Bear beast or animal. Brown bear: brief description, weight, dimensions. Habits of a brown bear. Omnivores and levels of the food chain

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 bear is the largest predator on earth. This animal belongs to the class of 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 a large head. Powerful jaws make it easy to gnaw both plant and meat food. The limbs are rather short and slightly curved. Therefore, the bear walks, swaying from side to side, and rests on the 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 bear species are good swimmers. The polar bear has a special membrane between the fingers for this. The life expectancy of a bear can reach 45 years.

Bears do not have sharp eyesight and well-developed hearing. This is offset by a great sense of smell. Sometimes animals stand on their hind legs in order to obtain information about the environment with the help of scent.

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, slightly noticeable tail, and large paws with very powerful claws. The body of a brown bear is covered with thick hair with a brownish, dark gray, reddish color, which varies from the habitat of the "clubfoot". Baby bear cubs often have large light tan marks on the chest or in the neck area, although these marks disappear with age.

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

• Polar (white) bear (Ursus maritimus)

It is the largest representative of the family: its body length often reaches 3 meters, and its mass can exceed one ton. It has a long neck and a slightly flattened head - this distinguishes it from its counterparts in other species. The color of the bear's fur is from boiling white to slightly yellowish, the hairs inside are hollow, therefore 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 the polar bear to easily move on the ice cover without slipping. Between the toes of the paws there is a membrane that facilitates the process of swimming. The habitat of this species of bears is the polar regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

• Baribal (black bear) (Ursus americanus)

The bear is a bit like a 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 the female bear is even smaller - their body usually has a length of 1.5 meters. A pointed muzzle, long paws ending in rather short feet - this is what this representative of bears is remarkable for. By the way, baribals can become black only by the third year of life, at birth getting a gray or brownish color. The habitat of the black bear is vast: from the expanses of Alaska to the territories of Canada and hot Mexico.

• Malayan bear (biruang) (Helarctos malyanus)

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 large, long feet with huge claws look a little disproportionate. The body is covered with short and very hard black-brown fur, the chest of the animal is “adorned” with a white-red spot. The Malayan bear lives in the southern regions of China, in Thailand and Indonesia.

• White-breasted (Himalayan) bear (Ursus thibetanus)

The slender physique of the Himalayan bear is not too large in size - this member of the family is two times smaller than the brown relative: the male has a length of 1.5-1.7 meters, while the height at the withers is only 75-80 cm, females are even smaller. The body of a bear, covered with shiny and silky hair of dark brown or black, is crowned by a head with a pointed muzzle and large round ears. An obligatory "attribute" of the appearance of the Himalayan bear is a spectacular white or yellowish spot on the chest. This species of bears lives in Iran and Afghanistan, is found in the mountainous regions of the Himalayas, in Korea, Vietnam, China and Japan, feels at ease in the expanses of the Khabarovsk Territory and in the south of Yakutia.

• spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus)

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 wool of a spectacled bear is shaggy, has a black or black-brown hue, around the eyes there are always white-yellow rings, smoothly turning into a whitish "collar" of fur on the animal's neck. The habitat of this species of bears 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, at the withers, the height varies from 65 to 90 centimeters, females are approximately 30% smaller than males in both indicators. The trunk of the sloth is massive, the head is large, with a flat forehead and an overly elongated muzzle, which ends in mobile, completely devoid of hair, protruding lips. The bear's fur is long, usually black or dirty-brown in color, often forming a semblance of a shaggy mane in the neck of the animal. The chest of the sloth bear has a light spot. The habitat of this species of bears is India, some parts 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 black and white fur. The paws are short, thick, with sharp claws and absolutely hairless pads: this allows the pandas to firmly hold the smooth and slippery bamboo stems. The structure of the front paws of these bears is very unusually developed: five ordinary fingers complement the big sixth, although it is not a real finger, but is a modified bone. Such amazing paws enable the panda to easily manage the thinnest bamboo shoots. The bamboo bear lives in the mountainous regions of China, especially large populations live in Tibet and Sichuan.

