Brown bear (Ursus arctos) Brown bear (eng.). Brown bears: description and habitat. Interesting facts about brown bears What to do if you find the skin of a polar bear

The common brown bear is a predatory mammal of the bear family. This large predator is considered one of the most dangerous. There are about 20 subspecies, which differ in habitat and appearance.

Appearance

All subspecies of brown bear have a well-developed, powerful body, a fairly large head with small eyes and rounded ears, and high withers. The tail is short (from 6.5 to 21 cm). Strong paws with powerful non-retractable claws up to 10 cm long, five-toed feet, quite wide. The appearance of the subspecies varies significantly. Males are approximately one and a half times larger than females.

Dimensions

The individuals inhabiting Europe are the smallest, reaching two meters in length and weighing 200 kg. Brown bears living in central Russia are larger and weigh about 300 kg. The largest are grizzlies and Far Eastern bears, their length reaches three meters and their weight reaches 500 kg or more.

Color

What a bear looks like and what color its skin is depends on its habitat. There are bears from light fawn to black and blue. Brown fur color is considered standard.

Grizzlies native to the Rocky Mountains have white fur on their backs at the tips, creating a grayish tint. Brown bears living in the Himalayas have a completely grayish color, while those living in Syria have a light, brownish-red skin.

Brown bears shed once a year, from spring to autumn. Spring molt is often separated from autumn molt. Spring molting occurs most intensely during the rut and lasts quite a long time. The autumn period proceeds almost unnoticed and ends by the time the bears’ winter hibernation begins.

Lifespan

The lifespan of a bear directly depends on the conditions in which it lives. How many years do bears live? The average life expectancy in the wild under favorable conditions is 20-30 years.

How many years does a brown bear live in captivity? With good care, brown bears reach the age of 45-50 years.

Subspecies

Population differences in the brown bear are very large, and they were previously divided into many separate species. Today, all browns have been combined into one species, with several subspecies. Let's look at the most common ones.

European (Eurasian) brown

A large, powerful animal with a strongly pronounced hump.

Main characteristics:

• body length - 150-250 cm;
• weight - 150-300 kg;
• height at withers - 90-110 cm.

The fur is yellowish-gray to dark brown, quite long and thick.

Caucasian brown

There are two forms of this subspecies - large and small.

Greater Caucasian:

• body length - 185-215 cm;
• weight - 120-240 kg.

Lesser Caucasian:

• body length - 130-140 cm;
• weight - no more than 65 kg.

This subspecies combines the external characteristics of Syrian and European bears. Short, coarse coat ranging from light yellowish to brownish-gray. There is a dark spot in the withers area.

Siberian brown

One of the largest subspecies.

Its dimensions:

• body length - 200-250 cm;
• weight - 300-400 kg.

It has a large head, long and soft shiny coat from light brown to brown-brown. Some individuals have a yellowish or black tint in color.

Ussuri brown

Also known as the Asian black grizzly or Amur.

• length - up to 2 m;
• weight - 300-400 kg.

It stands out for its developed skull with an elongated nose and very dark, almost black skin. The long hair on the round ears will also help distinguish it from other subspecies.

Far Eastern (Kamchatka) brown

The largest subspecies found in Russia.

Its dimensions:

• length - up to 2.5 m;
• weight - 350-450 kg. Some males reach 500 kg or more.

This subspecies has a massive head with a rather short nose and a wide front part raised above it, and small rounded ears. Dense, long and soft wool from fawn to blackish-brown. Claws are dark up to 10 cm.

Habitats

The brown bear inhabits almost the entire forest zone from western Russia and the forests of the Caucasus to the Pacific Ocean. It can also be found in Japan on the island of Hokkaido, in some Asian countries, in Europe, Canada and in the northwestern states of America.

For life it chooses forested areas, with windbreaks and shrubs, prefers coniferous forests. It can wander into the tundra or settle in high mountain forests, with an undergrowth of edible plants.

The habitat is not tied to a specific place; often the feeding places and the bear’s home are located far from each other and the bear has to make long journeys during the day.

