The bear is omnivorous. Polar bears - brown bears - photos of bears

bears are herbivores or carnivores

omnivores!!
Browns are omnivores. Whites are predators
Bears are omnivores. They eat grass, berries, mushrooms, they will not refuse fish, especially meat, they put on fat - they eat everything until they are completely stupefied.
But pandas only eat bamboo, and polar bears prefer the fat of seals and seals.
predators, of course
The bear is an omnivore like humans
predators, but when they are hungry they can pick raspberries and chew grass =)
100% carnivores-predators, because they eat meat and hunt. Only carnivores can hunt and eat meat, first of all, and only then fish, mushrooms, nuts, honey, berries, grass, roots. But herbivores cannot eat meat.
omnivorous
omnivores
omnivorous
the bear is omnivorous. he eats almost everything he can eat. V summer period plant foods predominate, most animal protein in the bear's diet is small animals. rodents. insects. The bear rarely engages in direct hunting, especially hunting large animals, only in the absence of more accessible and less “dangerous” food
Predators))
Differently
polar bear, grizzly bear, spectacled bear and many other representatives of the bear family eat - forest berries, nuts, honey, rodents, carrion, large mammals, other plants. FROM THE ORDER THEY ARE PREDATORS. but the koala, which belongs to the marsupial bear family, is a herbivorous bear.
Bears are omnivores. In principle, they eat plant food all the time, and animal food only when it comes into their paws
Bears (lat. Ursidae) are a family of mammals of the order Carnivora. They differ from other representatives of canids in having a stockier physique. Bears are omnivores, climb and swim well, run fast, and can stand and walk short distances on their hind legs. They have a short tail, long and thick fur, and excellent sense of smell and hearing. They hunt in the evening or at dawn. They are usually afraid of humans, but can be dangerous in areas where they are accustomed to people, especially polar bears and grizzly bears. Immune to bee stings. In nature natural enemies almost none.
Anatomically they are predators. Teeth, then – s. And he cannot live on plant foods all the time. But in last years In many regions, bears are increasingly using plant foods. In this regard, its numbers are growing; in some places there are significantly more of them than wolves. That is, he seems to be falling off the top of the food pyramid.

We have all known these powerful animals since childhood. But few people know what types of bears exist. Pictures in children's books most often introduced us to brown and polar bears. It turns out that there are several species of these animals on Earth. Let's get to know them better.

Appearance of the bear

If we compare bears with other predators, they differ in the most uniform appearance, features internal structure, sizes. Currently, these are the largest representatives of terrestrial predatory animals. For example, polar bears can reach a body length of up to three meters and weigh 750 and even 1000 kg!

Animal fur has a well-developed undercoat; it is quite rough to the touch. The hairline is high. He just can’t boast of such a fur coat - his coat is low and sparse.

The color is varied - from black to white, and can be contrasting. The color does not change over the seasons.

Lifestyle

Different species of bears live in the most different conditions. They feel great in the steppes and highlands, in forests and in arctic ice. In this regard, the types of bears differ in their feeding methods and lifestyle. Most representatives of these predators prefer to settle in mountain or lowland forests, much less often in treeless highlands.

Bears are active mainly at night. The only exception is the polar bear - a species of animal that leads daytime look life.

Bears are omnivores. However, some species have a preference for one food or another. For example, a polar bear almost always eats the meat of mammals; for a panda, there is no better treat than bamboo shoots. True, they supplement it with a small amount of animal food.

Variety of species

Quite often, animal lovers ask the question: “How many species of bears live on Earth?” For those interested in these animals, there seems to be a myriad of them. Unfortunately, it is not. Today our planet is inhabited by species of bears, a list of which can be presented as follows:

There are subspecies and varieties of these animals, but we will talk about this in another article.

Brown bears

These are large and clumsy-looking animals. They belong to the bear family. Body length - from 200 to 280 cm.

This is a fairly common type. lives throughout the Eurasian and North American forests. Nowadays, this predator has completely disappeared from Japan, although in ancient times it was widespread here. In Western and Central Europe, brown bears can be found quite rarely, in some mountainous areas. There is reason to claim that in these areas it is an endangered species. The brown bear is still widespread in Siberia, Far East And northern regions our country.

Brown bears are sedentary animals. A forest area occupied by one individual can reach several hundred square kilometers. It cannot be said that bears strictly guard the boundaries of their territories. Each site has permanent places where the animal feeds and builds temporary shelters and dens.