We all know these powerful animals from 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 on Earth there are several species of these animals. Let's get to know them better.

Bear appearance

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

Animal fur has a well-developed undercoat, it is rather rough to the touch. The hairline is high. Only he cannot boast of such a fur coat - his cover is low and rare.

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

Lifestyle

Different types of bears live in a variety of conditions. They feel great in the steppes and highlands, in forests and in the Arctic ice. In this regard, bear species differ in their diet 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 a daytime lifestyle.

Bears are omnivores. However, some species have a preference for one or another food. For example, a polar bear almost always eats the meat of mammals, for a panda there is no better delicacy 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 who are interested in these animals, it seems that there are a myriad of them. Unfortunately, this is not so. Today, our planet is inhabited by species of bears, the 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 seemingly clumsy animals. They belong to the bear family. Body length - from 200 to 280 cm.

This is a fairly common look. lives throughout the Eurasian and North American forests. Today, this predator has completely disappeared from the territory of Japan, although in ancient times it was common here. On the territory of Western and Central Europe, a brown bear can be found quite rarely, in some mountainous areas. There is reason to believe that in these areas it is an endangered species. The brown bear is still widespread in Siberia, the Far East and the northern regions of 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 borders of their territories. Each site has permanent places where the animal feeds, builds temporary shelters and dens.

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

hibernation

Everyone knows that brown bears hibernate in winter. Previously, he carefully prepares his lair, which he equips in hard-to-reach places - on islands in the middle of swamps, in a windbreak. The bear lines the bottom of its winter dwelling with dry grass or moss.

To safely survive the winter, the 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 feeds. When there is a lean year for berries, bears in the northern regions make raids on fields sown with oats, and in the south - on corn crops. Some bears attack apiaries and ruin them.

Many believe that during hibernation, animals fall into suspended animation. This is not entirely true. They sleep pretty well. During hibernation, when the animal lies motionless, its cardiac and pulmonary systems slow down their activity. The body temperature of a bear 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 supply 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 the people call it, a connecting rod. In this state, he is very dangerous.

Depending on climatic conditions, the predator can hibernate for three to six months. In the presence of food in the southern regions, bears generally may not fall into continuous hibernation, but fall asleep only 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 the outward clumsiness, the brown bear can be very fast and agile. He stealthily sneaks up on his prey and grabs it in a quick throw. At the same time, its speed reaches 50 km / h.

White bears

IUCN - The International Union for Conservation of Nature for the first time in several years has expanded the list of animals that are on the verge of extinction. It has new species. Polar bears were included not only in this international list, but also in the Red Book of Russia. To date, their number is only 25 thousand individuals. According to scientists, this population will decrease 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 believe that white, polar, northern, sea or oshkuy are polar bear species. In fact, this is the name of one species of a predatory mammal from the bear family, the closest relative of the brown bear.

Its length is three meters, weight - about a ton. The largest animals are found off the coast, the smallest - on Svalbard.

Polar bears are distinguished from other species by their long hair and flat head. The color can be completely white or with a yellowish tinge. In the summer, the fur turns yellow under the influence of sunlight. The skin of these animals is black.

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

Lifestyle and nutrition

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

The main "menu" of these predators are seals, mainly ringed seals. In addition, he feeds on any animals that he manages to kill. It can be rodents, birds, walruses, whales washed ashore. For the predator itself, killer whales are dangerous, which can sometimes attack in the water.

reproduction

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

Pregnancy of the female lasts up to 210 days, cubs are born in January-February, weighing 400 grams, stay with their mother until April.

Himalayan bear

This animal is inferior in size to the brown one. In addition, these types of bears differ in appearance. The Himalayan bear has a more slender physique, a thin muzzle. Thick and lush hair usually has a black color with a white, sometimes yellowish spot on the chest (it resembles the letter V in shape).

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

In spring it feeds on last year's acorns and pine nuts. In summer, it 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, they are completely helpless.

Spectacle bear

We continue to study the types of bears, getting acquainted with the indigenous inhabitants of 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 hair 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 shrubs. Sometimes, for his favorite delicacy, he climbs high palm trees, 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.

