Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
Brown bears are a large species of bear found in North America, Europe, and Asia. They are omnivores but get most of their nutrition from plants like berries, roots and flowers. They use their long claws to dig dens and forage for food. They are still considered wide spread worldwide even though their range has historically shrunk.
Originally published: July 10, 2007
Last updated: February 10, 2026
Credit: Cecile Fisher
SPECIES IN DETAIL
Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
CONSERVATION STATUS: Least concern
CLIMATE CHANGE: Not Applicable
Geographic Distribution
They are native to Europe and Asia and North America.
Habitat
Brown bears are found in forests, shrublands, and grasslands.
Physical Characteristics
Despite their name, brown bears come in a wide variety of colors. Their fur can range from cream to red or dark brown. They are sexually dimorphic with female being a third of the size of males. They have a large muscular hump on their shoulders which helps them dig with their long claws.
Size
Brown bears get about 5-7 ft in length. Their weight can range from 200-1000 pounds depending on seasonality or if they’re male or female.
Diet
Brown bears are omnivores, eating both meat and plants. They eat a variety of berries, plants, fish, insects and small mammals.
Reproduction
They mate in April-July with females having multiple mates. Females delay implantation of the embryo until they are ready to hibernate in November or December. They give birth to a litter of 1-3 cubs and nurse them through the winter months. The cubs emerge in spring and stay with their mothers for about two years.
Behavior
Brown bears hibernate in the winter to avoid the harsh conditions. They use the fat stores gained in the summer months as energy during this time. Brown bears communicate through scent as well as body language and vocalizations.
Adaptation
These bears have long straight claws, which are great for digging but not for climbing trees (especially as they grow larger as adults). The muscular hump on their shoulders also helps them dig to forage for food and construct dens.
Longevity
Their lifespan is 15-25 years.
Conservation
Brown bears are considered an animal of Least Concern by the IUCN. Although their range has historically declined , they are considered widespread across the three continents of North America, Europe and Asia. Conservation efforts vary greatly between nations and regions. Some areas restrict hunting or limit human impacts on their habitat. Some small populations of subspecies (grizzly bears) have protections under the Endangered Species Act.
Special Notes
In North America, there are 6 extant subspecies of brown bear. The California grizzly bear (seen on the state flag) is a subspecies that went extinct in the 1920s. All wild bears in California are species of black bears (Ursus americanus).
SPECIES IN DETAIL | Print full entry
Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
CONSERVATION STATUS: Least concern
CLIMATE CHANGE: Not Applicable
They are native to Europe and Asia and North America.
Brown bears are found in forests, shrublands, and grasslands.
Despite their name, brown bears come in a wide variety of colors. Their fur can range from cream to red or dark brown. They are sexually dimorphic with female being a third of the size of males. They have a large muscular hump on their shoulders which helps them dig with their long claws.
Brown bears get about 5-7 ft in length. Their weight can range from 200-1000 pounds depending on seasonality or if they’re male or female.
Brown bears are omnivores, eating both meat and plants. They eat a variety of berries, plants, fish, insects and small mammals.
They mate in April-July with females having multiple mates. Females delay implantation of the embryo until they are ready to hibernate in November or December. They give birth to a litter of 1-3 cubs and nurse them through the winter months. The cubs emerge in spring and stay with their mothers for about two years.
Brown bears hibernate in the winter to avoid the harsh conditions. They use the fat stores gained in the summer months as energy during this time. Brown bears communicate through scent as well as body language and vocalizations.
These bears have long straight claws, which are great for digging but not for climbing trees (especially as they grow larger as adults). The muscular hump on their shoulders also helps them dig to forage for food and construct dens.
Their lifespan is 15-25 years.
Brown bears are considered an animal of Least Concern by the IUCN. Although their range has historically declined , they are considered widespread across the three continents of North America, Europe and Asia. Conservation efforts vary greatly between nations and regions. Some areas restrict hunting or limit human impacts on their habitat. Some small populations of subspecies (grizzly bears) have protections under the Endangered Species Act.
In North America, there are 6 extant subspecies of brown bear. The California grizzly bear (seen on the state flag) is a subspecies that went extinct in the 1920s. All wild bears in California are species of black bears (Ursus americanus).