![]() ![]() A large male Kodiak bear stands up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) tall at the shoulder when it is standing on all four legs. The largest recorded wild male weighed 751 kg (1,656 lb), and had a hind foot measurement of 46 cm (18 in). ![]() Similar in effect to other captive animals, Kodiak bears can sometimes attain weights that are considerably greater than those of their counterparts located in the wilderness.Īn average adult male measures 244 cm (8 ft 0 in) in length, and stands 133 cm (4 ft 4 in) tall at the shoulder. Bears weigh the least when they emerge from their dens in the spring, and can increase their weight by 20–30% during late summer and fall. Females are typically about 20% smaller and 30% lighter than males, and adult sizes are attained when they are six years old. Mature males average 477–534 kg (1,052–1,177 lb) over the course of the year, and can weigh up to 680 kg (1,500 lb) at peak times. The size range for females (sows) is from 181 to 318 kg (399 to 701 lb), and for males (boars), it is 272 to 635 kg (600 to 1,400 lb). While there is generally much variation in size between brown bears in different areas, most usually weighing between 115 and 360kg (254 and 794lb), the Kodiak bear is, on average, much larger, as it commonly reaches sizes of 300 to 600 kg (660 to 1,320 lb). The Kodiak bear's color is similar to that of its close relatives, the mainland American Grizzly bear and Eurasian brown bears. Cubs will often retain a white "natal ring" around their neck for the first few years of life. Hair colors range from pale blonde to orange (typically females or bears from southern parts of the archipelago) to dark brown. Although the current population is healthy, productive, and has shown no overt adverse signs of inbreeding, it may be more susceptible to new diseases or parasites than other, more diverse brown bear populations. Kodiak bears have been genetically isolated since at least the last ice age (10,000 to 12,000 years ago) and very little genetic diversity exists within the population. Genetic samples from bears on Kodiak have shown that they are most closely related to brown bears on the Alaska Peninsula and Kamchatka, Russia, and all brown bears roughly north of the US. Subsequent taxonomic work merged all North American brown bears into a single species ( Ursus arctos). Merriam was the first to recognize the Kodiak bear as a unique subspecies of the brown bear, and he named it " Ursus middendorffi" in honor of the celebrated Baltic naturalist, Dr. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game however, along with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to a lesser extent, closely monitor the size and health of the population and the number of bears hunted in the state. ![]() The IUCN classifies the brown bear ( Ursus arctos), of which the Kodiak is a subspecies, as being of " least concern" in terms of endangerment or extinction, though the IUCN does not differentiate between subspecies and thus does not provide a conservation status for the Kodiak population. In recent history there has been an increasing focus on conservation and protection of the Kodiak bear population as human activity in its range increases. Less frequently, Kodiak bears are killed by people whose property (such as livestock) or person are threatened. The bears are hunted for sport and are encountered by hunters pursuing other species. Kodiak bears have interacted with humans for centuries, especially hunters and other people in the rural coastal regions of the archipelago. Despite this large variation in size, the diet and lifestyle of the Kodiak bear do not differ greatly from those of other brown bears. californicus), with the main difference being size, as Kodiak Bears are on average 1.5 to 2 times larger than their cousins. Physiologically and physically, the Kodiak bear is very similar to the other brown bear species, such as the mainland grizzly bear ( Ursus arctos horribilis) and the extinct California grizzly bear ( U. They are also considered by some to be a population of grizzly bears. It is one of the largest recognized subspecies or population of the brown bear, and one of the two largest bears alive today, the other being the polar bear. The Kodiak bear ( Ursus arctos middendorffi), also known as the Kodiak brown bear, sometimes the Alaskan brown bear, inhabits the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago in southwest Alaska. ![]()
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