Habits and lifestyle

The brown bear is a loner. Males live separately, and females raise cubs. Each adult has its own territory, the size of which can reach several hundred square kilometers. Males “own” a much larger territory than females. The boundaries of the territory are marked by scratches on the trees and the scent of the owner.

The habits of bears are typical of a predator. During the day, as a rule, animals rest, choosing secluded areas among grass or bushes. They go out in search of food in the morning or evening. Despite poor eyesight, bears are excellent at navigating using their sense of smell and hearing.

Despite its impressive dimensions and apparent clumsiness, it is a fairly agile and fast animal, capable of climbing trees, swimming and running at speeds of up to 60 km/h.

Nutrition

The diet of a brown bear is very diverse, because bears eat almost everything. Its main diet consists of plant foods: berries, nuts, acorns, stems, tubers and roots of plants. If possible, he will not miss the opportunity to wander into the fields to feast on oats and corn. It also eats various insects, frogs, lizards and rodents.

Adults hunt young moose, fallow deer, deer, roe deer and wild boar. A large predator is capable of breaking the backbone of its prey with one blow of its paw, then hides the carcass, covering it with brushwood, and guards it until it is completely eaten. For the Far Eastern brown, the main diet in the summer-autumn period is salmon going to spawn.

When the food supply is insufficient, bears often destroy apiaries and attack livestock.

These animals have amazing memory. Having found mushrooms or berries that bears eat in the forest, they remember the places and then easily find their way to them. The lifespan of a brown bear in the wild largely depends on adequate nutrition.

Reproduction

How do bears reproduce? The mating season begins in May and lasts a couple of months. The rut is active, accompanied by fights between males and roaring. After 6-8 months, cubs are born. Bear cubs are born in the middle of winter, when the bear is hibernating.

Cubs are born weighing only 400-500 grams, blind, with sparse hair. As a rule, there are 2-4 cubs in a litter. For more than a year after birth, they feed on their mother’s milk, but immediately after leaving the den, the mother begins to accustom them to various foods.

The cubs and their mother live for three to four years, then they separate and begin to live independently. Females reach sexual maturity in the third or fourth year, males develop 1-2 years longer.

Hibernation

From mid-summer and throughout autumn, bears actively prepare for hibernation, feeding heavily and accumulating fat. The hibernation of a bear differs from the hibernation of other mammals; it is not suspended animation, but simply a sound sleep, during which neither the breathing nor the pulse of the animal changes practically. A bear in hibernation does not fall into complete stupor.

Preparation

Shelters for the winter are arranged in remote and dry places, under tree roots or under windbreaks. The clubfoot can dig a den on its own, or it can occupy a crevice in the mountains or a small cave. Pregnant females build a spacious and deep den, insulating it from the inside with moss, leaves and spruce branches.

One-year-old cubs always spend the winter in their mother's den, often joined by two-year-old cubs. Adults lie in the den one at a time.

Duration of hibernation

How long does a bear sleep? It all depends on weather conditions and other factors; the brown one can hibernate for up to six months.

A bear's hibernation in winter and its duration depend on the weather, age, gender, state of health and the amount of fat gained during the summer-autumn period. So, for example, an old individual that has gained enough fat will go into hibernation long before the snow cover falls, and young individuals go to the den only in November or December. Pregnant females settle in for the winter first.

Bear rod

A shatun is an animal that has not had time to accumulate the required amount of fat, which is why it cannot hibernate and is forced to look for food for itself all winter.

Why is a connecting rod bear dangerous? In severe frosts and when there is an acute shortage of food, shatuns often approach populated areas in search of food. There are more than one known cases of a connecting rod attacking domestic animals and even humans.

Video

Since ancient times, the brown bear lived side by side with our ancestors, the Slavs. They even considered him to be one of their kinsmen, respected and revered him.

But times have changed. Due to the process of urbanization in our country, forests are being cut down, and every year there is less and less food and space for animals. Modern bears suffer from various diseases, the most dangerous of which is trichinosis. This disease can be transmitted to humans if they consume the meat of an infected animal. Therefore, hunters shoot these animals in insufficient numbers, mainly because of their beautiful skin, which they value as a trophy.