Despite being sedentary, this predator can wander over a distance of more than 300 kilometers in hungry years in search of more abundant food.

Hibernation

Everyone knows that in winter the brown bear hibernates. He first carefully prepares his den, which he arranges in hard-to-reach places - on islands in the middle of swamps, in a windfall. The bear lines the bottom of its winter home with dry grass or moss.

To survive the winter safely, a bear must accumulate at least fifty kilograms of fat. To do this, he eats about 700 kilograms of berries and about 500 kilograms of pine nuts, not counting other food. When there is a lean year for berries, bears in the northern regions raid fields sown with oats, and in the southern regions - corn crops. Some bears attack apiaries and destroy them.

Many people believe that during hibernation, animals go into suspended animation. This is not entirely true. They sleep quite lightly. During hibernation, when the animal lies motionless, its cardiac and pulmonary systems slow down their activity. A bear's body temperature ranges from 29 to 34 degrees. Every 5-10 breaths there is a long pause, sometimes lasting up to four minutes. In this state, the fat reserve is used sparingly. If during this period the bear is raised from the den, it begins to quickly lose weight and is in dire need of food. Such a bear turns into a “tramp”, or, as it is popularly called, a connecting rod. In this state he is very dangerous.

Depending on the climatic conditions the predator can hibernate for three to six months. If there is food in the southern regions, bears may not go into continuous hibernation at all, but only fall asleep for a short time. Females with one-year-old cubs sleep in the same den.

Nutrition

Different types of bears prefer to eat different foods. Animals of this species most often feed on fruits, berries and other plant foods, but sometimes they can eat ants, insect larvae, rodents, along with winter supplies. Quite rarely, males hunt forest ungulates. Despite its external clumsiness, the brown bear can be very fast and agile. It sneaks up on its prey unnoticed and grabs it in a quick lunge. At the same time, its speed reaches 50 km/h.

White bears

IUCN - The International Union for Conservation of Nature has expanded the list of endangered animals for the first time in several years. New species appeared in it. Polar bears were brought not only into this international list, but also in the Red Book of Russia. Today their number is only 25 thousand individuals. According to scientists, this population will decline by almost 70% in the next 50 years.

Rare species of bears (you can see the photo in our article), which recently include white individuals, suffer from industrial pollution of their habitats, global warming and, of course, poaching.

Appearance

Many people believe that white, polar, northern, sea or oshkuy are types of polar bears. In fact, this is the name given to one species of predatory mammal from the bear family, the closest relative of the brown bear.

Its length is three meters, weight is about a ton. The most large animals The smallest ones are found off the coast - on Spitsbergen.

Polar bears are distinguished from other species by their long hair and flat head. The color can be completely white or with a yellowish tint. IN summer time the fur turns yellow when exposed to sunlight. The skin of these animals is black.

The soles of the paws are reliably protected by wool so as not to slip on ice and not freeze.

Lifestyle and nutrition

According to scientists, the polar bear is the most predatory of the entire family. After all, he practically does not consume plant foods. Various types of bears (photos and names of which are posted in our article) are almost never the first to attack a person. Unlike its counterparts, the polar bear quite often hunts people.

The main “menu” of these predators consists of seals, mainly ringed seals. In addition, he feeds on any animals that he manages to kill. These could be rodents, birds, walruses, or whales washed ashore. For the predator itself, killer whales pose a danger, as they can sometimes attack in the water.

Reproduction

In October, females begin to dig a den in the snow. They settle there in mid-November. Pregnancy lasts 230-240 days. Cubs are born at the end of the Arctic winter. The female first bears offspring when she is 4-6 years old. Cubs appear once every two to three years. There are from one to three cubs in a litter. Newborns are completely helpless and weigh about 750 grams. The babies begin to see after a month, after two months their teeth erupt, and the babies begin to gradually leave the den. They do not part with the bear until she is one and a half years old. Polar bears are not very fertile, so their numbers are recovering too slowly.

Black bear

It is also called baribal. Its body length is 1.8 m, weight is about 150 kg. The bear has a sharp muzzle, high paws with long and sharp claws, short and smooth black fur. Sometimes the color is black-brown, except for the light yellow muzzle.

The black bear feeds exclusively on plant foods - larvae, insects, and small vertebrates.

The female's pregnancy lasts up to 210 days, the cubs are born in January-February, weighing 400 grams, and remain with the mother until April.

