The bear is an omnivore. Brown bear (common) What animal does the bear belong to

The bear family (Ursidae) includes the largest of modern terrestrial predators. Most taxonomists believe that there are currently eight species of bears on Earth (they, in turn, are divided into many different subspecies), belonging to three different branches.

Bears are found on every continent except Africa, Australia and Antarctica. Three types of bears - spectacled, sloth and Malay - live in the tropics, but the center of origin of the bear family is in the Northern Hemisphere. A long time ago, the brown bear was also found in the Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa.

Bears are predominantly inhabitants of various types of forests and light forests. One species - the polar bear - inhabits the Arctic deserts and ice.

The most probable ancestors of modern bears were small predators that lived 25 million years ago (subfamily Agriotheriinae). The oldest member of this group, Ursavus elmensis, had a long tail and looked like a raccoon, but animals of a later period already resembled modern bears both in size and in appearance. This group gave rise to three modern subfamilies. The giant panda separated from the common trunk first, then the real bears (Ursus and his relatives) and the spectacled bears (Tremarctos) separated.

Depending on the species, the body length of a predator can vary from 1 to 3 meters, the mass of individual polar and brown bears can reach up to 1000 kg. Males are significantly larger than females.

The addition of bears is heavy, awkward. To support a large mass, their hind limbs are plantigrade (when walking, the entire sole is pressed to the ground). This also allows them to lift freely and stand on their hind legs. The structure of the front paws is different in different species of bears - from plantigrade to semi-toed (the back of the foot is partially raised above the ground). All species have five toes on each paw, equipped with curved, non-retractable claws.

The skull of bears is massive, larger than that of other predators; the facial section is of medium length or shortened (especially in a spectacled bear). Wide molars with flat chewing surfaces and rounded fangs are well suited for crushing and grinding plant foods. Polar bears are exclusively carnivores, so their teeth are sharper. Depending on the species, bears have 40-42 teeth.

The fur of bears is thick and long; the coloration is usually dark, uniform, from brown to black (as an exception, white or contrasting two-tone), sometimes with a light pattern on the head and chest. The tail is very short; ears are small, rounded; the lips are large and very mobile.

Polar bears and most New World browns do not climb trees, only European browns and all other species climb trees where they feed or sleep, but they still prefer to spend most of their time on the ground. For a carnivorous animal that climbs trees, bears have surprising features - they have too short tails and completely lack facial vibrissae.

Most species of bears are non-specialized omnivores that feed on both berries, nuts, shoots, rhizomes and leaves of plants, as well as meat, fish and insects. They have an excellent sense of smell, color vision and a good memory, which allows them to remember places rich in food. It should be noted that bears do not digest vegetable food very well, since in their gastrointestinal tract there are no symbiotic microorganisms that can decompose fiber (these bacteria are found in the stomach of ruminants). Therefore, plant fibers and berries are excreted from the body almost undigested.

Photo and description of modern species of bears

And now let's get to know each of the eight types of bears closer.

Brown bear or common bear (Ursus arctos) is a typical representative of the bear family; found in Russia, Canada and Alaska. Prefers to settle in old forests, avoids wide open spaces, but can also live at an altitude of up to 5000 meters above sea level, where there are no forests anymore. Habitats are usually confined to freshwater bodies of water.

The brown bear is a large animal: its body length is 1.5-2.8 m, the height at the shoulders is up to 1.5 m. Males weigh from 60 to 800 kg. The mass of adult predators varies depending on the time of year and geographical habitat. The smallest is the pika-eater from the mountains of Central Asia, and the largest is the Kodiak from Alaska and Kamchatka.

The photo shows a brown bear in all its glory.

Polar bear

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is the largest living member of the family. The length of his body is 2-2.5 m, the height at the withers is about 1.5 m, the body weight is on average 350-450 kg, but there are also giants with a body weight of more than 500 kg.