The man began to encounter the bear more and more often. The clubfoot attacks populated areas, wanders through landfills, in search of food. Begs people for food. He can even take food from human hands. But still, we must not forget that this is a wild animal.

In the summer, many of us like to visit the forest and pick mushrooms and berries there. For their own safety, such people should know the habits of a brown bear.
The bear is an omnivore: it eats both plant and animal foods; carrion is a delicacy for it. He runs fast (can reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour). The animal does not have keen eyesight, but has an excellent sense of smell. Despite his apparent clumsiness, he is very agile. Clubfoot runs fast (can reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour). Bears climb trees well, especially young ones. Toptygin is very smart, it’s not for nothing that they are shown so often in the circus. He is easy to train.

The character of this animal is unpredictable; the bear rarely attacks a person, but such cases are still known. Most bears understand perfectly well that people are their enemies, and try to avoid them. Before hibernating for the winter, the bear skillfully covers its tracks. He meanders around the den for a long time.

Often, collectors of forest gifts see signs that an animal is somewhere near them, but do not pay attention to it. They notice fresh ones: footprints, droppings. A clubfoot can knock on wood. But it also happens that a man and an animal are close to each other, but do not notice it.
In the summer, a mother bear with her cubs is especially dangerous. She, however, like any mother, will protect her cubs. Kids, like all children, are curious; they can approach a person, grab his clothes, and start playing with him. In this case, you need to slowly retreat.

Toptygin can also be dangerous at other times of the year, for example, in the spring during breeding. In winter, if the animal has not accumulated enough fat and does not go into hibernation (a connecting rod bear). It is difficult to escape from these individuals; the best thing is to shoot him. But not all clubfoot wandering in winter are necessarily cranks. Bears sleep very lightly, they can be scared away by hunters and lumberjacks. In this case, the bear will look for another place for a den. In winter, most often, you can find a wounded animal. He can attack a person because he is an easy prey for him.

If you still manage to run into an adult bear “nose to nose”, and at the same time he behaves aggressively, growls, rushes at you, then throw something at his feet. You can sacrifice your lunch with a fragrant piece of sausage. Thus, the bear will be distracted by what was thrown to him. And you yourself will gain precious time and have time to quietly leave. Experts on this animal do not advise running away from a bear, since it is a natural hunter. The bear will rush to catch up with you.

