The Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus), also known as the Himalayan red bear, isabelline bear or Dzu-Teh, is a subspecies of the brown bear occurring in the western Himalayas. It is the largest mammal in the region, males reaching up to 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in) long, while females are a little smaller. It is omnivorous and hibernates in dens during the winter.
Himalayan brown bears exhibit sexual dimorphism. Males range from 1.5 to 2.2 m (4 ft 11 in to 7 ft 3 in) long, while females are 1.37 to 1.83 m (4 ft 6 in to 6 ft 0 in) long. They are usually sandy or reddish-brown in colour.
Distribution
The Himalayan brown bear occurs in the western Himalayas from northeastern Pakistan through the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to the Himalayas in central Nepal.[2][3] At present, it is unknown whether the Himalayan brown bear is connected to brown bear populations in the Karakoram Mountains and on the Tibetan Plateau.[2]
Phylogenetics and evolution
The Himalayan brown bear consists of a single clade that is the sister group to all other brown bears and the polar bear. The dating of the branching event, estimated at 658,000 years ago, corresponds to the period of a Middle Pleistocene episode of glaciation on the Tibetan plateau, suggesting that during this Nyanyaxungla glaciation, the lineage that gave rise to the Himalayan brown bear became isolated in a distinct refuge, leading to its divergence.[4]
Phylogenetic analysis has shown that the Gobi bear clusters with the Himalayan brown bear and may represent a relict population of this subspecies.[4]
The bears go into hibernation around October and emerge during April and May. Hibernation usually occurs in a den or cave made by the bear.
Himalayan brown bear with cubs on the trek from Gangotri to Gaumukh in Uttarakhand, India
Feeding
Himalayan brown bears are omnivores and will eat grasses, roots and other plants as well as insects and small mammals; they also like fruits and berries. They will also prey on large mammals, including sheep and goats. Adults will eat before sunrise and later during the afternoon.
Threats and conservation
The Himalayan brown bear is poached for fur and claws for ornamental purposes and internal organs for use in medicines. It is killed by shepherds to protect their livestock. In Himachal Pradesh, their home is the Kugti and Tundah wildlife sanctuaries and the tribal Chamba region. The tree bearing the state flower of Himachal, buransh, is the favourite habitat of the Himalayan brown bear. Due to the high value of the buransh tree, it is commercially cut causing further destruction to the brown bear's habitat.[5]
Association with the Yeti
Skull
"Dzu-Teh", a Nepalese term, has also been associated with the legend of the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman, with which it has been sometimes confused or mistaken. During the Daily Mail Abominable Snowman Expedition of 1954, Tom Stobart encountered a "Dzu-Teh". This is recounted by Ralph Izzard, the Daily Mail correspondent on the expedition, in his book The Abominable Snowman Adventure.[6] A 2017 analysis of DNA extracted from a mummified animal purporting to represent a Yeti was shown to have been a Himalayan brown bear.[4]
References
^"CITES Appendices I, II and III" (PDF). CITES. 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
^ abMcLellan, B.N.; Proctor, M.F.; Huber, D.; Michel, S. (2016). "Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) isolated populations (Supplemented material to Ursus arctos Redlisting account)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
^McLellan, B.N.; Proctor, M.F.; Huber, D. & Michel, S. (2017) [amended version of 2017 assessment]. "Ursus arctos". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T41688A121229971. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T41688A121229971.en.
^ abcLan, T.; Gill, S.; Bellemain, E.; Bischof, R.; Zawaz, M.A.; Lindqvist, C. (2017). "Evolutionary history of enigmatic bears in the Tibetan Plateau–Himalaya region and the identity of the yeti". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 284 (1868): 20171804. doi:10.1098/rspb.2017.1804. PMC5740279. PMID 29187630.
^Tehsin, A. (2014). "Missing snowman". The Hindu. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
^Izzard, R. (1955). The Abominable Snowman Adventure. Hodder and Staoughton.
Further reading
"Status and Affinities of the Bears of Northeastern Asia", by Ernst Schwarz Journal of Mammalogy 1940 American Society of Mammalogists.
Ogonev, S.I. 1932, "The mammals of eastern Europe and northern Asia", vol. 2, pp. 11–118. Moscow.
Pocock R.I, "The Black and Brown Bears of Europe and Asia" Part 1. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society., vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 772–823, figs 1-11. July 15, 1932.
Ursus arctos, by Maria Pasitschniak, Published 23 April 1993 by "The American Society of Mammalogists"
John A. Jackson, "More than Mountains", Chapter 10 (pp 92) & 11, "Prelude to the Snowman Expedition & The Snowman Expedition", George Harrap & Co, 1954
Charles Stonor, "The Sherpa and the Snowman", recounts the 1955 Daily Mail "Abominable Snowman Expedition" by the scientific officer of the expedition, this is a very detailed analysis of not just the "Snowman" but the flora and fauna of the Himalaya and its people. Hollis and Carter, 1955.
John A. Jackson, Chapter 17, "Everest and the Elusive Snowman", 1954 updated material, Indus Publishing Company, 2005.
Wikispecies has information related to Ursus arctos.
