Brown Bear Reading Passage
Wildlife Explorers • Grade 3 Nonfiction
Name: Date:
Life Science Article
Grizzly Giants: The Mighty Brown Bear
Discover how these powerful animals hunt, explore, and survive across the seasons.
Field Study
Kings of the Northern Forests
Brown bears are among the largest land-dwelling predators on Earth. Most famous is the grizzly bear, a subspecies of brown bear found in the rugged mountains of Alaska, western Canada, and parts of the northwestern United States. An adult male can weigh more than 700 pounds and stand up to eight feet tall on its hind legs! A thick layer of shaggy brown fur keeps them cozy during freezing mountain storms.
What’s on the Menu?
Even though they have sharp claws and fierce teeth, brown bears are omnivores. This means they eat both plants and animals. In springtime, bears munch on grass, sweet roots, and tender shoots. When summer arrives, they feast on wild berries and insects. Their favorite event of the year happens in late summer when thousands of wild salmon swim upstream. Brown bears stand in splashing rivers, skillfully catching leaping fish right out of the air!
The Big Winter Nap
Winters in bear territory are bitterly cold, and food becomes scarce under deep snowdrifts. In autumn, brown bears enter a period called hyperphagia—they eat almost non-stop to pack on thick layers of body fat. Next, they dig snug winter dens into sheltered hillsides or hollow trees. During their long winter rest, bears do not eat or drink for up to six months, surviving solely on their stored body fat.
Growing Up in the Wilderness
Mother bears give birth to tiny, blind cubs inside the cozy den in mid-winter. In spring, the lively cubs tumble outside to explore. A mother bear is fiercely protective. She teaches her cubs how to dig for tubers, find clean water, and stay safe from danger. Cubs stay with their mother for nearly three years before striking out on their own.
Word Watch
Omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and meat.
Subspecies
A related group within a larger animal species.
Den
A sheltered home or burrow where bears rest in winter.
Predator
An animal that hunts other animals for food.
Quick Fact File
- • Super Sniffer: A bear’s sense of smell is 7 times keener than a bloodhound’s!
- • Speedy Runners: Despite their size, they can run up to 35 miles per hour.
- • Digging Power: Strong shoulder humps give them immense power to dig dens.
Reader's Tip
Turn to page 2 to answer comprehension questions using evidence from this text!
Unit 4: North American Habitats Page 1 of 2
Comprehension Check • Grizzly Giants
Total Score: _____ / 15
Show What You Know!
Use facts from the text on Page 1
A
Multiple Choice • Circle the best answer
1. What is the main idea of the reading passage?
A Brown bears only eat wild salmon from rivers.
B Brown bears have special adaptations to survive in the wild.
C Cubs leave their mothers as soon as they are born.
D Winter is the best season for bears to run and hunt.
2. Why does a brown bear eat almost non-stop during the autumn season?
A To feed other predators in the mountain forest.
B To build up thick body fat for its long winter rest.
C Because it needs extra energy to travel south for winter.
D To help sharpen its teeth and long digging claws.
B
Vocabulary in Action • Fill in the blanks
Word Bank: omnivore • den • predator
3. Because a bear eats plants like berries and animals like salmon, it is called an .
4. In late autumn, a bear digs a sheltered winter home called a into a hillside.
C
Constructed Response • Cite text evidence
5. Explain two important things mother bears do to help their young cubs survive in the wild.
D
Fact Detective • Circle True or False
6. A brown bear’s sense of smell is seven times stronger than a bloodhound’s.
TRUE FALSE
7. Brown bears eat food every day during their long winter sleep.
TRUE FALSE
8. In late summer, brown bears catch wild salmon swimming upstream.
TRUE FALSE
Unit 4: North American Habitats Page 2 of 2