Distributed on the Arctic coast of the Arctic Ocean, in Northern Canada.

The color of the fur is pure white, often yellowish due to oil contamination, especially in summer. The fur is thick and warm, but the main warming function is played by a thick layer of subcutaneous fat.

The polar bear is the only member of the family that lives exclusively on a meat diet. He hunts young walruses, ringed seals, sea hares, beluga whales and narwhals.

Pictured is a polar bear with cubs. The female usually gives birth to two cubs once every 3 years. You can read more about polar bears in the article.

Black bear

The black bear or baribal (Ursus americanus) is found in Canada, northern Mexico, the USA, except for the central part of the Great Plains. Lives in dense forests, thickets of bushes, as well as in more open areas.

Black bear sizes vary by geographic location and season. Baribals are larger in the northern and eastern regions of their range. The length of their body varies from 1.2 to 1.9 meters, the height at the withers is from 0.7 to 1 meter.

The photo shows a black bear on a tree. The ability to climb trees is vital for baribals - here they feed and hide in case of danger.

The Himalayan or white-breasted bear (Ursus thibetanus) is found from Iran to Southeast Asia, Northern China, Primorye, Japan, and Taiwan. Prefers to settle in the forests of the temperate zone, subtropics and tropics.

Body length - 1.2-1.9 meters, weight of males 60-200 kg, females - 40-140 kg. Due to the long hair, the Himalayan bear seems to be much larger than it really is. The coat is black with a white v-shaped mark on the chest, another mark is on the chin; around the neck there is a collar made of long wool. Apparently, the collar plays a role in protection against predators, because this species has always coexisted next to the tiger.

The white-breasted bear climbs trees beautifully, often building something resembling a nest, bending branches to the trunk.

The Himalayan bear is a rare vulnerable species. For 3,000 years, man has been hunting him because of his paws and gallbladder (dried bile is used in traditional Chinese medicine).

The life expectancy of a Himalayan bear is up to 25 years in nature and up to 37 years in captivity.

Malayan bear

The Malayan Bear or Biruang (Helarctos malayanus) is the smallest species of bear, sometimes referred to as the "dog bear". Due to their small size and friendly disposition, in Asia, buriangs are often kept in captivity as pets. Their body length does not exceed 140 cm, they weigh 27-65 kilograms. The coat of Malayan bears is short, black, with a white, orange or dark yellow crescent-shaped chest marking.

There are Malayan bears in Southeast Asia and East India. Their life is closely connected with trees, where they often sleep in specially built nests. They feed mainly on various fruits, but if such food is not enough, they switch to insects.

Malayan bears are diurnal. They breed at any time of the year, and the duration of pregnancy varies greatly (from 3 to 8 months).

In captivity, the Malayan bear can live up to 33 years.

The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) lives in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka. It is found mainly in lowland forests and steppes.

Body length - 1.4-1.9 meters, weight - 80-190 kg. The sloth coat is long, thick, black in color with a white spot on the chest. Its claws are slightly curved, the palate is wide, and the lips are elongated (this is how it got its name). These adaptations help the sloth beetle to dig up and suck up termites, which make up a large part of its diet. And he got his generic name (Melursus) for his special love for honey: he often climbs trees and is ready to endure bee stings, just to feast on honeycombs. In addition to termites, various other insects and honey, sloth eats berries with pleasure.

The sloth has a long coat, which is quite surprising for a species that lives in the rainforest. Apparently, it plays the same role as the loose clothing worn by people living in hot climates.

The sloth bear is a vulnerable species. In captivity, life expectancy is up to 34 years.

Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) Lives in the Andes from eastern Venezuela to the border of Bolivia and Argentina. It is found in a wide variety of biotypes: in mountain and tropical rainforests, high mountain meadows and even in deserts.

Body length - 1.3-2.0 meters, weight - 100-200 kg. The coat is black with a creamy white bib mark on the chin, neck, chest; around the eyes there are white markings of various shapes (hence the name of the bear).

