Kodiak Bear Size report
Kodiak bears are a unique subspecies of the brown or grizzly bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi). They live exclusively on the Kodiak Archipelago islands and have been isolated from other bears for about 12,000 years and named after their habitat.
Kodiak bear populations are healthy and productive. Male bears are called boars, females are sows, and youngsters are cubs. They enjoy relatively pristine habitat and well-managed fish populations. In most areas, the number of bears is stable, but there are some places where bear density is increasing.
These huge bears have no natural predators in their habitat and have a plentiful supply of sufficient food to allow them to thrive. They are huge enough to compete with those white polar bears. An adult Kodiak bear can stand up to more than 3 meters high and weigh more than 680 kilograms, and such a big guy is not uncommon there. The following post explains more facts about this huge bear.
Kodiak Bear Descriptions
Physical Characters
The Kodiak Bear is well built, with raised shoulders and a thick coat of different colors, usually varying from brown to tan. In winter, the coat will grow further, up to a maximum of 10 cm. It will become shorter again in summer, and the color will be darker than that in winter. The tip of the front paws can reach up to 15 cm. There are 42 teeth, including two large canines. Like other bears, they are lame and have a short tails.
Habitat and living Haibits
The Kodiak Island brown bear inhabits the forested areas of Kodiak Island. They prefer open areas, such as tundra and alpine meadows, and their tracks are often seen near coastlines. Due to the cold weather in North America, hibernation becomes one of their survival skills. Kodiak Bears are omnivores and eat grass, plants, and berries. They also eat fish such as salmon. They tend to eat the most nutritious parts of fish to gain weight.
Breeding
These animals are solitary and never form a herd from a life perspective, only in pairs during the summer breeding season. Kodiak females typically give birth every 4 years, usually in winter. Cubs are born in the den during January or February, and most cubs stay with their mothers for 3 years. Over 25% of the cubs die before they leave, with cannibalism by adult males being one of the major causes of death. Kodiak bears become sexually mature at age 5 and can continue to produce cubs throughout their lives. Their life span can reach 20-30 years, But the cruel wildlife world makes some very short-lived.
Kodiak Bear Sizes
Kodiak bears are the largest bears in the world. The Kodiak bear looks similar to other brown bears, except it is much larger.
- A large Kodiak can stand over 9'-10' (2.75-3.05 m) tall on his hind legs, and a large male is 4'-5' (1.22-1.52 m) tall on all four legs.
- The shoulder heights of females are between 3'4"-4' (1.02-1.22 m).
- The weight of females (sows) is between 181 to 318 kg (400 to 700 lbs), and males (boars) can be from 272 to 635 kg (600 to 1,400 lbs).
- The largest recorded wild male Kodiak bear weighed 751 kg (1,656 lb) which is on display in Anchorage Airport, Alaska.
| Weight | Shoulder Height | Standing Height | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 181 to 318 kg (400 to 700 lbs) | 3’4"-4' (1.02-1.22 m) | 9'-10' (2.75-3.05 m) | 6'5"-9' (1.96-2.74 m) |
| Male | 272 to 635 kg (600 to 1,400 lbs) | 4'-5' (1.22-1.52 m) | 9'-10' (2.75-3.05 m) | 6'5"-9' (1.96-2.74 m) |
Size Differences Between Kodiak bear And grizzly bear
The geographic differences between these two subspecies have also led to size differences. Generally, Kodiak bears have a larger bone structure and, therefore, larger frames than grizzly bears, though both species can reach very large sizes. Kodiak bears are the largest among all the bears but average slightly smaller than polar bears.
Polar bears are classified as marine rather than terrestrial mammals because of their dependency on sea ice. This classification makes the Kodiak bear the largest terrestrial carnivore in the world.
