Grizzly Bears - Pictures

Grizzly Bears - Mating

After mating the male and the female separate. The female may mate other males, but the period of readiness is very short. If a female manages to mate with several mates and her fat stores are large enough, she can give birth to several cubs from different fathers. That is why the cubs from one and the same litter may look differently. The cubs stay with the mother for 2-4 years. When they are independent enough, she is ready to mate again.

If the female is pregnant, it doesn't necessarily mean that she will have babies, because like all bears, Grizzlies have developed delayed implantation. The embryo floats freely in the uterus and doesn't develop. Only in the fall when the Grizzly bear female gets enough fat reserves to support herself and her babies does the embryo become implanted in the uterine wall and begin growing. If food is scarce and the energy store of the Grizzly bear female is low, the embryo is aborted. Thus, the availability of food and the abilities of female Grizzly bears to access food are important to the ability of these animals to repopulate.

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