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[Coyote howl, music, and the sound of an erupting geyser]
You’re watching Yellowstone InDepth.
Yellowstone is prime habitat for both grizzly bears
and black bears. With a little luck, you might spot
one on a visit to the park. But it’s not as easy as you
might think to tell them apart. Here are some clues to
help distinguish between grizzly bears and black bears.
Due to their name, you might think that black bears are
black, and grizzly bears are …well… some other color.
But all of Yellowstone’s bears, both black bears and
grizzlies, can be black, brown, or even blonde.
Because of their reputations, you might also think
that all black bears are much smaller than grizzlies.
Grizzlies are generally bigger, but a big black bear can
easily outweigh a female grizzly or a young grizzly.
Without color or size as a guide, you have to look at
other features. The best way to tell grizzlies and black
bears apart at a distance is by their body shape.
Grizzlies have a distinct hump on their shoulders that is
higher than their rump. This hump is a mass of muscle
that makes their front legs powerful digging tools.
Black bears have only a slight shoulder hump if any
at all, and their rump is higher than their shoulders.
Another way you can tell the two bears apart is by the
shape of their face. Grizzly bears have a clear depression
between their eyes and snout, a dished-in profile.
Black bears have a straight profile between their eyes
and snout. Grizzly bears also have relatively smaller,
more rounded ears, whereas black bears have more
prominent, oval shaped ears. You can also tell grizzly
and black bears apart from the tracks they leave.
The toes of a grizzly bear are in fairly straight line,
not too dissimilar from those of a human’s.
And, because grizzlies have long, straight claws, the claw
marks show up quite a distance from the bear’s toes.
The toes of a black bear, in contrast, are arranged in an arc.
Their shorter claws leave marks closer to the toes.
So other clues are much more reliable than color or size
to differentiate black bears and grizzlies. But why, then,
are they named the way they are? Black bears got their
common name because, in many other parts of the country
besides Yellowstone, most of them are black.
Grizzlies are so named because the tips of their fur are
often silver, lending them a “grizzled” appearance.
In Yellowstone, many grizzlies do indeed have grizzled fur.
But if you’re close enough to see those silver tips,
you’re probably far too close to the bear.
For your own safety and for that of the bear, park regulations
require that you stay at least 100 yards from bears, that’s
the length of a football field. You can find more information
about staying safe in bear country on the park’s website.
By watching bears from distance, you can help ensure all
bears, black or grizzly, will stay wild and survive to thrill
the next park visitor lucky enough to spot a bear.
[music]