The sloth bear is an inhabitant of tropical countries. He lives in the forests of Hindustan and Ceylon. In length it can be up to 1.8 m, weight is about 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, while (which is typical only for this species), he snores surprisingly loudly.

Gubach 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, which are extended, forming a kind of tube.

The sloth has no upper pair of incisors, as a result of which there is a gap in the oral cavity. This feature allows the animal to extract termites. First, he blows out all the dust and dirt from the “house” of insects, and then draws the prey through his lips extended into a tube.

Mating sloths occurs in June, after seven months 2-3 babies appear. They spend 3 months in the shelter with their mother. At first, the father of the family takes care of his cubs, which is not typical of 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 loneliness, except during mating. It's usually spring.

Offspring appears 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. The length of his body does not exceed 1.4 m, height is no more than 0.7 m, weight is about 65 kg. Despite its modest size, compared to its brethren, the 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. On the chest there is a mark of white or orange color, in the form of a horseshoe. The muzzle is orange or grey. Sometimes the legs are also light.

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

It feeds on young shoots. The female brings two cubs. The animal does not hibernate.

The Bears considered the largest of the predators now living on our planet. Despite this, they are more likely than other predatory mammals to prefer plant foods over animal meat.

Bear appearance

Teeth and claws: The fangs of bears are quite powerful, as in other predatory animals. The molars have a flat, uneven, chewing surface. This is due to a mixed diet, bears eat both animal and plant foods. Each paw has five long toes with large and sharp claws that do not retract. With the help of this tool, bears dig out edible roots and fruits from the ground. In addition, with sharp claws, the predator tears the prey into small pieces.

Sense organs: Bears have small, set close to each other eyes. The fields of view of both eyes overlap, so the animal sees objects as three-dimensional. In general, bears have poor eyesight. Hearing is also not very well developed. The bear has a better sense of smell. The bear often stands up on its hind legs and turns its head around to explore its nose and get information about its surroundings.

Communication: Bears communicate with each other through sounds and body movements. For example, the position of an animal's ears conveys information about the owner's mood. Having met, the bears raise their heads to each other and growl without opening their mouths. The flat teeth of a bear will grind any food. A giant brown bear catches fish in the rivers.

Ways to travel: Bears have rather short limbs. They walk, leaning on the entire surface of the foot. The paws of bears are curved in the shape of the letter "O", so these animals are clubfoot and walk, waddling from side to side. But, when danger arises or when pursuing prey, bears are able to trot and even gallop. In case of danger, the bear stands on its hind legs. Cubs and adults of some species climb trees and swim, and the polar bear is the only mammal that swims only with the help of its forelimbs.
Body Structure: Various they differ in size, but their structure is similar: a powerful body, short strong paws, a massive head and a very short tail.

Coat: Bear hair comes in several types, ranging from the thick yellowish-white coat of the polar bear to the long, fluffy coat of the Gubach. The fur of most species of bears has a brown color, perfectly camouflages animals in the forest.

Did you know? That a giant brown bear living in North America is called "Kodiak" in other languages. This is the name of the island on which these representatives of the subspecies are found. A bear standing on its hind legs can reach up to 3 m in height.
The polar bear can be found in the open sea at a distance of 80 km from the coast.
Bears walk slowly, waddling, but if necessary, they can reach speeds of up to 50 km / h. The grizzly's menu is 80% plant based.

The ranges of the polar bear and arctic fox are located in the Far North. They are hardy mammals. Almost all bears are on the verge of extinction and are protected by law.
Once upon a time, many brown bears lived in Europe. Now their numbers have declined, but they still remain the most numerous species in the family. The polar bear in the past was an object of fishing. People ate his meat and sewed clothes from his skin.
The polar bear is better than other animals acclimatized in the permafrost area.

Seven species of bears belonging to four genera live mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. Only the spectacled bear lives in the south. All bears, with the exception of the polar bear, which inhabits the snow-covered Arctic deserts, are inhabitants of dense forests. Their only enemy is man. Now only two species of bears are not threatened with extinction.