Himalayan bear

This animal is smaller in size than the brown one. In addition, these types of bears differ in appearance. The Himalayan bear has a slimmer build, a thin muzzle, thick and lush fur, usually black in color with a white, sometimes yellowish spot on the chest (shaped like the letter V).

Large adult individuals can reach a length of 170 cm and weigh 140-150 kg. Habitat - East Asia. In the west, it can be found in Afghanistan, Indochina, and on the southern slopes of the Himalayas. On the territory of our country it is found only in the Ussuri region, north of the Amur.

In spring it feeds on last year's acorns and pine nuts. In summer, he enjoys eating juicy grass, berries, and insects. There is evidence that in South Asia it often attacks domestic animals and can be dangerous to humans.

There are usually two cubs in a litter. Their weight does not exceed 400 grams. They develop very slowly, even at the age of a month and a half, and are completely helpless.

Spectacled bear

We continue to study types of bears, getting to know an indigenous resident South America. He settles in the mountains - from Colombia to Northern Chile. This is a spectacled bear - an animal of not very large size. Its body, no more than 1.7 m long, weighs about 140 kg.

The bear is covered with thick, shaggy fur of black or black-brown color, with white spots around the eyes (hence its name). Preferring mountains, the animal also often appears on meadow slopes. Its biology is still poorly understood, but at the same time, scientists consider it the most herbivorous in the entire family. He is a lover of leaves and roots, fruits and branches of young bushes. Sometimes he climbs tall palm trees to get his favorite delicacy, breaks young branches, and then eats them on the ground.

Sloth bear

For our compatriots, the last animals on our list are exotic species of bears. You can see their photos and names in numerous domestic and foreign publications about animals.

Sloth bear - inhabitant tropical countries. He lives in the forests of Hindustan and Ceylon. It can be up to 1.8 m long and weighs approximately 140 kg. This is a rather slender animal, on high legs, with huge claws. The muzzle is somewhat pointed. There is a light V-shaped mark on the chest. The bear is active at night. During the day he sleeps soundly, and (which is typical only for this species) snores surprisingly loudly.

The sloth fish feeds mainly on fruits and insects. With the help of huge claws, he easily breaks rotten, dilapidated tree trunks, and then he uses an amazing device that can resemble a pump. The long muzzle of the animal has very mobile lips that extend, forming something like a tube.

The sponge fish lacks the upper pair of incisors, as a result of which there is a gap in the oral cavity. This feature allows the animal to hunt for termites. First, it blows out all the dust and dirt from the insects’ “house,” and then draws in the prey through its lips elongated into a tube.

Mating of spongers occurs in June, after seven months 2-3 babies appear. They spend 3 months in a shelter with their mother. At first, the father of the family takes care of his cubs, which is not typical for other bear species.

Panda

This animal, 1.2 m long and weighing up to 160 kg, lives in the mountain forests of the western provinces of China. Prefers solitude, except during mating time. This is usually spring.

Offspring appear in January. Mostly 2 cubs are born, weighing about two kilograms each. Unlike other bears, it does not hibernate. It feeds on various plants, bamboo roots, sometimes small rodents and fish.

Biruang

This is the name of the Malayan bear. This is the smallest representative of the bear family. Its body length does not exceed 1.4 m, its height is no more than 0.7 m, and its weight is about 65 kg. Despite its modest size, compared to its brothers, this animal is strong. Biruang has a short muzzle, wide paws with powerful curved claws. The body of the animal is covered with smooth, short, straight, black hair. There is a white or orange mark on the chest, shaped like a horseshoe. The muzzle is orange or gray. Sometimes the legs are also light.

Biruang is a nocturnal animal, so during the day it sleeps and basks in sun rays, in the branches of trees. By the way, he climbs trees very well and feels completely comfortable on them.

Feeds on young shoots. The female gives birth to two cubs. The animal does not hibernate.

Brown bear, short description which we will consider in this article, is a characteristic inhabitant of taiga-type forests. It can be found almost throughout Russia, especially in Siberia and the Far East. It is found in coniferous, deciduous, and even mixed areas different countries, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. So, meet: the owner of the Russian taiga is the brown bear!