BROWN BEAR A male brown bear can reach a length of 2.5 m and a body weight of up to 500-750 kg. In appearance, the brown bear is clumsy, although in reality it is very agile and dexterous: it can run fast, make big jumps, climb trees, and swim. He moves like a pacer, that is, he alternately steps on both right paws and then on his left paws. Leaning on the entire foot, it can rear up, stretching up to 3 m in height. A brown bear runs uphill faster than on level ground, since its hind legs are longer than its front ones. He walks through the forest carefully and almost silently. Unlike the polar bear, it avoids diving and plunges into the water, leaving its head outside. In quiet times, he walks slowly, placing his feet slightly inward, justifying the popular name “clubfooted.” Another name “honey-witch” is due to the fact that this animal loves honey very much and knows (knows) where to look for it. Behind him, he climbs tall trees into hollows with honeycombs of wild bees, and often raids apiaries. According to his lifestyle, the brown bear is a crepuscular animal. During the day it hides in remote places of the taiga and only in the evening comes out in search of food. The forest provides him with abundant and varied food. At the beginning of summer, it eats young shoots, roots, bulbs, and later mushrooms, berries, acorns, and nuts. In the fall, it enters fields with oats or corn, where it causes more damage by crushing the ears and stems of plants. In the Caucasus, it visits groves of wild fruit trees, willingly eating pears and cherry plums; in Central Asia it eats pistachios, grapes, apricots, going out to their plantations. Sometimes it goes to the outskirts of large orchards, shaking apples and pears with ripe fruits. In the forest, it unravels ant heaps, peels off the bark from old stumps, hunting for bark beetles and other insects. Along the way, it eats eggs and chicks from nests on the ground, catches small rodents and frogs. During the course of fish in taiga rivers (in Kamchatka and the Far East), it catches it off the coast and eats it in large quantities. On occasion, it attacks moose, wild boar, reindeer, cows and horses. Often feeds on carrion. With the onset of warm weather (in July), midges begin to rage in the taiga. Many mosquitoes, midges and other bloodsuckers cause severe suffering to animals. At this time, the bears cannot find a place for themselves because of the bites, they roll on the ground, scratch their faces with their paws until they bleed, and roar. Some go into the tundra, reaching the shores of the Arctic Ocean, where the wind saves them from mosquitoes. By autumn, bears become fat, accumulating nutrients in their bodies for the period of winter starvation. Dens are made somewhere in a dry place, in a depression under a windbreak, an upturned stump with roots, in a rock crevice, etc. Males lie in a den separately from females. If in the summer a bear was poorly fed and not fat enough, then it wanders in search of food in the winter, becoming dangerous for large herbivores and even for humans. These are the so-called connecting rods. Most bears in a den fall into a state of winter sleep, without the need for food or drink. However, there is a widespread belief that bears, when in a den without food, suck their paws in order to extract nutritious juices from them and satisfy their hunger. In reality this is a misunderstanding, there is a different reason here. In bears, around February, old skin that has become rough over the summer peels off from the surface of the soles. The young, tender skin on the paws itches and freezes, so the bear licks the soles with a hot tongue, smacking his lips. That is why from the outside it seems that the bear is sucking its paw. In January - February, a female bear gives birth to 2-3 tiny cubs weighing about 0.5 kg each. They are blind, naked, helpless and in need of maternal care. The bear keeps the cubs warm on her belly among the fur, warming them with her hot breath. She feeds the cubs with thick milk, which she produces from fat reserves accumulated over the summer. With the onset of warmth, the grown-up cubs leave the den along with the mother bear and, under her supervision, bask in the sun and are fed with what can be found in the forest at that time (berries, tubers, worms, insects, etc.). The male bear stays away from the mother bear and does not take part in caring for the cubs, which cause the mother a lot of trouble. Having gained strength, they become active: they run, fight, fight, climb tree trunks, and frolic. The mother bathes the cubs in streams and lakes, lowering each one in turn into the water on the shallows, after first grabbing the scruff of the neck with her teeth. Later they bathe themselves. Sometimes a she-bear keeps with her a cub from last year's litter, which becomes her assistant in raising the babies. This is the so-called pestun. He serves as a role model for the growing cubs. From him they learn to climb hollows for wild bees' honey, rake ant heaps and feast on ants and their larvae. If fights between cubs become violent, the pestun separates the mischief-makers and restores order. After spending the entire summer with the cubs, the she-bear lies down in a den with them in the fall, and the next year drives them away from her, starting a new breeding, which occurs only once every two years. Bears are afraid of humans and, sensing his scent, go into the deep thicket. Cases of attacks on humans are very rare. Brown bears have few enemies: sometimes they are wolves, in the Far East - tigers, but for them bears are strong opponents. Brown bears live 35-50 years. In the past, these animals were ordinary inhabitants of the forest zone, but as a result of intensive logging, plowing of fields and excessive hunting of bears in Russia, a little more than 100 thousand animals survived. Bears are hunted mainly for their tasty meat, healing fat rich in vitamins and warm, although very heavy, skin, which is valued relatively cheaply. The protection of some subspecies of brown bears has become necessary.

The Gobi brown bear is also called the mazalay. This animal is a subspecies of the brown bear and lives in the Mongolian Gobi Desert.

Mazalai are perhaps the only bears that can be found only in Mongolia. Nowhere else, in any zoo in the world, will you see this species of clubfoot. The International Fund for Wildlife Welfare published the results of registration of all bears - there are 56 subspecies. However, the Gobi brown was not included in this list.

Description of the Gobi bear

Gobi bears are relatively small in size. Their coarse, sparse fur is colored in light brown or whitish-bluish tones.

The chest, shoulder parts of the body and throat are “threaded” with a white stripe. The bear's claws are light. The second and third toes on the hind legs are fused by almost a third. In the summer, Mazalai males have brown fur, and in the winter they acquire a brown-gray color. Their legs and neck are darker than their body.

