CONSTRAINTS ON FRUGIVORY BY BEARS

Abstract

Bears consuming wild fruits for fall energy accumulation are constrained by several factors, including intake rate, the physiological capacity of the gastrointestinal tract, and the metabolic efficiency of gain in body mass. We measured these relationships through foraging and feeding trials using captive and wild black bears (Ursus americanus) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos). Four fruit types covering a range of sizes and clustering were offered to captive bears to determine the effect of density, size, and presentation on intake rate. Intake rate (in grams per minute) and bite rates (in bites per minute) increased cur- vilinearly with increasing fruit density in singly spaced fruits. Maximum intakes ranged from 30 g/min for 0.5-g berries to >200 g/min for 4.2-g fruits. The highest bite rates were obtained during the initial encounter with each patch as bears consumed all visually apparent fruits on the surface. Bite rates quickly dropped by 15-20% as foraging continued within the patch. Maximum bite rates were not depressed until initial fruit density fell to 100 kg. We concluded that large bears, such as grizzlies, must depend on plants that permit large bite sizes or high bite rates through fruit clustering and bush configuration that reduce leaf-to-fruit ratios.