Brief description of the species

Brown or common bear is carnivorous mammal, representing the bear family. Currently, the brown bear is the largest land predator in the world. Its lifespan in nature is estimated at 30 years. In captivity, the predator can live up to 50 years. Linguists believe that the name of this beast is made up of two words - “knowing” and “honey”. And this is understandable: despite being a predator, the bear is a big fan of sweet honey and in general

Nutrition

The diet of clubfoot consists of ¾ plant foods. These are various berries, nuts, acorns, rhizomes and tubers of plants. Sometimes these predators even eat grass. In lean years brown bears, like foxes, encroach on oat crops at the stage of their milky ripeness and animal food consists of various insects, reptiles, amphibians, small rodents, fish and, of course, large ungulates. For example, it costs nothing for a club-footed giant to kill an adult large elk with just a blow of his powerful clawed paw!

Brief description of subspecies

The numerical difference between brown bears is so great that these animals were once classified as independent species. Currently, all brown bears are united into one single species, which combines several subspecies or geographical races. So, brown bears include:

ordinary (Eurasian or European);
Californian;
Siberian;
satin;
Gobi;
grizzly or Mexican;
Tien Shan;
Ussuri or Japanese;
Kodiak;
Tibetan.

Giant heavyweights

As you already understand, the brown bear, which we describe in this article, is the most common species of clubfoot all over the world. Although it is called brown, it is not always painted exactly this color. In nature you can find black, beige, yellow, and even fiery red bears. But we'll talk about the color of their fur a little later. Now we are interested in their sizes.

The sizes of these animals vary depending on their gender, age and habitat. But males are in any case larger than females and weigh 30% more. Most brown bears have a height at the withers ranging from 75 to 160 centimeters. Body length generally ranges from 1.6 to 2.9 meters.

The weight of a brown bear directly depends on its habitat. One of the largest animals are bears that live on the Scandinavian Peninsula and, of course, on the territory of our country. Their weight is 350 kilograms. Their American relatives, who live in and also inhabit Canada, can sometimes weigh more than 400 kilograms of net weight. Their name is grizzly, or gray-haired.

The brown bear, whose size is considered impressive throughout the world, is also found in Kamchatka and Alaska. There, these predators weigh more than 500 kilograms. Cases of hunting brown bears are described, supposedly reaching a weight of 1 ton! However, for the most part, these furry heavyweights do not exceed 350 kilograms of net weight. The maximum recorded weight, for example, of a Kamchatka bear was 600 kilograms. Animals preserved in Europe have small sizes. Their weight does not exceed 90 kilograms.

Appearance

The brown bear, the dimensions of which we discussed above, has a pronounced barrel-shaped and powerful body with high withers (height at the shoulders). This body is supported by massive and high paws with flat, clawed soles. The length of the claws of this shaggy giant ranges from 8 to 12 centimeters. These animals practically do not have a tail, since its length does not exceed 21 centimeters.

The shape of the brown bear's head is round. There are small blind eyes and small ears on it. The muzzle is elongated and the forehead is high. The owner of the Russian taiga is covered with thick and evenly colored fur. Bears, like their size, are of a variable nature. It all depends on the particular habitats of these animals. For example, famous ones may have brown fur with a silver tint. For this, by the way, they were called gray-haired.

Spreading

As stated earlier, bears are forest dwellers. Let us repeat that their typical habitats, for example, in Russia, are continuous forested areas with dense growth of grasses, shrubs and hardwood. The brown bear, a brief description of which we are considering in this article, is found in both tundra and high-mountain forests. In Europe, it prefers mountain forests, and, for example, in North America it can be found on alpine meadows, in coastal forests.

Once upon a time, these animals inhabited the whole of Europe, including Ireland and Great Britain, and in the south globe its habitat reached the African Atlas Mountains. To the east, this species of furry heavyweights was distributed through Siberia and China to Japan. Scientists believe that in North America brown bears came from Asia about 40 thousand years ago. They are confident that these animals were able to independently cross the Bering Isthmus, settling in the west of America from Alaska to Mexico.

Winter dream

As is known, the physiological criterion of a brown bear is that these animals hibernate for the winter. They do this in October-December. They emerge from hibernation in the spring - in March. In general, the winter sleep of these furry heavyweights can last from 2 to 6 months. It all depends on the subspecies of the bear and external factors. It is curious that in the warmest regions of our planet, provided there is an abundant harvest of fruits, berries and nuts, bears do not lie down in a den at all.