The spectacled bear is a rather slender animal. Despite its relatively large size, it is agile and good at climbing trees, where it obtains food and builds nests for rest from branches and twigs.

In different habitats, the diet of spectacled bears varies, but food of plant origin (fruits, bamboo, cacti, etc.) predominates everywhere. They also enter the fields of grain crops, corn, which annoy farmers a lot.

In captivity, a spectacled bear lives up to 39 years.

Giant panda

The giant panda or bamboo bear (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is found in Sichuan, Shanxi and Gansu of central and western China. Prefers cool moist bamboo forests at an altitude of 1500-3400 meters above sea level.

The height of the giant panda at the withers is 70-80 cm, weight is 100-150 kg. The wool of the bamboo bear is black and white (circles around the eyes, the area around the nose, front and hind legs and shoulders are black, everything else is white).

The diet consists predominantly of bamboo; occasionally pandas eat bulbs of various plants, cereals, insects and rodents.

In nature, a panda usually lives up to 20 years, in captivity - up to 30 years.

Today, great efforts are being made to preserve the giant panda, however, despite the most severe ban, animals still become victims of poachers. They also fall into traps set on other animals. Read more about the giant panda.

What types of bears are the most dangerous?

Bears are often referred to as aggressive and dangerous animals. Indeed, their strength and size allow them to easily cope with a person, but the tendency of bears to attack people is greatly exaggerated.

Only polar bears, being real predators, are perhaps the only members of the family who actually sometimes perceive a person as prey, while tracking him down according to all the rules of hunting. Their attacks are driven by hunger, not fear. It is polar bears that are considered the most dangerous to humans. However, not many people live near polar bears, and people, knowing who they might have to deal with, always carry weapons with them.

In second place in terms of danger to humans are brown bears, but their aggressiveness largely depends on the geographical habitat. Grizzlies in the center of the American continent, as well as bears living in Siberia, are really dangerous. This is especially true of she-bears who protect their cubs, or animals that defend their prey. In the eastern regions of Europe, more aggressive individuals are found. But in general, all bears, like other wild animals, try not to get in the way of a person and, if possible, avoid meeting with him.

American black bears, especially those that live next to humans, often frighten people, but very rarely cause them any harm.

Spectacled bears are very cautious and absolutely not aggressive towards humans, but it happens that they attack livestock.

Among the Asian bears, only the giant panda is a true vegetarian, and naturally, it does not pose any danger to humans.

Malayan bears often scare the locals. If they are accidentally disturbed, they usually rear up, roar furiously and make a sharp lunge towards the enemy, but they rarely really attack.

Himalayan bears and sloth bears, which often have to fight back large cats, are more likely to attack than flee. Many people think that sloth bears are more dangerous than tigers.

Literature: Mammals: The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia / Translated from English / Book. I. Carnivores, marine mammals, primates, tupai, woolly wings. / Ed. D. MacDonald. - M: "Omega", - 2007.

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• Class: Mammalia Linnaeus, 1758 = Mammals
• Infraclass: Eutheria, Placentalia Gill, 1872 = Placental, higher animals
• Squad:
• Family: Carnivora Bowdich, 1821 = Carnivora
• Family: Ursidae Gray, 1825 = Bears, bears
• Genus: Ursus Linnaeus, 1758 = Bears

Bear predator?

Basically, bears are content with plant foods, but in case of its lack and once they have tasted animal meat, it becomes a predator in the full sense of the word, especially terrible for domestic animals. He is quite considered the worst enemy of horses, cows, etc.

Having tasted the meat, the bear loses its good-natured disposition and becomes very bloodthirsty. Many hunters say that the bear also eats carrion. At least in Siberia, it often happens that during the loss of livestock, peasants bury their dead animals, and bears dig them up to satisfy their hunger. Having worked up their body and fat during the summer and autumn, with the approach of winter, the bears prepare a lair for themselves in some cave, or in the hollows of trees, or in the forest thicket.