Lifestyle, nutrition and reproduction of Mazalai

For the winter, Mazaalai settle in caves or make dens under trees. In summer, they can be more often seen near the water, where there are many plants that are part of the bear’s diet. In addition, Gobi bears enjoy rhubarb roots, berries, wild onions and other plants that can be found in the desert. Sometimes clubfoots feed on carrion, rodents, birds, lizards or insects. Unlike other bears, Mazaalai are primarily herbivores.

After mating, the female cruelly breaks up with the male, driving him out of her territory. Every two years, a mother bear gives birth to a pair of cubs. Each weighs approximately 500 grams. In harsh times, it was noticed that the female sacrificed one of the cubs for the sake of survival.

Conservation of Gobi brown bears

Mazaalai was listed as an endangered animal species, since the number of these bears is very low, and this fact was noted in the national “Red Book”. Researchers were not too lazy to count the number of Mazalai in the territory of the “Great Gobi” and reported that there were no more than 30 bears left.

The number of Gobi clubfoot has decreased so much that it is time to sound the alarm not only at the national but also at the global level.

Limited by insufficient funding and extreme conditions in the Gobi Desert, Mazalai bears cannot be adequately studied by specialists, and as a result, no plan has been drawn up to develop their conservation activities. However, thanks to the creation of a supplementary food supply program initiated by the government in the 1980s, it is playing an important role in preserving the tiny population of Gobi bears.

A group of scientists and staff of the reserve carries out monitoring, observing the behavior of the Mazalai in their natural habitat, directly in the spring, when the bears emerge from hibernation. During this period, animals need food. Food is left in special feeders until new vegetation grows. It is thanks to such data collection points in the form of feeders that it is possible to install remote-controlled cameras and study the behavior of the Mazalai.

Menacing brown bears are majestic guardians of forests. This beautiful animal is considered a symbol of Russia, although numerous habitats can be found in all corners of our planet. Since the brown bear is in danger of complete extinction, it is listed in the Red Book. This animal mainly lives in Russia, the USA and Canada. A small number of bears survive in Europe and Asia.

The lifestyle of this important “master of the taiga” is very interesting. How long does a brown bear live? What weight can it reach? We will tell you the most interesting facts about the life of the brown clubfoot in this article.

Brown bear: description of appearance

This animal is very strong. The powerful body is covered with thick hair, and the withers are clearly visible on the back. It contains a large number of muscles that allow the bear to deliver crushing blows with its paws, fell trees or dig the ground.

His head is very large, with small ears and small, deep-set eyes. The bears' tail is short - about 2 cm, barely noticeable under the layer of fur. The paws are very strong, with large curved claws reaching a length of 10 cm. When walking, the bear evenly transfers the weight of the body on the entire sole, like a person, and therefore it belongs to the species of plantigrade animals.

The fur of the famous “master of the taiga” is very beautiful - thick, evenly colored. Brown bears have a tendency to shed - in spring and autumn they renew their fur coat. The first coat change occurs immediately after hibernation and is very intense. Its manifestations are especially noticeable during the rutting period. Autumn molting proceeds slowly and continues until hibernation.

How long does a brown bear live?

The lifespan of a clubfoot depends on its habitat. In the wild, a brown bear can reach an age of 20 to 35 years. If the animal is kept in a zoo, this figure almost doubles. In captivity, a bear can live about 50 years. The onset of puberty occurs between the ages of 6 and 11 years.

Dimensions and weight of the animal

The standard body length of a clubfoot predator ranges from one to two meters. The largest bears live in Alaska, Kamchatka and the Far East. These are grizzlies, true giants, whose height reaches three meters when standing on their hind legs.

The maximum weight of a bear (brown) can be 600 kg. These are real heavyweight giants. The average weight of an adult male is 140-400 kg, and the weight of a female is 90-210 kg. The largest male was discovered on Kodiak Island. His body weight was enormous - 1134 kg. However, animals living in central Russia weigh much less - about 100 kg.

