REPRODUCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF BROWN BEARS ON THE OSHIMA PENINSULA, HOKKAIDO, JAPAN

Reproductive parameters and cub survival of brown bears in the Rusha area of the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan

Knowing the reproductive characteristics of a species is essential for the appropriate conservation and management of wildlife. In this study, we investigated the demographic parameters, including age of primiparity, litter size, inter-birth interval, reproductive rate, and cub survival rate, of Hokkaido brown bears (Ursus arctos yesoensis) in the Rusha area on the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido...

Estimate of genetic variations in Hokkaido brown bears (Ursus arctos yesoensis) by DNA fingerprinting.

Genetic variations within and between local populations of Hokkaido brown bears, Ursus arctos yesoensis, were quantified by means of DNA fingerprinting using a minisatellite DNA probe. The estimates of the average heterozygosity (gene diversity) H were 0.302 and 0.241 for the populations on the southwestern part of the Oshima peninsula and the Shiretoko peninsula, respectively. These values sug...

Male reproductive strategy explains spatiotemporal segregation in brown bears

Spatiotemporal segregation is often explained by the risk for offspring predation or by differences in physiology, predation risk vulnerability or competitive abilities related to size dimorphism. Most large carnivores are size dimorphic and offspring predation is often intraspecific and related to nonparental infanticide (NPI). NPI can be a foraging strategy, a strategy to reduce competition, ...

Characteristics of Nonsport Mortalities to Brown and Black Bears and Human Injuries from Bears in Alaska

We examined the reasons bears are reported killed in defense of life or property (DLP) in Alaska as an index to causes and frequency of conflicts between humans and bears, and compared the sex and age composition of DLP kills with that of sport-killed bears. Data came from standardized questionnaires filled out by persons shooting the bears. Numbers of sport-killed brown bears (Ursus arctos) an...

Characterization of sapoviruses detected in Hokkaido, Japan.