Preparation for sleep

Clubfoots begin to prepare for their wintering in mid-summer. It's a brown bear! The description of his preparation for bed is probably known to many people, because there is nothing secret or surprising about it. Six months before the onset of cold weather, they need to find a suitable place for their winter shelter, equip it and, of course, increase their reserves of subcutaneous fat. Most often, bear dens are located under logs and inversions, under the roots of huge and massive trees - cedars or spruces.

Sometimes these predators dig themselves “dugouts” directly in the coastal cliffs of rivers. If during this time the bear has not found a secluded place for its winter shelter, it digs a large hole, after which it strengthens its walls with vertically protruding branches. Brown bears use them to block the entrance hole, simultaneously camouflaging themselves and isolating themselves from outside world for several months. Immediately before going to bed, an animal that has gained a sufficient amount of subcutaneous fat carefully confuses its traces of being near the den.

It is worth noting that the most solid and practical bear dwellings are considered to be unpaved dens. If the predator is lucky, it will lie in the ground for the entire winter. Such dens are located deep underground and keep the clubfoot warm. Near the entrance to the soil den you can find various trees and shrubs covered with yellowish frost. Experienced hunters know that the hot breath of a clubfoot gives the frost its color.

Hibernation

In most cases, adult animals while away the cold winter days in their dens alone. Only a female bear can hibernate with last year’s cubs. Scientists who observed the life of these predators (see photo of a brown bear and a description of its lifestyle) noticed that in certain areas of the globe, where there are no particularly suitable places for wintering, bears use the same shelters several times.

In some areas, dens can generally be located in close proximity to each other, resulting in something like a bear “apartment” building. If the choice of “winter apartments” is very difficult, some particularly arrogant bears encroach on other people’s homes. For example, an adult male brown bear can, without any pity, expel a weaker relative from a den he likes.

Brown bears sleep curled up. They tuck their hind legs to their belly, and cover their muzzle with their front legs. By the way, it was this fact that gave rise to many tales and sayings that bears suck their paws in winter. This is not entirely true. Clubfoot animals, of course, can lick their front paws from time to time, while in one phase or another of sleep, but this has absolutely nothing to do with their sucking.

Be careful, connecting rod!

Scientists say that bears do not sleep soundly. During short-term thaws, these predators can awaken and even leave their winter shelters for a while. At this time, clubfooted people walk around winter forest, knead their bones. As soon as it gets colder again, the furry heavyweights return to their shelter, covering up the traces of their stay outside the den. However, such habits of a brown bear are just flowers!

It also happens that some bears, due to malnutrition in the autumn-winter period, cannot gain weight. required weight, find and arrange your home. In this case, they do not lie in the den at all. Not having time to accumulate the reserves of subcutaneous fat necessary for a comfortable winter, the animal simply wanders through the snowy forest, as if restless. People called such poor fellows “connecting rods.” The connecting rod bear is a very dangerous and extremely aggressive animal! At this time, it is better not to mess with him at all, since the beast is very hungry, incredibly angry and attacks almost everything that moves.

Reproduction

Female brown bears give birth 2 to 4 times a year. Their mating season usually falls in May, June and July. At this time, the males behave aggressively: they begin to roar loudly, serious fights arise between them, sometimes ending in the death of one of the bears. Pregnancy in females lasts from 190 to 200 days. At one time they can bring up to 5 cubs with a body weight of up to 600 grams and a length of up to 23 centimeters.

Offspring

The young are born blind, with overgrown ear canals and covered with short, sparse hair. After two weeks, the cubs begin to hear, and after a month - to see. Within 90 days after birth, all of their baby teeth grow in and they begin to eat berries, plants and insects. As a rule, male brown bears do not breed offspring; raising young animals is the prerogative of females. Bear cubs become sexually mature by the age of 3, but continue to grow until they are 10 years old.

Brown bear. Red Book

Unfortunately, this one is listed in the Red Book as an endangered animal. Currently, in many areas and regions of the globe, hunting of brown bears is limited or completely prohibited. Nevertheless, no one has canceled poaching. Bear skin mainly used for carpets and the meat for cooking. That's how important he is game animal- this brown bear! The Red Book, in which this species of large predators was once included, has not currently been reprinted. It is possible that data on the number of bears as of this year will change dramatically for the worse.

To the question: Are bears herbivores or predators asked by the author? Elena Yakshigulova the best answer is Bears are omnivores. They eat grass, berries, mushrooms, they will not refuse fish, especially meat, they put on fat - they eat everything until they are completely stupefied.
But pandas only eat bamboo, and polar bears prefer the fat of seals and seals.