By autumn, this animal accumulates a large fat reserve for the upcoming hibernation, and therefore the weight of the bear (brown) increases by 20%.

Habitats

Bears mainly live in dense forests and swampy areas. They can often be seen in the tundra or alpine forests. In Russia, this animal occupies remote northern regions. Brown bears are very common in Siberia. The calm forests of the taiga allow the clubfoot to feel spacious and free, and here nothing interferes with their existence.

In the USA, bears live mainly in open areas - on the coasts, alpine meadows. In Europe they mainly live in dense mountain forests.

Brown bear populations can also be found in Asia. Their range occupies small areas of Palestine, Iran, northern China and the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

What do bears eat?

Omnivorousness and endurance are the main qualities that help the animal survive in difficult conditions. The brown bear's diet consists of 75% plant foods. The clubfoot can eat tubers, nuts, berries, grass stems, roots and acorns. If this is not enough, the bear can go to the crops of oats or corn, or feed in the cedar forests.

Large individuals have remarkable strength and hunt small young animals. With just one blow of a huge paw, a bear can break the spine of an elk or deer. He hunts roe deer, wild boar, fallow deer, and mountain goats. Without problems, brown bears can feed on rodents, larvae, ants, frogs, worms and lizards.

Skilled fishermen and maskers

Bears often feed on carrion. The clubfoot skillfully covers the found remains of animals with brushwood and tries to stay nearby until it completely eats its “find.” If the bear has recently eaten, it may wait a few days. After some time, the meat of the killed animal will become softer, and he will enjoy it with pleasure.

The most amazing activity of bears is fishing. They go to the Far Eastern spawning rivers, where salmon accumulate en masse. Bears and their offspring especially often hunt here. The mother skillfully catches salmon and takes it to her cubs.

Up to 30 bears can be seen on the river at the same time, and they often engage in battle for prey.

Behavior

The bear has very developed sense of smell. He clearly feels the smell of decomposed meat, even being 3 km away from it. His hearing is also very well developed. Sometimes the bear stands on its hind legs to listen to a sound or sense the direction of the smell of food.

How does a bear behave in nature? The brown “master of the taiga” begins to walk around his property at dusk or early in the morning. In bad weather or during rainy periods, he can wander through the forest all day in search of food.

Speed ​​and agility are the distinctive qualities of the beast

At first glance, this huge animal seems very clumsy and slow. But that's not true. The big brown bear is very agile and easy to move. In pursuit of a victim, it can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h. The bear is also an excellent swimmer. He can easily cover a distance of 6-10 km on water and enjoys swimming on hot summer days.

Young bears quickly climb trees. With age, this ability dulls a little, but does not disappear. However, deep snow is a difficult test for them, since the bear moves through it with great difficulty.

Breeding period

Having regained strength after a long sleep, brown bears are ready to mate. The rut begins in the spring, in May, and lasts about a month. Females signal their readiness to mate with a special secretion that has a strong odor. Using these marks, males find their chosen ones and protect them from rivals.

Sometimes fierce fights arise between two bears for the female, in which the fate, and sometimes the life, of one of them is decided. If one of the males dies, the winner may even eat him.

During the mating season, bears are very dangerous. They make a wild roar and can attack a person.

Reproduction

Exactly after 6-8 months, cubs are born in the den. Usually the female brings 2-4 cubs, completely bald, with underdeveloped organs of hearing and vision. However, after a month, the cubs’ eyes open and the ability to catch sounds appears. Immediately after birth, the cubs weigh about 500 g and their length reaches 25 cm. By 3 months, all baby teeth have erupted in the cubs.

For the first 6 months of their lives, babies feed on mother's milk. Then berries, insects, and greens are added to their diet. Later, the mother brings them fish or her catch. For about 2 years, babies live with their mother, learn habits, the intricacies of hunting, and hibernate with her. The independent life of a young bear begins at the age of 3-4 years. The father bear never takes part in raising his offspring.

Lifestyle

The brown bear is a fickle animal. It feeds in one place, sleeps in another, and can move several kilometers away from its usual habitat to mate. A young bear wanders around the area until it starts a family.

