies can be very round, very muscular, or very sleek. They can be brown, black, blonde, white, or blue. Yes, blue. American black bears actually come in all of the colors listed above. The white ones are called Kermode bears or spirit bears. The blue ones are glacier bears, or Ursus americanus emmonsii, and were first identified in 1895. Since black bears of all different colors can reproduce and thus create offspring that are heterogeneous with respect to fur color, it is possible that two black bears with black fur might produce a cub with blue fur. Glacier bears are mostly found in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve as well as Tongass National Forest in Alaska, with occasional sightings in the capital city of Juneau. Their fur color ranges from silvery blue to grey, and tends to be darker closer to their bodies, terminating in white tips. The coloring is not always evenly distributed. They are among the most rare bears in the world, with little concrete information known about them or their numbers. What is known is that they are pretty similar to other black bears: They favor forests, but follow the food supply; they are omnivores whose diets include roots, berries, salmon, and large mammals depending on the time of year; they average about six feet tall; they live an average of ten years; they breed in the summer and give birth in the winter; and they retreat to their den in early winter to hibernate. People in towns near glacier bear ranges tend to have great affection for their unique ursine neighbors. They sometimes name sports teams after them and often set up hunting regulations to protect them, lest their rare and beautiful coats come to be considered prized trophies.
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Dec 27, 2019 7:04:18 GMT -5
Thats my favourite bear together with the polar bear. I will be looking for more info not just on this bear but the other black bears.
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Dec 27, 2019 8:06:37 GMT -5
Monitoring of Black Bears in Southeast Alaska" :The biggest glacier bear in that study was around 474lbs as estimated by the authors; mature males averaged something like 250-270lbs.
Credited to Theundertaker45
I will post the link which is in PDF once I get on a computer.
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Dec 27, 2019 8:26:11 GMT -5
Glacier Bears of Glacier Bay National ParkA rare kind of blue bear can be found chiefly in the national park that shares its name. Bears come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. On their hind legs, they can be as tall as eleven feet or as short as four feet. Their bodies can be very round, very muscular, or very sleek. They can be brown, black, blonde, white, or blue. Yes, blue. American black bears actually come in all of the colors listed above. The white ones are called Kermode bears or spirit bears. The blue ones are glacier bears, or Ursus americanus emmonsii, and were first identified in 1895. Since black bears of all different colors can reproduce and thus create offspring that are heterogeneous with respect to fur color, it is possible that two black bears with black fur might produce a cub with blue fur. Glacier bears are mostly found in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve as well as Tongass National Forest in Alaska, with occasional sightings in the capital city of Juneau. Their fur color ranges from silvery blue to grey, and tends to be darker closer to their bodies, terminating in white tips. The coloring is not always evenly distributed. They are among the most rare bears in the world, with little concrete information known about them or their numbers. What is known is that they are pretty similar to other black bears: They favor forests, but follow the food supply; they are omnivores whose diets include roots, berries, salmon, and large mammals depending on the time of year; they average about six feet tall; they live an average of ten years; they breed in the summer and give birth in the winter; and they retreat to their den in early winter to hibernate. People in towns near glacier bear ranges tend to have great affection for their unique ursine neighbors. They sometimes name sports teams after them and often set up hunting regulations to protect them, lest their rare and beautiful coats come to be considered prized trophies. Know Before You Go It is hard to get around Alaska, you will probably need a guide with a boat or helicopter to help you. Do not get too close to wild bears, no matter what color they are. www.atlasobscura.com/places/glacier-bears-in-glacier-bay-national-park
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Dec 27, 2019 8:36:12 GMT -5
Black Bears Black bears can be black, brown, blonde, even blue/gray -- as is the case of the rare color phase found in Southeast Alaska called the glacier bear. Black bears normally weigh up to 300 pounds, occasionally up to as much as 600 pounds. Black bears can be identified by their "roman nose" facial profile, flat upper back, and short curved claws. Black bears tend to live in forested areas, although they can be found anywhere from the beach to the alpine. www.nps.gov/glba/learn/nature/bear-identification.htm
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Dec 27, 2019 10:14:59 GMT -5
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Post by brobear on Dec 27, 2019 10:32:14 GMT -5
Monitoring of Black Bears in Southeast Alaska" :The biggest glacier bear in that study was around 474lbs as estimated by the authors; mature males averaged something like 250-270lbs. *Note: Black bears west of the Mississippi are normally smaller bears than those east of the Mississippi ( ? )... just a fact. This is why we don't ever hear about a grizzly encountering a 600 pound black bear.
