Brown bears are found in Asia, Europe, and North America, giving them the widest range of all bear species.

Grizzly bears are powerful, top-of-the-food-chain predators, yet much of their diet consists of nuts, berries, fruit, leaves, and roots. Of course, grizzlies also eat other animals, from small rodents to moose.

Grizzly bears have a biting force of over 1200 PSI (Pounds per Square Inch)--enough to crush a bowling ball!

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark first described it as grisley, which could be interpreted as either "grizzly" (i.e., "grizzled"--that is, with golden and grey tips of the hair) or "grisly" ("fear-inspiring", now usually "gruesome"). The modern spelling supposes the former meaning.

A grizzly bear's long claws, which measure two to four inches, enable it to swipe salmon from rivers, dig through soil for rodents, rip apart old tree stumps for insects, and scoop out hard terrain to construct large dens. By comparison, a black bear's claws measure about 1-2 inches in length.

Although grizzlies enjoy eating many insects, moths are at the top of the menu. Researchers have observed bears climbing to alpine heights at Montana's Glacier National Park in order to feast on the flying appetizers. Grizzlies will turn over rocks and spend up to 14 hours in a day devouring in excess of 40,000 moths.

Grizzly bears may look like lumbering giants, but they have been clocked running at 35 miles per hour. The top human speed ever recorded is 27.8 mph.

Genetic testing has confirmed the existence of polar bear/grizzly bear hybrids known as "grolar bears" or "pizzly bears". The hybrid physically resembles an intermediate between the two species, but as wild hybrids are usually birthed from polar bear mothers they are raised and behave like polar bears.

The most identifiable trait of a grizzly bear is the large hump on their shoulders, a powerful muscle they use to power their forelimbs through their daily routine. Grizzlies, known to dig more than any other bear species, spend inordinate amounts of time ripping through the earth and tearing apart rotted logs in search of roots, plant bulbs, insects, rodents, and other grubs. Their massive hump is also the muscle powering them as they dig out winter dens, often in steep and rocky mountain terrain.

A group of grizzlies is known as a sleuth or sloth. Although they do not hunt cooperatively or live in large family groups, it is not uncommon for unrelated adults to spend time together.