Ursa

A bear-like creature.

**Facts:**

1. The brown bear is often described as nocturnal. However, it frequently seems to peak in activity in the morning and early evening hours. Studies have shown that activity throughout the range can occur at nearly any time of night or day, with bears who dwell in areas with more extensive human contact being more likely to be fully nocturnal. Furthermore, yearling and newly independent bears are more likely to be active diurnally and many adult bears in low-disturbance areas are largely crepuscular.

2. In summer through autumn, a brown bear can double its weight from the spring, gaining up to 180 kg (400 lb) of fat, on which it relies to make it through winter, when it becomes very lethargic.

3. Although they are not full hibernators and can be woken easily, both sexes like to den in a protected spot during the winter months. Hibernation dens may consist of any spot that provides cover from the elements and that can accommodate their bodies, such as a cave, crevice, cavernous tree roots, or hollow logs.

4. Brown bears have one of the largest brains of any extant carnivoran relative to their body size and have been shown to engage in tool use (e.g., using a barnacle-covered rock to scratch its neck), which requires advanced cognitive abilities.

5. This species is mostly solitary, although bears may gather in large numbers at major food sources (e.g., open garbage dumps or rivers holding spawning salmon) and form social hierarchies based on age and size.

6. Adult male bears are particularly aggressive and are avoided by adolescent and subadult males, both at concentrated feeding opportunities and chance encounters. Female bears with cubs rival adult males in aggression and are much more intolerant of other bears than single females. Young adolescent males tend to be least aggressive and have been observed in non-antagonistic interactions with each other.

7. Dominance between bears is asserted by making a frontal orientation, showing off canines, muzzle twisting and neck stretching to which a subordinate will respond with a lateral orientation, by turning away and dropping the head and by sitting or lying down.

8. During combat, bears use their paws to strike their opponents in the chest or shoulders and bite the head or neck. In his Great Bear Almanac, Gary Brown lists 11 different sounds bears produce in nine different contexts. Sounds expressing anger or aggravation include growls, roars, woofs, champs and smacks, while sounds expressing nervousness or pain include woofs, grunts and bawls. Sows will bleat or hum when communicating with their cubs.

**Diet:** Omnivore; will eat berries, grasses, flowers, acorns, pine cones, mushrooms, roots, shoots, bulbs, carrion of other species, fruits, insects, larvae, grubs, beehives, moths, crabs, clams, birds and their eggs, marmots, ground squirrels, mice, rats, lemmings, voles, salmon, elk, moose, caribou, muskoxen and wild boar. Some Ursa might feed upon their own kind, though this is incredibly rare.

**Notable Senses:**

* Hearing 4/5
* Scent 5/5

**Notable Skills:**

* Climbing Trees
* Digging
* Intimidation
* Swimming

**Stats:**

* Strength - 9/10
* Defence - 4/10
* Intellect - 7/10
* Speed - 6/10
* Stamina - 7/10

**TOTAL:** 33

**Groups:**

* (wip)