Before going to the den, the bear confuses its tracks like a hare, winds through the wind-fallen, moss swamps, through the water, jumps sideways from the track through the fallen trees, in a word, walks back and forth more than once. Only then will he lie down, reassured that the trail is well confused.

If the summer was poor, then some, especially thin, bears do not lie in the den at all, they wander hungry all winter. These connecting rods, as they are called, are "suicide bombers", they will die before spring. Connecting rods are dangerous to man, cattle and any animal - even to a bear sleeping in a den. There was a case: a small connecting rod dug up the den of a bear, which, being healthier than him, bit and ate the sleepy Toptygin. Some bears, in places where it is not very cold, lie down to spend the winter right among young spruces, only their tops are bent over themselves - it will turn out to be something like a hut, and they sleep in it. But where the winter is cold, they dig a hole for a lair somewhere not far from the water, in a swamp, under the root of a fallen tree. Others cover the pit with brushwood, branches, moss. Such a lair, as they say, has a "sky", that is, a roof. The “brow” of the berl is called a hole in the den - an outlet.

They talk about the bear, as if he sucks his paw in winter. Maybe some suck - because they think that the sole on the soles sheds and itches. But, says A. Cherkasov, he did not hear anything about bears being hunted in dens with sucked paws: they are all dry, dirty since autumn, covered in dust and with dried mud.

The further east the bears live, the larger they are. In the Old World, the largest bears are Kamchatka. In Alaska and some islands close to it, even larger specimens are found. This is a brown bear kadlyak - a heavyweight champion among all predators on Earth (up to 751 kg in weight). When this beast stands, leaning on all four legs, then at the withers its height is up to 130 cm (for a European bear, on average, 1 m).

The she-bear retires to the den already at the beginning of November, while the bears roam in December, despite the snow and frost. And some old animals lead a wandering life all winter. Even the bears that have retired to the den do not always fall into deep hibernation, only heavily overfed, fat ones sleep motionless, while the rest lie very sensitively and stick their heads out of the den, or “hello” - as the hunters say - at every approach of a person; and she-bears sometimes rush directly at the disturber of their peace. Having smelled the smell of spring, they get out of the lair into the light.

Hungry for the winter, he goes to get food. But first he takes a laxative - in the form of cranberries and moss, of which he eats a huge amount. Having cleared his stomach, he hurries to strengthen his body, weakened by hibernation. In this rather hungry time, he can pounce on livestock.

Jackals. Unlike them, clubfoot are more stocky and powerful. Like other canids, bears are predators, but sometimes they feast on berries, mushrooms and honey.

There are also pseudo-toed, not related to canines and even predatory animals. The name bear is given only because of the outward resemblance to the true representatives of the genus.

real bears

The second name of bears is plantigrade. Having wide legs, clubfoot fully step on them. Other canids, as a rule, touch the ground with only part of their paws, as if walking on their toes. This is how animals speed up. Bears, on the other hand, cannot develop a speed of more than 50 kilometers per hour.

Brown bear

Included in Russian bear species, the largest and most popular in the country. However, the largest clubfoot was caught outside the Federation, on the American island of Kodiak. From there they took the animal for the Berlin Zoo. I got a bear weighing 1134 kilograms at a rate of 150-500 kilos.

It is assumed that brown came to America about 40 million years ago through the Bering Isthmus. Animals came from Asia, representatives of the species are also found there.

The largest clubfoot in Russia are found on the Kamchatka Peninsula. There giants live 20-30 years. In captivity, with good maintenance, bears live up to half a century.

Polar bear

According to its habitat, it is called polar. The scientific name of the species in Latin is translated as "sea bear". Predators are associated with snow, the expanses of the ocean. In the water, polar bears hunt, catching fish and seals.