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Dec 27, 2019 11:00:19 GMT -5
I thought glacier bears will be bigger than that but after the research it seems not ☹️. Anyway, it is still my favourite bear.
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Jan 1, 2020 20:42:06 GMT -5
Black Bear (Glacier Bear), Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska – Image 2711 Alaska is famous for healthy bear populations and Glacier Bay National Park is no exception. The park features strong populations of both black and coast brown bears. One of the most unusual bears found only in Northern Southeast Alaska is what the locals call the “blue bear” or “glacier bear”. I have seen a couple of these bears in Juneau over the years, but have only been able to photograph them in Glacier Bay National Park. The “blue bear” or “glacier bear” is a rare color phase of a black bear similar to the komodo white bears found in British Columbia. This image is of a glacier bear and is featured on page 68 in my photo book on the park: “Glacier Bay National Park: Alaska.” I plan to run bear images shot in Glacier Bay National Park for the next five weeks. Enjoy the photo and thanks for visiting. Once again as a reminder, I will be leading a small boat photo cruise in Glacier Bay National Park this coming summer with Dolphin Charters (www.dolphincharters.com), July 6-12, 2011. Come join me for a week-long cruise in the bay exploring Alaska. Camera body: F5, Lens: Nikkor 500mm f/4 Film: 35mm Velvia, ASA 50, digitally scanned© Mark Kelley www.markkelley.com/photoportfolio/black-bear-glacier-bear-color-phase-glacier-bay-national-park-alaska-image-2711/Looks like the glacier bear population is not endangered but thriving.
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on May 21, 2020 4:48:40 GMT -5
Poaching contributes to the rarity of my favorite bear .
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Jul 4, 2020 2:50:39 GMT -5
Glacier bears, like all other black bears, are omnivores, with their diets varying depending on the food source available during the season and the location.Their diet includes young shoots and roots in early spring. During the summer in Alaska, the glacier bear eats the abundant Pacific salmon spawning in the streams. In some areas, moose and deer are a food source for black bears. During the fall, the bears eat the starchy roots of ground cones and the variety of berries found in Alaska such as blueberries, salmonberries, raspberries, and cranberries. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacier_bear
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Post by King Kodiak on Jul 15, 2020 23:48:16 GMT -5
Unraveling the mystery of the glacier bear: Genetic population structure of black bears ( Ursus americanus ) within the range of a rare pelage type
Glacier bears are a rare grey color morph of American black bear (Ursus americanus ) found only in northern Southeast Alaska and a small portion of western Canada. We examine contemporary genetic population structure of black bears within the geographic extent of glacier bears and explore how this structure relates to pelage color and landscape features of a recently glaciated and highly fragmented landscape. We used existing radiocollar data to quantify black bear home‐range size within the geographic range of glacier bears. The mean home‐range size of female black bears in the study area was 13 km² (n = 11), whereas the home range of a single male was 86.9 km². We genotyped 284 bears using 21 microsatellites extracted from noninvasively collected hair as well as tissue samples from harvested bears. We found ten populations of black bears in the study area, including several new populations not previously identified, divided largely by geographic features such as glaciers and marine fjords. Glacier bears were assigned to four populations found on the north and east side of Lynn Canal and the north and west side of Glacier Bay with a curious absence in the nonglaciated peninsula between. Lack of genetic relatedness and geographic continuity between black bear populations containing glacier bears suggest a possible unsampled population or an association with ice fields. Further investigation is needed to determine the genetic basis and the adaptive and evolutionary significance of the glacier bear color morph to help focus black bear conservation management to maximize and preserve genetic diversity.
FULL STUDY HERE:
www.researchgate.net/publication/342511849_Unraveling_the_mystery_of_the_glacier_bear_Genetic_population_structure_of_black_bears_Ursus_americanus_within_the_range_of_a_rare_pelage_type
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Jul 16, 2020 2:06:41 GMT -5
Monitoring of Black Bears in Southeast Alaska" :The biggest glacier bear in that study was around 474lbs as estimated by the authors; mature males averaged something like 250-270lbs. *Note: Black bears west of the Mississippi are normally smaller bears than those east of the Mississippi ( ? )... just a fact. This is why we don't ever hear about a grizzly encountering a 600 pound black bear. The American black bears grow bigger in areas where grizzly bears are absent that is probably why. If the glacier bear lives in an area where grizzly bears are absent, they would probably grow much heavier.
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Jul 31, 2020 21:09:09 GMT -5
There are sadly only about a hundred glacier bears left. They are the most elusive of the bears.
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Jan 24, 2021 7:02:31 GMT -5
Rarest bear in North America.
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Post by OldGreenGrolar on Aug 22, 2021 0:28:59 GMT -5
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