Grizzly Bear - National Park Animals for Kids

Grizzlies get their name from the silvery-tipped fur that gives them a grizzled appearance. What's the difference between a black bear and a grizzly bear? Well, first and most important, grizzlies have a hump on the shoulder, right behind the head. This is a massive muscle that helps them dig up some of their food. As they get older, the humps grow larger. The grizzly bear's claws are twice the size of a black bear. Also, from the side view, a grizzly has a face that is sort of curved from the forehead to the nose, while a black bear's face is a straight line from the forehead to its nose. Grizzlies are larger than black bears and more powerful and faster. They, too, vary in color from brown to blonde. Grizzlies can run between 35 and 40 miles an hour, twice the speed of most humans, an amazing feat for an animal that can weigh as much as 700 pounds. 85 percent of a grizzly bear's diet consists of vegetables, including roots, bulbs, grasses, and berries. It is not unusual for them to travel 20 or 30 miles in a day. Grizzly bears are the very symbol of wilderness and an animal that we can all admire from a safe distance.