What order does the bear belong to? Types of bears. Description, names and characteristics of bears. Brief description of subspecies
bears are herbivores or carnivores
- omnivores!!
- Browns are omnivores. Whites are predators
- Bears are omnivores. They eat grass, berries, mushrooms, they will not refuse fish, especially meat, they put on fat - they eat everything until they are completely stupefied.
But pandas only eat bamboo, and polar bears prefer the fat of seals and seals. - predators, of course
- The bear is an omnivore like humans
- predators, but when they are hungry they can pick raspberries and chew grass =)
- 100% carnivores-predators, because they eat meat and hunt. Only carnivores can hunt and eat meat, first of all, and only then fish, mushrooms, nuts, honey, berries, grass, roots. But herbivores cannot eat meat.
- omnivorous
- omnivores
- omnivorous
- the bear is omnivorous. he eats almost everything he can eat. In the summer, plant foods predominate; most of the animal protein in a bear’s diet comes from small animals. rodents. insects. The bear rarely engages in direct hunting, especially hunting large animals, only in the absence of more accessible and less “dangerous” food
- Predators))
- Differently
- white bear, grizzly bear, spectacled bear and many other representatives of the bear family eat- berries, nuts, honey, rodents, carrion, large mammals, other plants. FROM THE ORDER THEY ARE PREDATORS. and here is a koala belonging to the family marsupial bears- herbivorous bear.
- Bears are omnivores. In principle, they eat plant food all the time, and animal food only when it comes into their paws
- Bears (lat. Ursidae) are a family of mammals of the order Carnivora. They differ from other representatives of canids in having a stockier physique. Bears are omnivores, climb and swim well, run fast, and can stand and walk short distances on their hind legs. They have a short tail, long and thick fur, and excellent sense of smell and hearing. They hunt in the evening or at dawn. They are usually afraid of humans, but can be dangerous in areas where they are accustomed to people, especially polar bears and grizzly bears. Immune to bee stings. In nature natural enemies almost none.
- Anatomically they are predators. Teeth, then – s. And he cannot live on plant foods all the time. But in last years In many regions, bears are increasingly using plant foods. In this regard, its numbers are growing; in some places there are significantly more of them than wolves. That is, he seems to be falling off the top of the food pyramid.
Bears are the largest predators living on our planet, both in size and power they surpass the more famous lion and tiger. However, 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, worshiped the irresistible power of the bear, and on the other hand, considered it a desirable and honorable hunting trophy.
Brown bears (Ursus arctos).
Systematically, 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 very graceful and maneuverable in movement; the bear's clubbed gait has become synonymous with clumsiness.
Bears' paws are wide and flat.
However, the bear is not as simple as it seems at first glance; if necessary, it can make dashes at speeds of 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 the white one can be called a typical meat eater, the other species are practically omnivores, and the spectacled bear is even more of a vegetarian than a predator. The body of all types of bears is covered with thick, coarse hair.
Black bear (Ursus americanus) during molting.
This fur, on the one hand, allows bears to endure severe cold and colonize the northernmost habitats; on the other hand, it slows down their spread to the south. Modern views 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 lifestyle and meet each other only to mate. 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 do their best to protect their babies from danger. Different types bears, although they retain a general typological similarity, are different from each other appearance, habits and lifestyle.
Brown bear(Ursus arctos)
It ranks second in size after the polar bear. The largest specimens are found on Far East and Alaska (the so-called Kodiak bears) and reach a weight of 750 kg. Smaller subspecies can weigh only 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 colors ranging 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 (in terms of coverage) natural areas) range, and in different parts of it animals are forced to adapt to different climatic conditions. In general, the further north you go, the larger bears, and vice versa. This happens because in the north it is easier for large animals to stay warm, while in the south, on the contrary, smaller specimens have 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; due to the dense population and lack of territory, they simply have nowhere to live. In relatively large quantities they survive in sparsely populated areas of the United States, Canada and Siberia. By the way, american grizzly- this is not a separate species of bear, but just a 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 dens in windbreaks and 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. They actually spend all this time in deep sleep, from which only serious danger or hunger can awaken them. Hungry bears, who do not have fat reserves for a safe winter, emerge from hibernation early or do not sleep at all. Such bears are called “connecting rods”. "Connecting rods" are very aggressive and can even attack a person. Usually, bears prefer solitude and try not to be seen by humans. Moreover, a bear taken by surprise may display cowardice that is shameful for such a giant. Experienced hunters They know well that a sudden sound can cause a bear... acute intestinal upset! This is where the expression “bear disease” originates.
Brown bears feed on almost everything that comes their way. They happily eat berries, mushrooms, nuts and other fruits; they will not refuse young greens; 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 in the thousands. A bear will not miss a nest of wild bees or an apiary in the hope of getting honey and larvae.
