California State Mammal
Grizzly Bear (common name) Ursus arctos horribilis (scientific name) Overview The California grizzly bear was designated the official state animal in 1953. Before dying out in California, this largest and most powerful of carnivores thrived in the great valleys and low mountains of the state, probably in greater numbers than anywhere else in the United States. As humans began to populate California, the grizzly stood its ground, refusing to retreat in the face of advancing civilization. It killed livestock and interfered with settlers. But less than 75 years after the discovery of gold in the state, every grizzly bear had been tracked down and killed. The last one was killed in Tulare County in August 1922, more than 20 years before the authority to regulate the take of fish and wildlife was delegated to the California Fish and Game Commission by the state legislature. Close-up STATUS Official State Animal ALSO KNOWN AS Grizzly Bear, California Brown Bear, California Golden Bear, Silvertip Bear PHYSICAL DETAILS Grizzly bears are generally larger and more heavily built than other bears. They can be distinguished from black bears, which also occur in the lower 48 states, by their longer, curved claws, humped shoulders, and a face that appears to be concave in profile. Grizzlies may be pale (almost luminous blond to reddish-blond to light brown) to darker brown to even black.  Males Females Size 3.28 ft (1 m) at the shoulder and may stand 6.5 ft (2 m) 3.28 ft (1 m) at the shoulder and may stand 6.5 ft (2 m) Weight 400-770 pounds (180 kg-350 kg) 250-350 pounds (114-160 kg) LIFESPAN 25 years HABITAT Range: From Alaska south through much of western Canada, and into portions of the northwestern United States, extending as far south as Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Conservation: Vulnerable (VU) BEHAVIOR Grizzly bears very rarely exhibit predatory behavior toward humans. However, a bear that has been exposed to human food or garbage may become dangerous and aggressive to people. A solitary animal, a male's home range may be as large as 1,118.5 square miles (1,800 sq km). A female grizzly is extremely protective of her offspring and will attack if she thinks she or her cubs are threatened. Top land speed recorded: 30 mph (48 kph) DIET Roots, tubers, grasses, berries, and other vegetation; small rodents, fish, carrion, and even garbage and human food if it is easily available. OFFSPRING Breeding interval: 3–4 years Birthing period: January–February Average litter size: 2 cubs Cub size at birth: 14.1 oz (400 g), measuring less than 8.9 in (22.5 cm) TRIVIA Formerly, taxonomists listed brown and grizzly bears as separate species. Now, brown and grizzly bears are classified as the same species, Ursus arctos. The term "brown bear" is commonly used to refer to the members of this species found in coastal areas where salmon is the primary food source. Brown bears found inland and in northern habitats are often called "grizzlies." In 1981, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hired a grizzly bear recovery coordinator to direct recovery efforts and to coordinate all agency efforts on research and management of grizzly bears in the lower 48 States.  Recovery of the grizzly bear covers four states and two U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regions.  The common name grizzly is derived from the term "grizzled," which refers to hair that is either flecked with gray at the ends or is a mixture of gray and darker colors. It is from this "grizzled" nature of the coat that the title "silvertip" is also applied to the grizzly bear.
	Click to enlarge an image Male Grizzly Bear Juvenile Grizzly Bear Pair of Young Grizzly Cubs Playing Grizzly Bears Hunting for Salmon Video of Bears CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae Genus: Ursus Species: U. arctos Subspecies: U. a. horribilis
	Data Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California State Library Author: World Trade Press

California State Mammal
Gray Whale (common name) Eschrichtius robustus(scientific name) Overview A gray whale is among the largest of the earth’s animals. It’s a migrating, filter-feeding whale, previously hunted to near-extinction in spite of its relatively low-quality whalebone and tendency to turn on hunting ships. Hunting the gray whale has been banned internationally for years, though some ethnic groups that traditionally hunted gray whales have permission to do so. A gray whale can spend up to half the year migrating from its feeding grounds to its mating grounds and back. In spite of its size, the gray whale lives on a diet of very small, mud-dwelling invertebrates, feeding along the bottom of the ocean near the shore. Close-up STATUS Official State Marine Mammal ALSO KNOWN AS Gray back, devil fish, hard head, mussel digger, rip sack PHYSICAL DETAILS A gray whale has a solid but streamlined body, tapering toward the head, and covered by a deep gray skin. Its head and body are spotted because of scars left by barnacles and whale lice. The animal’s throat has two to four grooves about 5 feet (1.5 m) long. These expand while the whale feeds to allow it to ingest more food. This whale has an upper jaw that overlaps its lower jaw and baleen plates rather than teeth. These allow the whale to filter prey out of mud and water. Nostrils are at the top of the head. This whale has no dorsal fins, but has fins adapted for paddling and a notched fluke.    Males Females Size head to tail tip, average 43 ft (13 m) head to tail tip, average 46 ft (14 m); largest 50 ft (15 m) Weight average 78,000 lbs (35,300 kg) average 70,000 lbs (32,000 kg) LIFESPAN Up to 80 years HABITAT Shallow North Pacific waters Range: Eastern North Pacific Ocean from north of the Bering Strait south to Baja California, Mexico. Another population lives between the Sea of Okhotsk and South Korea. Conservation Status: Mixed. While there is no concern about the Eastern Pacific population, the Western Pacific population is considered endangered. Commercial hunting of these whales is prohibited. BEHAVIOR The gray whale prefers coastal waters because it must surface to breathe and scrape the ocean floor to feed. It feeds by lying on its side and ingesting water, mud, and crustaceans, then spitting the water and mud out. A gray whale usually migrates from north to south each year, swimming 10,000 to 14,000 miles (16,000 to 22,500 km) round trip over several months. Feeding grounds are at the northern end of this whale’s range, while breeding lagoons are in the far south, near California and Mexico. A gray whale doesn’t eat while it’s migrating, so its weight fluctuates by about 30 percent each year. Mating occurs in late autumn or early winter, and a female gives birth about a year later. Though a newborn can swim immediately, a mother gray whale feeds and cares for her baby until it’s eight months old. A gray whale is fully mature when it’s between five and 11 years old. Top swimming speed: 11 mph (18 kph) DIET Crustaceans (including amphipods, mysids, and ghost shrimp), mollusks, plankton, squid, tubeworms, and small fish. OFFSPRING Breeding interval: Biennial Birthing period: December-February Average litter size: 1 calf Size at birth: length 12-16 ft (3-4.9 m); weight 1,100–2,000 lbs (500-1,000 kg) TRIVIA The gray whale became California’s state marine mammal in 1975. A gray whale can swim about 100 miles a day. A gray whale’s milk is more than 50 percent fat.
	Click to enlarge an image Close-up of a Gray Whale's Double Blowhole and Some of Its Encrusted Barnacles Close-up of a Gray Whale Gray Whale Spyhopping CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Mammalia Order: Cetacea Family: Eschrichtiidae Genus: Eschrichtius Species: E. robustu
	Data Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Author: World Trade Press