The ocean does not prevent the migration of polar clubfoot. On the water, they overcome hundreds of kilometers, working with wide front feet, like oars. The hind legs act as a rudder. Going out onto the ice floes, the bears do not slip, because they have rough feet.

Among terrestrial predators, the animal is the largest. In length, the predator reaches 3 meters. The standard weight is 700 kilograms. So that kind of polar bear awesome. In nature, an animal has no enemies other than man.

studying types of bears, only at the polar you will find hollow wool. The hair is empty from the inside. Firstly, it gives an additional layer of air in the fur coat. Gas is a poor conductor of heat, it does not release it from the skin of a predator.

Secondly, the cavities in the white hairs are needed to reflect light. In fact, clubfoot hair is colorless. White hair only looks, allowing the predator to merge with the surrounding snow.

Himalayan bear

Otherwise called the black Asian bear. It is distinguished by large ears, an elegant physique by the standards of clubfoot, and an elongated muzzle.

The habitat of the Himalayan extends from Iran to Japan. The predator prefers mountainous areas. Hence the name of the species. In Russia, its representatives live beyond the Amur, as a rule, in the Ussuri region.

Black bear is named for the dark color of the coat. It is longer on the head and neck, forming a kind of mane. There is a white spot on the chest of the predator. However, there are subspecies of the animal without it.

The maximum weight of a Himalayan bear is 140 kilograms. The length of the animal reaches one and a half meters. But the claws of a predator are thicker and larger than those of brown and polar individuals. The reason is the way of life of the black bear. He spends most of his time in the trees. Claws help climb them.

The Asian clubfoot cannot be called a formidable predator. From animal food, the bear usually consumes only insects. The basis of the diet are herbs, roots, berries, acorns.

baribal

Alternative name - black bear. He lives in the North, especially in the east of the continent. The appearance of the predator is close to the appearance of the brown clubfoot. However, the baribal has more protruding shoulders, lower ears and, as the name implies, black hair. However, on the muzzle it is lighter.

The name of the animal is similar to the name of the family to which it is assigned. There are no other members of the family. By the way, this also applies to the little panda. She is also one of a kind.

The closest relative of the koala is, and not at all a bear and not even a small panda.

About 30 million years ago, 18 species of marsupial "bears" lived on the planet. There were also true club-footed, unprecedented by modern man. Among them, 5-6 species became extinct.

extinct bears

The number of extinct bears is vague, as the existence of one species is in question. There is a glimmer of hope that the Tibetan clubfoot still exists, although for a long time it does not fall into the eyes of people and into the lenses of video cameras. If you meet, let the scientists know. The bear looks like a brown one, but the front part of the body is reddish. The withers of the animal are almost black. In the inguinal region, the hair is red. The rest of the hair behind the predator is dark brown. The bear lived in the east of the Tibetan plateau.

California Grizzly

It is depicted on the flag of California, but has not been found in or out of the state since 1922. Then they killed the last representative type of animal.

Bear had a golden coat color. The beast was a totemic among the Indians. The Redskins believed that they were descended from the grizzly, so they did not hunt the ancestor. The clubfoot was exterminated by white settlers.

mexican grizzly bear

Officially declared extinct in the 60s of the last century. The animal was large, weighing approximately 360 kilograms.

The Mexican grizzly was distinguished by whitish claws on its front paws, small ears and a high forehead.

Etruscan bear

Fossil species, lived in the Pliocene. This geological period ended 2.5 million years ago. The second name of the predator is the short-faced bear. This is the one with 13 pairs of ribs.

Skeletons of Etruscan bears are found only in southern latitudes. Therefore, scientists suggest that the beast was thermophilic. It is also known that the extinct animal was large, weighing about 600 kilograms.

Atlas bear

Inhabited the lands from Morocco to Libya. The last individual was killed by hunters in 1870. Outwardly, the animal was distinguished by reddish hair below the body and dark brown above. There was a white spot on the bear's muzzle.

