Know the Difference - Black Bear vs Grizzly Bears
Know the Difference - Black Bear versus Grizzly Bears by BearSmart
Check out this wonderful resource on how to tell the difference and support BearSmart Whistler. Image Courtesy of Center for Wildlife Information – Graphic Art Fund
Not all black bears are black and not all grizzlies are “grizzled”
Despite the names grizzly and black, coat color is the least reliable characteristic for identifying bears. For instance, grizzlies may be pale—almost luminous blond, or reddish blond, light brown, darker brown, or almost black. To add to the confusion, the common name grizzly is derived from the term ”grizzled,” which refers to white-tipped hair. Grizzled hair occurs mainly on the back and shoulders; thus, from a distance, a grizzly bear appears to have darker legs and lighter upper parts. And to complicate matters just a bit more, black bears, despite their name, are not always black. They can also be brown, cinnamon, blond, or a combination of light and dark hair. Kermode/Spirit/Ghost bears, found in Northwestern BC, Canada, can be whit
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