Origin of bears

The first bear, the ancestor of all modern species of bears, (Ursavus), who lived on Earth 20 million years ago. It was the size of a small dog and inhabited the territory of modern Europe, where at that time a hot subtropical climate dominated, rich in generous vegetation. Bears, along with foxes, dogs and raccoons, descend from their common ancestor - a small predator of the Miacidae family, who lived 30-40 million years ago and climbed trees. As a result of evolution, new types of bears arose, which gradually became larger, larger and stronger. Many, including the cave bear, which was larger than modern bears, died out. The youngest species in the family is the polar bear, which appeared 70,000 years ago.

1. Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus): body length 1.3-1.8 m. The only representative of the family in South America.
2. Malayan bear (Helarctos malayanus): body length 1-1.4 m. This small member of the family lives in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Occurs rarely.
3. Gubach (Melursus ursinus): body length 1.4-1.8 m. Lives in the jungles of India and Sri Lanka. Herbivorous. It picks up termites and insects with its lips and tongue.
4. Polar bear (Ursus maritimus): body length 1.8-3 m. Inhabits the northern regions of the Arctic, feeds mainly on seals.
5. Brown bear (Ursus arctos): 2-3 m long, lives in North America, Europe and Asia. There are several subspecies: the grizzly bear, the giant brown bear, and the European brown bear.
6. Baribal, black bear (Ursus americanus): body length 1.3-1.8 m, found in the forests of North America. Like other members of the family, it eats a mixed diet.
7. White-breasted bear (Ursus thibetanus): body length 1.4-2 m. Lives in forests and spends most of its time in trees. It feeds on herbs, fruits and berries.

bear breeding

Bears live alone, meeting only during the breeding season. The mating season, depending on the species, falls at different times of the year. Some types of bears, in particular the Malayan, can breed throughout the year - they live in tropical rainforests, where they have enough food. In addition, the Malayan bear is monogamous. After mating, the male and female separate. Only the she-bear is engaged in the upbringing of the offspring.

The duration of pregnancy is 180-250 days and depends on the type of bears. The bear brood consists of 1-4 cubs, which are born blind, toothless, covered with sparse hair. They spend at least a year in the family nest, feeding on their mother's milk. The polar bear never lacks food and therefore does not fall into winter sleep. However, pregnant females and mothers with cubs fall into hibernation. In spring, the she-bear leaves the den, accompanied by fluffy and playful cubs. The cubs relentlessly follow her, learning to find food and recognize danger. Bears of various species reach sexual maturity at the age of 2.5-5 years.

Lifestyle of bears

Bears are territorial animals. Each individual is the owner of a fairly large area, controls where it hunts and hibernates. Females live with cubs for up to two years. Bears are avid loners, but in places rich in food, for example, in a berry meadow, several individuals can be found at once. When they are satisfied, they disperse. But the bear invaded someone else's territory, waiting for a meeting with the owner, which may end in a collision. The search for food takes a lot of time, so the bears are active both day and night. Bears sleep in disguised shelters - lairs, which are located in depressions under the roots of trees. The white-breasted bear builds a nest in a tree. Bears of the genus Ursus, living in cold climatic zones, hibernate in winter. Winter sleep lasts from 78 to 200 days. The exact time depends on the area. During hibernation, bears make a lair for themselves among the windbreak, under the roots of trees, or dig it on the slopes of mountains and hills. They line and insulate their dens with grass, leaves and moss. Bears go into long hibernation in order to survive the hungry winter period.

Bears are the largest of the predators living on our planet, and in size and power they surpass the more famous lion and tiger. However, the bears themselves are also very popular - these animals have been familiar to people since ancient times, among the peoples of all continents they were revered as the personification of strength. People, on the one hand, bowed to the irresistible power of the bear, and on the other hand, considered it a desirable and honorable hunting trophy.

Brown bears (Ursus arctos).