Answer from Anastasia[newbie]
Predators))

Answer from CupalCA[guru]
predators, of course

Answer from Artyom Kirillov[master]
omnivores!!

Answer from Anyushka Selivanova[active]
predators, but when they are hungry they can pick raspberries and chew grass =)

Answer from Anton Schaefer[newbie]
The bear is an omnivore like humans

Answer from Nastyusha Ropcea[master]
omnivores

Answer from Natasha[guru]
Bears (lat. Ursidae) are a family of mammals from the order Carnivora. They differ from other representatives of canids in having a stockier physique. Bears are omnivores, climb and swim well, run fast, and can stand and walk short distances on their hind legs. They have a short tail, long and thick fur, and excellent sense of smell and hearing. They hunt in the evening or at dawn. They are usually afraid of humans, but can be dangerous in areas where they are accustomed to people, especially polar bears and grizzly bears. Immune to bee stings. In nature they have almost no natural enemies.

Answer from Marina Mirutenko[guru]

Answer from Olesya Yudintseva (Yumasheva)[newbie]
100% carnivores-predators, because they eat meat and hunt. Only carnivores can hunt and eat meat, first of all, and only then fish, mushrooms, nuts, honey, berries, grass, roots. But herbivores cannot eat meat.

Answer from Lyudmila Valentinovna[guru]
The polar bear, grizzly bear, spectacled bear and many other representatives of the bear family eat wild berries, nuts, honey, rodents, carrion, large mammals, and other plants. FROM THE ORDER THEY ARE PREDATORS. but the koala, which belongs to the marsupial bear family, is a herbivorous bear.

Answer from Iodionov Sergey[guru]
the bear is omnivorous. he eats almost everything he can eat. In the summer, plant foods predominate; most of the animal protein in a bear’s diet comes from small animals. rodents. insects. The bear engages in direct hunting, especially hunting large animals, only in the absence of more accessible and less “dangerous” food

Answer from Neuvind Storm of the Fiords[guru]
Bears are omnivores. In principle, they eat plant food all the time, and animal food only when it comes into their paws

Answer from KOMOV MIKHAIL[guru]
Browns are omnivores. Whites are predators

Answer from Alesya Benitsevich[newbie]
omnivorous

Answer from Marat Timirgalin[active]
omnivorous

Answer from Jena Slučić[newbie]
Differently

Answer from Gulnara Abulkhanova[newbie]
Anatomically they are predators. Teeth, this and that. And he cannot live on plant foods all the time. But in recent years, in many regions, bears are increasingly using plant foods. In this regard, its numbers are growing; in some places there are significantly more of them than wolves. That is, he seems to be falling off the top of the food pyramid.

The bear is the most large predator on the ground. This animal belongs to the class mammals, order carnivores, family bears, genus bears ( Ursus). The bear appeared on the planet about 6 million years ago and has always been a symbol of power and strength.

Bear - description, characteristics, structure. What does a bear look like?

Depending on the species, the body length of a predator can vary from 1.2 to 3 meters, and the weight of a bear varies from 40 kg to a ton. The body of these animals is large, stocky, with a thick, short neck and big head. Powerful jaws make it easy to chew both plant and meat foods. The limbs are rather short and slightly curved. Therefore, the bear walks, swaying from side to side, and rests on its entire foot. The speed of a bear in moments of danger can reach 50 km/h. With the help of large and sharp claws, these animals extract food from the ground, tear apart prey and climb trees. Many species of bears are good swimmers. The polar bear has a special membrane between its toes for this purpose. The lifespan of a bear can reach 45 years.

Bears are no different sharp vision and well-developed hearing. This is compensated by an excellent sense of smell. Sometimes animals stand on their hind legs to use their sense of smell to obtain information about their surroundings.

Thick bear fur covering the body has a different color: from reddish-brown to black, white in polar bears or black and white in pandas. Species with dark fur turn gray and gray in old age.

Does a bear have a tail?

Yes, but only the giant panda has a noticeable tail. In other species it is short and almost indistinguishable in the fur.

Types of bears, names and photos

In the bear family, zoologists distinguish 8 species of bears, which are divided into many different subspecies:

Brown bear (common bear) (Ursus arctos)

The appearance of a predator of this species is typical for all representatives of the bear family: a powerful body, rather high at the withers, a massive head with rather small ears and eyes, a short, barely noticeable tail, and large paws with very powerful claws. The body of a brown bear is covered with thick fur with brownish, dark gray, and reddish colors, which vary depending on the habitat of the “clubfoot”. Baby bear cubs often have large light tan marks on the chest or neck area, although these marks disappear with age.

