Yes. (They can mix and the offspring can produce viable offspring,so…. Make of that what you will.)
Pizzly bears
no don’t make that of it
That’s what they’re called
Fun fact: by the biological species concept, this means that polar bears are not in fact a distinct species! And given how they are technically only an estimated 300,000 years old as a species, it’s not too hard to believe, either.
This is also how scientists believe that polar bears have survived in the past and will continue to survive warming temperatures and ice caps melting–by storing and preserving their genetic pool in these hybrids! When the ice returns, these pizzly and grolar bears will return to the ice to exploit the ecological niche it provides, and environmental pressures will place higher value on those polar bear traits–and polar bears will return.
other people: grolar bear
me: granola bear
This is all incredibly informative but this here bear is a kermode bear. Pizzlies and grolars have a skull shape more reminiscent of the polar bear as well as darker brown legs and backs. Kermode bears have that toasted marshmallow look that this guy has going on. Kermode bears (or spirit bears) are a rare subspecies of british columbian black bears. They can look similar to pizzlies/grolars but they run smaller, rounder and more even toned in fur color.