In systematic terms, bears represent a small (only 8 species) and fairly homogeneous family of bears. All species of this family have a powerful body, thick strong limbs, armed with long curved claws. All bears are plantigrade, that is, when walking, they rest on the ground with the entire plane of the foot. Because of this, they are not too graceful and maneuverable in movement, the clumsy gait of a bear has become synonymous with clumsiness.

The paws of bears are wide and flat.

However, the bear is not as simple as it seems at first glance, if necessary, it can make jerks at speeds up to 50 km/h. The teeth of bears also differ from the teeth of other predators - they are relatively small, which is due to the nature of their diet. Among bears, perhaps, only white can be called a typical meat-eater, other species are practically omnivorous, and the spectacled bear is even more of a vegetarian than a predator. The body of all species of bears is covered with thick, coarse hair.

Black bear (Ursus americanus) during molting.

On the one hand, this fur allows bears to endure severe cold and develop the northernmost habitats, on the other hand, it slows down their spread to the south. Modern species of bears live on all continents except Africa and Australia. The koala living in Australia, although it looks like a small bear cub, has nothing to do with these animals.

Bears lead a solitary life and meet each other only for mating. At the same time, the male behaves aggressively and can kill the cubs if they are still near the mother. Bears are very caring mothers and in every possible way protect babies from danger. Different types of bears, although they retain a common typological similarity, differ from each other in appearance, habits and way of life.

Brown bear (Ursus arctos)

It is the second largest after the polar bear. The largest specimens are found in the Far East and Alaska (the so-called Kodiak bears) and reach a weight of 750 kg. Smaller subspecies can weigh as little as 80-120 kg. Brown bears are generally distinguished by a wide variety of subspecies: among them you can find animals of both small and large sizes, with a color from light straw to almost black.

This brown bear has a very light, almost white color.

This is due to the fact that the brown bear occupies the most extensive range (in terms of coverage of natural areas), and in its different parts the animals are forced to adapt to different climatic conditions. In general, the further north, the larger the bears, and vice versa. This happens because in the north it is easier for large animals to keep warm, in the south, on the contrary, smaller specimens get an advantage. The range of the brown bear covers all of Eurasia and North America, with the exception of the extreme south of these continents. Almost everywhere, bears have become rare animals, because of the dense population and lack of territories, they simply have nowhere to live. They have survived in relatively large numbers in the sparsely populated areas of the United States, Canada, and Siberia. By the way, the American grizzly is not a separate species of bear, but just the local name for the brown bear.

A characteristic feature of this species is winter sleep, in which animals spend up to half of their lives. To do this, bears look for secluded lairs in windbreaks, caves, and in the absence of suitable shelters they dig primitive burrows. Such a den very effectively hides the bear from prying eyes all winter. Bears hibernate in October-November and wake up in March-April. All this time they really spend in a deep sleep, from which only serious danger or hunger can awaken. Hungry bears that do not have fat reserves for a successful wintering, come out of hibernation ahead of time or do not sleep at all. Such bears are called "rods". "Connecting rods" are very aggressive and can even attack a person. Usually, bears prefer solitude and try not to catch the eye of a person once again. Moreover, a bear, taken by surprise, can show shameful cowardice for such a giant. Experienced hunters are well aware that from a sudden sound, a bear can experience ... acute intestinal upset! This is where the expression “bear disease” originates.

Brown bears feed on almost everything that gets in their way. They eat berries, mushrooms, nuts and other fruits with pleasure, they will not refuse young greenery, they hunt ungulates, ranging from small roe deer to large elk. But their diet is not limited to ungulates alone; on occasion, they can fish, get shellfish, and do not disdain carrion. They especially like ants, which the bear simply licks from the surface of the anthill by the thousands. The bear will not miss the nest of wild bees or the apiary in the hope of getting honey and larvae.

A young brown bear examines the bark of a tree in search of edible living creatures.