Unlike most bears, the Atlas preferred desert and arid areas. The name of the species is associated with a chain of mountains where clubfoot lived. Zoologists attributed them to subspecies of the brown bear.

Giant polar bear

Appearance of a polar bear was similar to the modern one. Only here in length the beast reached 4 meters, and weighed 1200 kilograms. Such giants lived on the planet 100 thousand years ago.

So far, scientists have found the only ulna of a giant bear. Found a bone in the Pleistocene deposits of Great Britain.

The survival of modern polar bears is also in question. The number of species is sharply reduced. This is due to climate change. Glaciers are melting. Animals have to do more and more long swims. Many predators get to the shore exhausted. Meanwhile, it is not easy for full-powered bears to get food in the snowy expanses.

bears are herbivores or carnivores

1. omnivores!!
2. Browns are omnivores. Whites are predators
3. Bears are omnivores. They eat grass, berries, mushrooms, they will not refuse fish, especially meat, fatten up - they eat everything until they are completely stupefied.
   But pandas only eat bamboo, while polar bears prefer seal and seal fat.
4. predators of course
5. The bear is an omnivore, just like humans.
6. predators, but from hunger they can pick up raspberries and chew grass =)
7. 100% carnivorous 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.
8. omnivorous
9. omnivores
10. omnivorous
11. the bear is omnivorous. He eats almost everything that can be eaten. in the summer, plant foods predominate, most of the animal protein in the bear's diet is small animals. rodents. insects. the bear is engaged in hunting directly, especially hunting for large animals, extremely rarely only in the absence of more accessible and less “dangerous” food
12. Predators))
13. Differently
14. white bear, grizzly bear, spectacled bear and many other members 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, belonging to the family of marsupial bears, is a herbivorous bear.
15. Bears are omnivores. In principle, they eat plant food all the time, and animal food only when it falls into their paws.
16. Medve#769;zhy (lat. Ursidae) is a family of mammals of the order of carnivores. They differ from other representatives of the canine in a more stocky physique. Bears are omnivorous, climb and swim well, run fast, can stand and walk short distances on their hind legs. They have a short tail, long and thick hair, as well as excellent sense of smell and hearing. They hunt in the evening or at dawn. Usually fearful of humans, but can be dangerous in areas where they are used to humans, especially polar bears and grizzly bears. Immune to bee stings. In nature, they have almost no natural enemies.
17. Anatomically predatory. Teeth, then - with. And constantly on plant foods, he can not. But in recent years, in many regions, the bear is increasingly using plant foods. In this regard, its numbers are growing, in some places it is much larger than the wolf. That is, it sort of climbs off the top of the food pyramid.

The brown bear, a brief description of which we will consider in this article, is a typical 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 in mixed regions of different countries, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. So, get acquainted: the owner of the Russian taiga is a brown bear!

Brief description of the species

The brown or common bear is a predatory mammal that belongs to the bear family. Currently, the brown bear is the largest land predator in the world. The duration of his life in nature is estimated at 30 years. In captivity, a predator can live up to 50 years. Linguists believe that the name of this beast is composed of two words - “knowing” and “honey”. And this is understandable: despite its belonging to predators, the bear is a big lover of sweet honey and in general

Food

The diet of clubfoot for ¾ consists of 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 various insects, reptiles, amphibians, small rodents, fish, and, of course, large ungulates, make up food for animals. For example, it costs nothing for a clumsy giant to kill an adult large elk with just a blow of its powerful clawed paw!

Brief description of subspecies

The numerical difference between brown bears is so great that once these animals were classified into independent species. Currently, all brown bears are combined into one single species, which combines several subspecies or geographic 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 understood, the brown bear, which we describe in this article, is the most common type of clubfoot in the world. Although it is called brown, it is not always painted in this particular color. In nature, you can meet black, and beige, and yellow, and even fiery red bears. But we will talk about the color of their coat 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 mainly ranges from 1.6 to 2.9 meters.

