Grizzly Bear Reproductive Rate Relative to Body Size

January 1, 1990
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Mean adult body sizes (BS) and reproductive parameters were compared across 12 populations of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos). BS was assessed in terms of mean adult body weight (BW) and skull length (SL). BWs of adult males and females are positively related to each other and to SL. As BS increases, litter size (C/L) and natality (C/L/IBI) tend to increase, while interbirth interval (IBI) and age at first whelping (AFW) decrease. To the extent that IBI and AFW are inversely related to maturation rates to weaning and adulthood, respectively, these results indicate a positive relationship between maturation rate and BS in a population. Both BW and SL are inexpensive predictors of reproductive rate reliable enough for management purposes where reproductive data are lacking.

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