The rivers where salmon spawn are under special control by bears. Every autumn, with the start of spawning, bears gather on their shores and begin mass fishing. To do this, the bear enters the water and patiently waits for the salmon to swim by. Fish jumping out of the water on the rapids are caught by bears literally on the fly. Due to such fishing, bears are fattened before hibernation. For the sake of this, they even forget about enmity and tolerate each other, as long as there is enough food for everyone. In search of vegetable food, bears show miracles of dexterity and easily climb even trees, which is surprising for animals of such dimensions.

Roaring males enter into fierce fights with each other.

The bear rut lasts all summer.

She-bear feeds her cubs lying down.

At the same time, bears can cripple and even kill the enemy. Pregnancy is relatively short - 6-8 months. A female bear gives birth in a dream, more precisely during hibernation 2-3 (rarely 1 or 4) cubs. Babies are born very small, weighing only 500 g. They spend the first months of their lives in a den with their mother, from where they come out already grown up.

Little cubs are very meek and obedient. This property is often used by animal trainers who raise bears from an early age. Bear cubs quickly learn tricks and perform them until about 2-3 years old. Then matured animals become dangerous and, as a rule, give way to younger ones. In nature, cubs also stay near their mother for two years. Moreover, the older cubs of the last year help the bear look after the younger ones. At the age of two years, young bears leave their mother and begin an independent life.

Polar bear (Ursus maritimus).

The largest species of bears and land predators in general. The length of large males can reach 3 m, weight - 1000 kg! The polar bear has the shortest ears among other species, this protects the animal from heat loss. Although the polar bear looks white, its fur is actually transparent because the hairs are hollow inside. But the skin of a polar bear is jet black.

The fact that the polar bear has black skin can only be guessed by looking at its feet.

This coloration is not accidental. Sunlight passes through colorless hairs and is absorbed by dark skin, thus solar energy is stored as heat on the surface of the body. Polar bear fur works like a real solar battery! The hollow hairs often become a haven for microscopic algae, which give the coat a yellowish, pinkish, and even green tint. This structure of the fur is very rational, because the polar bear lives to the north of all other species. Its habitat is circumpolar, that is, it covers the north pole in a circle.

This polar bear living in the zoo is clearly getting bored with the heat.

Polar bears can be found throughout the Arctic: on the mainland coast, remote islands and deep in the eternal polar ice. Polar bears, like no other, are prone to vagrancy, they do not have permanent protected areas. Due to the harsh living conditions, they are forced to constantly wander in search of prey. Polar bears are very well adapted to such journeys, they are very hardy, endure long-term hunger well and are excellent swimmers, which helps them to overcome large expanses of free water between continents and islands. A record is known when a polar bear spent 9 (!) days in the water. Due to global warming, the surface of the ice in the Arctic is shrinking all the time, and animals are making such forced swims more and more often.

In a foggy haze, polar bears cross the sea.

Polar bears are exclusively carnivores. They can only occasionally eat shoots of polar plants and berries in the tundra, but otherwise fish and seals form the basis of their diet. Bears lie in wait for seals near the holes in the ice, through which they come to the surface. A bear can spend several hours patiently waiting, and when prey appears, it crawls up to it, covering its dark nose with its paw. Polar bears have an exceptional sense of smell and vision, which allows them to detect prey many kilometers away. In times of famine, they do not disdain carrion, eating the carcasses of dead whales.

Two polar bears share a whale carcass. Seagulls are spinning nearby - the eternal companions of bears. They accompany predators in the hope of feasting on the remains of their prey.

In polar bears, males never hibernate, and females equip dens only in connection with the onset of pregnancy. The polar bear's den is a simple snowdrift formed by snowdrifts around the animal's body. Due to the lack of places suitable for arranging dens, females often gather on a limited territory of convenient islands, creating a kind of "maternity hospital". Bear cubs, like all bears, are born tiny and helpless, they leave the den only at 3 months of age.

A female polar bear with a cub is resting right on the snow.

Unlike brown bears, polar bears are curious and fearlessly approach human habitation. Although they are formidable predators, they rarely show aggression towards humans. But people often fall into unreasonable panic and shoot animals simply out of fear.

This bear with obvious pleasure wants to join the profession of a photographer.

Black bear, or baribal (Ursus americanus).