The distribution range of the brown bear is wide: it is found in the mountain systems of the Alps and on the Apennine Peninsula, common in Finland and the Carpathians, and feels comfortable in Scandinavia, Asia, China, the northwestern United States and Russian forests.

Polar (white) bear (Ursus maritimus)

Is the most major representative family: the length of its body often reaches 3 meters, and its weight can exceed one ton. U Long neck and a slightly flattened head - this distinguishes it from its counterparts of other species. The color of the bear’s fur is from boiling white to slightly yellowish; the hairs are hollow inside, so they give the bear’s “fur coat” excellent thermal insulation properties. The soles of the paws are densely “lined” with tufts of coarse wool, which allows to the polar bear It is easy to move on the ice cover without slipping. There is a membrane between the toes that facilitates the swimming process. The habitat of this bear species is the circumpolar regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Baribal (black bear) (Ursus americanus)

The bear is a little similar to its brown relative, but differs from it in its smaller size and blue-black fur. The length of an adult baribal does not exceed two meters, and female bears are even smaller - their body is usually 1.5 meters long. pointed muzzle, long paws, ending with rather short feet - this is what makes this representative of bears remarkable. By the way, baribals can become black only in the third year of life, receiving a gray or brownish color at birth. The black bear's habitat is vast: from the vastness of Alaska to the territories of Canada and hot Mexico.

Malayan bear (biruang) (Helarctos malayanus)

The most “miniature” species among its bear counterparts: its length does not exceed 1.3-1.5 meters, and the height at the withers is slightly more than half a meter. This type of bear has a stocky build, a short, rather wide muzzle with small round ears. The paws of the Malayan bear are high, while the large, long feet with huge claws look a little disproportionate. The body is covered with short and very tough black-brown fur; the animal’s chest is “decorated” with a white-red spot. The Malayan bear lives in the southern regions of China, Thailand and Indonesia.

White-breasted (Himalayan) bear (Ursus thibetanus)

Slim physique Himalayan bear not too different large sizes- this representative of the family is two times smaller than its brown relative: the male has a length of 1.5-1.7 meters, while the height at the withers is only 75-80 cm, the females are even smaller. The bear's body, covered with shiny and silky fur of dark brown or black color, is crowned by a head with a pointed muzzle and large round ears. A mandatory “attribute” of the Himalayan bear’s appearance is a spectacular white or yellowish spot on the chest. This species of bear lives in Iran and Afghanistan, and is found in mountainous areas The Himalayas, on the territory of Korea, Vietnam, China and Japan, feel at ease in the vastness Khabarovsk Territory and in the south of Yakutia.

Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus)

A medium-sized predator - length 1.5-1.8 meters, height at the withers from 70 to 80 cm. The muzzle is short, not too wide. The fur of the spectacled bear is shaggy, has a black or black-brown tint, and there are always white-yellow rings around the eyes, smoothly turning into a whitish “collar” of fur on the animal’s neck. The habitat of this type of bear is the countries of South America: Colombia and Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador, Venezuela and Panama.

Gubach (Melursus ursinus)

A predator with a body length of up to 1.8 meters, height at the withers varies from 65 to 90 centimeters, females are approximately 30% smaller than males in both respects. The body of the sloth fish is massive, the head is large, with a flat forehead and an overly elongated muzzle, which ends in mobile, completely hairless, protruding lips. The bear's fur is long, usually black or dirty brown in color, and in the area of the animal's neck it often forms something like a shaggy mane. The sloth bear's chest has a light spot. The habitat of this type of bear is India, some areas of Pakistan, Bhutan, the territory of Bangladesh and Nepal.

Big panda (bamboo bear) ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

This type of bear has a massive, squat body, which is covered with dense, thick fur. black and white color. The paws are short, thick, with sharp claws and completely hairless pads: this allows pandas to firmly hold smooth and slippery bamboo stems. The structure of the front paws of these bears is very unusually developed: five ordinary fingers are complemented by a large sixth, although it is not a real finger, but a modified bone. Such amazing paws enable the panda to easily handle the thinnest bamboo shoots. The bamboo bear lives in the mountainous regions of China, especially large populations live in Tibet and Sichuan.

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