External links
Video of Himalayan brown bear and a Tibetan fox on the hunt from PBS Video
May 29, 2023
himalayan, brown, bear, ursus, arctos, isabellinus, also, known, himalayan, bear, isabelline, bear, subspecies, brown, bear, occurring, western, himalayas, largest, mammal, region, males, reaching, long, while, females, little, smaller, omnivorous, hibernates,. The Himalayan brown bear Ursus arctos isabellinus also known as the Himalayan red bear isabelline bear or Dzu Teh is a subspecies of the brown bear occurring in the western Himalayas It is the largest mammal in the region males reaching up to 2 2 m 7 ft 3 in long while females are a little smaller It is omnivorous and hibernates in dens during the winter Himalayan brown bearHimalayan brown bearConservation statusCITES Appendix II CITES 1 Scientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass MammaliaOrder CarnivoraFamily UrsidaeGenus UrsusSpecies U arctosSubspecies U a isabellinusTrinomial nameUrsus arctos isabellinusHorsfield 1826Himalayan brown bear range Contents 1 Description 2 Distribution 3 Phylogenetics and evolution 4 Behaviour and ecology 4 1 Feeding 5 Threats and conservation 6 Association with the Yeti 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksDescription EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed December 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Himalayan brown bears exhibit sexual dimorphism Males range from 1 5 to 2 2 m 4 ft 11 in to 7 ft 3 in long while females are 1 37 to 1 83 m 4 ft 6 in to 6 ft 0 in long They are usually sandy or reddish brown in colour Distribution EditThe Himalayan brown bear occurs in the western Himalayas from northeastern Pakistan through the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to the Himalayas in central Nepal 2 3 At present it is unknown whether the Himalayan brown bear is connected to brown bear populations in the Karakoram Mountains and on the Tibetan Plateau 2 Phylogenetics and evolution EditThe Himalayan brown bear consists of a single clade that is the sister group to all other brown bears and the polar bear The dating of the branching event estimated at 658 000 years ago corresponds to the period of a Middle Pleistocene episode of glaciation on the Tibetan plateau suggesting that during this Nyanyaxungla glaciation the lineage that gave rise to the Himalayan brown bear became isolated in a distinct refuge leading to its divergence 4 Phylogenetic analysis has shown that the Gobi bear clusters with the Himalayan brown bear and may represent a relict population of this subspecies 4 Behaviour and ecology EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed December 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message The bears go into hibernation around October and emerge during April and May Hibernation usually occurs in a den or cave made by the bear Himalayan brown bear with cubs on the trek from Gangotri to Gaumukh in Uttarakhand India Feeding Edit Himalayan brown bears are omnivores and will eat grasses roots and other plants as well as insects and small mammals they also like fruits and berries They will also prey on large mammals including sheep and goats Adults will eat before sunrise and later during the afternoon Threats and conservation EditThe Himalayan brown bear is poached for fur and claws for ornamental purposes and internal organs for use in medicines It is killed by shepherds to protect their livestock In Himachal Pradesh their home is the Kugti and Tundah wildlife sanctuaries and the tribal Chamba region The tree bearing the state flower of Himachal buransh is the favourite habitat of the Himalayan brown bear Due to the high value of the buransh tree it is commercially cut causing further destruction to the brown bear s habitat 5 Association with the Yeti Edit Skull Dzu Teh a Nepalese term has also been associated with the legend of the Yeti or Abominable Snowman with which it has been sometimes confused or mistaken During the Daily Mail Abominable Snowman Expedition of 1954 Tom Stobart encountered a Dzu Teh This is recounted by Ralph Izzard the Daily Mail correspondent on the expedition in his book The Abominable Snowman Adventure 6 A 2017 analysis of DNA extracted from a mummified animal purporting to represent a Yeti was shown to have been a Himalayan brown bear 4 References Edit CITES Appendices I II and III PDF CITES 2023 Retrieved 16 May 2023 a b McLellan B N Proctor M F Huber D Michel S 2016 Brown Bear Ursus arctos isolated populations Supplemented material to Ursus arctos Redlisting account IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 Retrieved May 16 2023 McLellan B N Proctor M F Huber D amp Michel S 2017 amended version of 2017 assessment Ursus arctos IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017 e T41688A121229971 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2017 3 RLTS T41688A121229971 en a b c Lan T Gill S Bellemain E Bischof R Zawaz M A Lindqvist C 2017 Evolutionary history of enigmatic bears in the Tibetan Plateau Himalaya region and the identity of the yeti Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences 284 1868 20171804 doi 10 1098 rspb 2017 1804 PMC 5740279 PMID 29187630 Tehsin A 2014 Missing snowman The Hindu Retrieved 2017 11 28 Izzard R 1955 The Abominable Snowman Adventure Hodder and Staoughton Further reading Edit Status and Affinities of the Bears of Northeastern Asia by Ernst Schwarz Journal of Mammalogy 1940 American Society of Mammalogists Ogonev S I 1932 The mammals of eastern Europe and northern Asia vol 2 pp 11 118 Moscow Pocock R I The Black and Brown Bears of Europe and Asia Part 1 Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society vol 35 no 4 pp 772 823 figs 1 11 July 15 1932 Ursus arctos by Maria Pasitschniak Published 23 April 1993 by The American Society of Mammalogists John A Jackson More than Mountains Chapter 10 pp 92 amp 11 Prelude to the Snowman Expedition amp The Snowman Expedition George Harrap amp Co 1954 Charles Stonor The Sherpa and the Snowman recounts the 1955 Daily Mail Abominable Snowman Expedition by the scientific officer of the expedition this is a very detailed analysis of not just the Snowman but the flora and fauna of the Himalaya and its people Hollis and Carter 1955 John A Jackson Adventure Travels in the Himalaya Chapter 17 Everest and the Elusive Snowman 1954 updated material Indus Publishing Company 2005 Wikispecies has information related to Ursus arctos External links EditVideo of Himalayan brown bear and a Tibetan fox on the hunt from PBS Video Red Bear Daily Mail Abominable Snowman Bear species found in India Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Himalayan brown bear amp oldid 1155173028, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