The range of the black bear covers almost the entire North American continent, where it often coexists with the brown bear. This species is not particularly rare, and thanks to protection in reserves, in some areas it even enters the outskirts of cities. In general, this animal resembles a medium-sized brown bear weighing 120-150 kg. But there are some differences: the black bear's fur is usually darker, the muzzle is more elongated and colored white or yellowish, the baribal's ears are relatively large, and the claws are long.

In the brood of a black bear, you can often find cubs of different colors.

These claws help the black bear climb trees, because it is an excellent climber. Baribal loves to climb and feed on trees more than other bears.

While the mother is busy looking for food, the cub learns to climb trees.

The black bear feeds on the same food as the brown one, but plant foods predominate in its diet; it never attacks large animals. Yes, and his character is more docile. Smaller, and therefore less dangerous, this bear often approaches human habitation in search of some kind of garbage.

Himalayan bear (Ursus thibetanus).

These bears are somewhat smaller than brown bears, reaching a weight of 140-150 kg.

Himalayan bears are only black in color, and on their chest they have a white or yellow spot in the form of the letter V.

The Himalayan bear has the largest ears relative to body size. The Himalayan bear lives only in the Far East, from Primorye in the north to Indochina in the south. By the way of life and habits, this bear is also similar to the brown one, only its character is calmer and plant foods predominate in the diet. A distinctive feature of this species is that the bears do not arrange traditional dens, but prefer to settle down in hollows for the winter.

Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus).

The territorial neighbor of the Himalayan bear - the sloth bear also covers Southeast Asia. But the appearance of the animal is very original. Gubach is a kind of "hippie" in the bear family. What self-respecting hippie doesn't try to stand out among his surroundings?

The coloring of the sloth bear looks a lot like the Himalayan bear, but its coat is very long and thick. The claws are also of extraordinary length.

And the sponger surprises. First of all, a way to get food. The sloth eats various plants, invertebrates and other small animals. But he has a special passion for ants and termites. For the destruction of durable termite mounds, the long claws of the sloth are used. When sloth gets to the contents of the mound, he first blows air through his lips, folded with a tube, and then begins to suck insects through the gap between the front teeth. For this reason, he even lacks front incisors. During feeding, the sloth bear resembles a vacuum cleaner and makes no less noise. In other moments of his life, the sloth bear also shows carelessness: he usually sleeps during the day and, unlike other bears, does not seek to hide in the wilderness: you can catch a sleeping sloth right in the middle of some clearing, but this meeting is unlikely to be a surprise. The fact is that the sloth also snores loudly and can be heard from afar. The sloth has reasons for such behavior - it simply does not have natural enemies. The only danger may be the tiger, with which the sloth is on an equal footing. By the way, the sloth is the main contender along with the Himalayan bear for the role of Baloo from Rudyard Kipling's book. Most likely, the author had it in mind when he wrote The Jungle Book.

Malayan bear (Helarctos malyanus).

The smallest species of bears, its mass reaches only 65 kg.

His coat is very short, which makes the Malay bear look different from a "real" bear.

It lives in Indochina and on the islands of the Malay Archipelago. This beast refutes the myth that a bear can only be found in the northern taiga.

Perhaps the Malayan bear is the only one that can be seen on a palm tree.

It is omnivorous, but due to its small size it preys only on small animals. This bear does not hibernate.

Malayan bears in the zoo.

Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus).

The only representative of the bear family that lives in South America. It inhabits mountains and foothill forests. This is a medium sized animal.

The spectacled bear got its name because of the round spots around the eyes, resembling glasses.

The spectacled bear is the most herbivorous of all. This is a very rare animal that few people managed to see in natural conditions. The world's leading zoos are participating in the spectacled bear breeding program.

A spectacled bear cub studies zoo visitors from behind a fence.

And where is the panda - the most interesting species of bears? But whether a panda is a bear is a question that has haunted scientists so far. Many zoologists tend to believe that the panda is not a bear at all, but a giant representative of the raccoon family. For this reason, the story about pandas is on a separate page.