The mass 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, living in and also inhabiting 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 all over the world, is also found in Kamchatka and Alaska. There, these predators weigh more than 500 kilograms. Cases of hunting for brown bears are described, presumably reaching a weight of 1 ton! However, for the most part, these shaggy heavyweights do not exceed 350 kilograms of net weight. The maximum recorded weight, for example, of a Kamchatka bear was 600 kilograms. The animals preserved in Europe are small in size. Their weight does not exceed 90 kilograms.

Appearance

The brown bear, whose dimensions we examined above, has a pronounced barrel-shaped and powerful body with high withers (shoulder height). This body is held by massive and high paws with flat clawed soles. The length of the claws of this furry 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. It has small blind eyes and small ears. The muzzle is elongated, and the forehead is high. The owner of the Russian taiga is covered with thick and evenly colored wool. bears, like their size, is changeable. It all depends on certain habitats of these animals. For example, well-known ones may have brown hair with a silver tint. For this, by the way, they were called gray-haired.

Spreading

As mentioned earlier, bears are forest dwellers. We repeat that their typical habitats, for example, in Russia, are continuous forest tracts with dense growth of grasses, shrubs and hardwoods. The brown bear, a brief description of which we consider in this article, is found in both tundra and alpine forests. In Europe, he prefers mountain forests, and, for example, in North America it can be found in 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 of the globe, its habitat reached the African Atlas Mountains. To the east, this species of hairy heavyweights was distributed through Siberia and China to Japan. Scientists believe that brown bears came to North America from Asia about 40,000 years ago. They are sure that these animals were able to cross the Bering Isthmus on their own, settling in the west of America from Alaska to Mexico.

Winter dream

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

Preparation for sleep

Clubfoot begin to prepare for their wintering from the middle of summer. It's a brown bear! The description of his preparation for sleep is probably known to many people, because there is nothing secret and surprising in this. Six months before the onset of cold weather, they need to find a suitable place for their winter shelter, equip it and, of course, build up their reserves of subcutaneous fat. Most often, bear dens are located under the wells and eversion, under the roots of huge and massive trees - cedars or firs.

Sometimes these predators pull out "dugouts" for themselves directly in the coastal cliffs of the rivers. If during this time the bear has not found a secluded place for his winter shelter, he digs a large hole, after which he strengthens its walls with vertically protruding branches. With them, brown bears fill up the inlet, at the same time disguising themselves and isolating themselves from the outside world for several months. Immediately before going to bed, the animal, having gained a sufficient amount of subcutaneous fat, carefully confuses its traces of being near the den.

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

hibernation

Adult animals in most cases while away the cold winter days in their lairs one by one. Only a she-bear can hibernate together 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 regions 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, it turns out something like a bearish "apartment" house. If the choice of "winter apartments" is very tight, some especially 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 vending den.

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

Watch out, scumbag!

Scientists say that the sleep of bears cannot be called strong. During short-term thaws, these predators can wake up and even leave their winter shelters for a while. At this time, clubfoots walk through the winter forest, knead their bones. As soon as it gets colder again, shaggy heavyweights return to their shelter again, covering up the traces of their stay outside the den. However, such habits of a brown bear are still flowers!

It also happens that some bears, due to malnutrition in the autumn-winter period, cannot gain the required weight, find and equip their 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 wintering, the beast simply staggers through the snowy forest, as if restless. The people called such poor fellows "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, because the beast is very hungry, incredibly angry and attacks almost everything that moves.

reproduction

Female brown bears bring offspring from 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. Already 90 days after birth, all milk teeth grow in them, and they begin to eat berries, plants and insects. As a rule, male brown bears are not engaged in offspring, raising young animals is the prerogative of females. Bear cubs become sexually mature by the age of 3, but continue to grow up to 10 years.

Brown bear. Red Book

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