The brown owner marks his domain. Only he can hunt here. He marks boundaries in a special way, tearing off the bark from trees. In areas without plantings, a bear can peel off objects that are in its field of vision - stones, slopes.

In summer, he can rest carelessly in open meadows, lying directly on the ground. The main thing is that this place is secluded and safe for the bear.

Why connecting rod?

Before hibernating for the winter, the bear must gain the required amount of fat reserves. If it is not enough, the animal has to wander further in search of food. This is where the name comes from - connecting rod.

Moving during the cold season, the bear is doomed to death from frost, hunger or a hunter's gun. However, in winter you can find not only connecting rods. Often a bear's sleep can simply be disturbed by people. Then this well-fed animal is forced to look for a new shelter in order to plunge into hibernation again.

Finding a den

The bear chooses this winter refuge with special care. For dens, reliable, quiet places are chosen, located on the borders of swamps, in windbreaks, on river banks, in secluded caves. The shelter should be dry, warm, spacious and safe.

The bear arranges its den with moss, laying out a soft bedding from it. The shelter is camouflaged and insulated with tree branches. Very often a bear uses a good den for several years.

The life of brown bears consists of searching for food, especially before hibernation. Before falling asleep, the animal diligently confuses its tracks: it walks through swamps, meanders and even walks backwards.

Quiet and relaxing holiday

Bears sleep in a cozy den throughout the long, frosty winter. Old males leave their shelter first. The female bear and her offspring stay in the den longer than others. Hibernation of brown bears lasts 5-6 months. It usually starts in October and ends in April.

Bears do not fall into deep sleep. They remain sensitive and vital and are easily disturbed. A bear's body temperature during sleep is between 29-34 degrees. During hibernation, little energy is consumed, and the clubfoot only needs the fat reserves acquired during active time. During the winter rest period, the bear loses about 80 kg of its weight.

Features of wintering

All winter the bear sleeps on its side, curled up comfortably. Poses on the back or sitting with the head down are less common. Breathing and heart rate slow down during hibernation.

Surprisingly, this animal does not defecate during winter sleep. All waste products in the bear's body are reprocessed and converted into valuable proteins necessary for its existence. The rectum is closed by a dense plug consisting of pine needles, compressed grass and wool. It is removed after the animal leaves the den.

Does a bear suck its paw?

Many naively believe that during hibernation, the clubfoot extracts valuable vitamins from its limbs. But that's not true. The fact is that in January the skin on the bear's paw pads is renewed. The old dry skin bursts and causes severe discomfort. To somehow moderate this itching, the bear licks its paw, moistening and softening it with its saliva.

Dangerous and strong animal

A bear is first and foremost a predator, powerful and terrible. A chance meeting with this angry beast will not bring anything good.

Spring rut, winter search for a new shelter - during these periods the brown bear is most dangerous. Descriptions or photographs of animals that live in nurseries and are kind to people should not deceive you - they grew up there under completely different conditions. In nature, a seemingly calm animal can show cruelty and easily blow your head off. Especially if you wandered into his territory.

Females with offspring should also be avoided. The mother is driven by instincts and aggression, so it is better not to get in her way.

Of course, the behavior of a clubfoot depends on the situation and time of year. Bears often run away on their own when they see a person in the distance. But don’t think that since this animal can eat berries and honey, this is its favorite food. The best food for a bear is meat, and he will never miss an opportunity to get it.

Why clubfoot?

This nickname is firmly attached to the bear. And all because when walking he steps alternately on his right and left paws. Therefore, from the outside it seems that the bear is clubbing.

But this slowness and clumsiness is deceptive. When a dangerous situation arises, this animal instantly breaks into a gallop and easily overtakes a person. The peculiarity of the structure of the front and hind legs allows him to show unprecedented agility when climbing uphill. He conquers peaks much faster than he descends from them.

It took more than one millennium for such a complex system of habitat and life of this amazing animal to form. As a result, brown bears have gained the ability to survive in areas with harsh climatic conditions. Nature is amazing, and one can only admire its wisdom and immutable laws that put everything in its place.