Nutrition
Although grizzly bears are part of the
order Carnivora, they are actually omnivores, and depending on
where they live, may primarily eat plants such as berries and
nuts.
Inland Bears
Grizzlies that live inland in the Rocky Mountains and
Yellowstone National Park are usually smaller due to the lesser quality of
food in these areas. Their diets consist mainly of whitebark pine nuts,
tubers, berries such as blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries, and
mammals such as ground squirrels, voles, elk, moose, and bison. Ungulates,
mainly elk and bison are primary food resources for Yellowstone grizzly
bears throughout the year (Fortin et al. 2013). For the larger game, the
bears will either hunt them, or more likely, scavenge them as carrion… or
kills of gray wolves and human hunters (Fortin et al. 2013).
Coastal Bears
Grizzlies
living in Canada and Alaska have access to a greater variety of resources
than the inland bears of the United States. The main advantage is living
near coastal waters and streams where they can fish for salmon and other
common food sources such as trout (Fortin et al. 2013). Grizzlies may also
scavenge whale carcasses along the coast. The higher fat content of coastal
food sources allow for the coastal grizzles to grow larger than inland
grizzlies.