A young brown bear examines the bark of a tree in search of edible animals.
The rivers in which salmon spawn are under the bears' special control. Every autumn, with the beginning of spawning, bears gather on their banks and begin mass fishing. To do this, the bear enters the water and waits patiently for the salmon to swim past. Bears catch fish jumping out of the water on rapids literally on the fly. Thanks to such fishing, bears fatten up before going into hibernation. For this reason, they even forget about enmity and are tolerant of each other as long as there is enough food for everyone. In search of plant food, bears show miracles of dexterity and even climb trees with ease, which is surprising for animals of such dimensions.
Roaring males engage in fierce fights with each other.
The bear rut lasts throughout the summer.
A mother bear feeds her cubs while lying down.
In this case, bears can injure and even kill the enemy. Pregnancy is relatively short - 6-8 months. A female bear gives birth in her sleep, or more precisely, during hibernation, she gives birth to 2-3 (less often 1 or 4) cubs. Babies are born very small, weighing only 500 g. They spend the first months of life in a den with their mother, from where they emerge as adults.
Little bear cubs are very meek and obedient. This property is often used by animal trainers who raise bears with early age. Bear cubs quickly learn tricks and perform them until they are approximately 2-3 years old. Then the 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 from last year help the mother 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).
Most close-up view bears and terrestrial predators at all. 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 polar bear and looks white, but in fact its fur is transparent, because the hairs inside are hollow. But the skin of a polar bear is jet black.
You can guess that a polar bear has black skin just by looking at its feet.
This coloring is not accidental. sunlight passes through colorless hairs and is absorbed by dark skin, thus solar energy accumulates as heat on the surface of the body. Polar bear fur works like a real solar battery! Hollow hairs often become a refuge for microscopic algae, which give the fur a yellowish, pinkish and even green tint. This fur structure 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 a zoo is clearly bothered by the heat.
Polar bears can be found throughout the Arctic: on the mainland coast, remote islands and in the depths of the eternal polar ice. Polar bears, like no other, are prone to vagrancy; they do not have permanent protected areas. Because of harsh conditions In life they are forced to constantly wander in search of prey. Polar bears are very well adapted to such travel; they are very hardy, tolerate prolonged hunger well and are excellent swimmers, which helps them overcome large expanses of free water between continents and islands. There is a known record when a polar bear spent 9(!) days in the water. Due to global warming, the ice surface in the Arctic is constantly decreasing, 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 the rest of their diet consists of fish and seals. Bears lie in wait for seals near 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 from many kilometers away. In times of hunger, they do not disdain carrion, eating the carcasses of dead whales.
Two polar bears share a whale carcass. Seagulls are hovering nearby - the bears' eternal companions. They accompany predators in the hope of profiting from the remains of their prey.
Among polar bears, males never hibernate, and females set up dens only in connection with pregnancy. A polar bear's den is a simple snowdrift formed by snow drifts around the animal's body. Due to the lack of places suitable for constructing dens, females often gather on a limited area of convenient islands, creating a kind of “maternity hospital”. 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 rests right in the snow.
Unlike brown bears, polar bears are curious and fearlessly approach human habitation. Even though they formidable predators, but 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 photographer.
Black bear, or baribal (Ursus americanus).
The black bear's range covers almost the entire North American continent, where it often coexists with the brown bear. This species is not particularly rare, and thanks to its protection in nature reserves, in some areas it even reaches the outskirts of cities. In general, this animal resembles a medium-sized brown bear weighing 120-150 kg. But there are some differences: the fur of a black bear is usually darker, the muzzle is more elongated and colored white or yellowish, the ears of the baribal are relatively large, and the claws are long.
In a black bear litter you can often find cubs of different colors.
These claws help the black bear climb trees, because he is an excellent climber. Baribal, more than other bears, loves to climb and feed in trees.
While the mother is busy searching for food, the cub learns to climb trees.
The black bear eats the same food as the brown bear, but its diet is dominated by plant foods and it never attacks large animals. And his character is more flexible. Smaller, and therefore less dangerous, this bear often approaches human habitation in search of some kind of waste.
Himalayan bear (Ursus thibetanus).
These bears are somewhat smaller in size than brown bears, reaching a weight of 140-150 kg.
Himalayan bears are only black in color and have a white or yellow V-shaped patch on their chest.
U gi malayan bear The ears are the largest relative to body size. The Himalayan bear lives only in the Far East, from Primorye in the north to Indochina in the south. This bear is also similar in lifestyle and habits to the brown one, only its character is calmer and its diet is dominated by plant foods. Distinctive feature This species is that bears do not make traditional dens, but prefer to settle in hollows for the winter.
Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus).
The territorial neighbor of the Himalayan bear, the range of the sloth bear also covers Southeast Asia. But the appearance of the animal is very original. The sloth fish is a kind of “hippie” in the bear family. What self-respecting hippie wouldn't try to stand out from his surroundings?
The coloration of the sloth bear is very similar to the Himalayan bear, but its fur is very long and thick. The claws are also of extraordinary length.
And the sponger surprises. First of all, the way of obtaining food. Sponge whale feeding various plants, invertebrates and other small animals. But he has a special passion for ants and termites. The long claws of the sloth whale are used to destroy durable termite mounds. When the sponger gets to the contents of the termite mound, he first blows air through his lips, folded into a tube, and then begins to suck in insects through the gap between his front teeth. For this reason, he even lacks front incisors. During feeding, the sloth fish resembles a vacuum cleaner and produces no less noise. At other moments of its life, the sponger also shows carelessness: he usually sleeps during the day and, unlike other bears, does not seek to hide in the wilderness: a sleeping sloth can be caught right in the middle of some clearing, but this meeting is unlikely to be a surprise. The fact is that the sloth fish also snores loudly and can be heard from afar. There are reasons for this behavior of the sloth fish - it simply has no natural enemies. The only danger may come from the tiger, with which the sloth fish is on an equal footing. By the way, the sloth bear is the main contender, along with the Himalayan bear, for the role of Baloo from Rudyard Kipling’s book. Most likely, this is what the author had in mind when he wrote The Jungle Book.
Malayan bear (Helarctos malayanus).
The smallest species of bear, its weight reaches only 65 kg.
Its fur is very short, which makes the Malayan bear unlike a “real” bear.
It lives in Indochina and on the islands of the Malay Archipelago. This animal refutes the myth that bears 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 hunts only small animals. This bear does not hibernate.
Malayan bears in the zoo.
Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus).
The only representative of the bear family living 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 its eyes that resemble glasses.
The spectacled bear is the most herbivorous of all. This is a very rare animal that few people have been able to see in natural conditions. The world's leading zoos are involved in a breeding program for spectacled bears.
A spectacled bear cub studies zoo visitors from behind a fence.
Where is the panda? interesting view bears? But whether a panda is a bear is a question that still haunts scientists. Many zoologists are inclined 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.
Jackals. In contrast, clubfooted animals are stockier and more powerful. Like other canids, bears are predators, but sometimes they feast on berries, mushrooms and honey.
There are also pseudo-clubfooted animals that do not belong to canines or even predatory animals. The name bear is given only because external resemblance with true representatives of the family.
Real bears
The second name for bears is plantigrade. Having wide legs, clubfoots step completely 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 cannot reach a speed of more than 50 kilometers per hour.
Brown bear
Included in types of bears in Russia, the most numerous and popular in the country. However, the largest clubfoot was caught outside the Federation, on the American island of Kodiak. From there they took the beast for Berlin Zoo. I came across a bear weighing 1134 kilograms when the norm is 150-500 kilograms.
It is assumed that brown came to America about 40 million years ago through the Bering Isthmus. The animals came from Asia, where representatives of the species are also found.
The largest clubfoot in Russia are found on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Giants live there for 20-30 years. In captivity, with good maintenance, bears live up to half a century.
Polar bear
Based on its habitat, it is called polar. The scientific name of the species is translated in Latin as “sea bear.” Predators are associated with snow and the vastness of the ocean. Polars hunt in the water, catching fish and seals.
The ocean does not prevent the migration of polar clubfoot. They travel hundreds of kilometers on water, using their wide front feet like oars. The hind legs act as a steering wheel. When going out on ice floes, bears do not slide because they have rough feet.
The animal is the largest among terrestrial predators. The predator reaches 3 meters in length. The standard weight is 700 kilograms. So polar bear species awesome. In nature, animals have no enemies except humans.
Studying types of bears, only the polar one will find hollow wool. The hairs are empty from the inside. Firstly, it provides an additional layer of air in the fur coat. Gas is a poor conductor of heat and does not release it from the skin of a predator.
Secondly, the cavities in the white hairs are needed to reflect light. In fact, the fur of clubfoot is colorless. The hair only looks white, allowing the predator to blend in with the surrounding snow.
Himalayan bear
Otherwise called the Asian black bear. It is distinguished by large ears, an elegant physique by the standards of clubfoot, and an elongated muzzle.
The Himalayan habitat extends from Iran to Japan. The predator chooses mountainous areas. Hence the name of the species. In Russia, its representatives live beyond the Amur, as a rule, in the Ussuri region.
The black bear is named for its dark fur color. On the head and neck it is longer, forming something like a mane. There is a predator on the chest White spot. However, there are subspecies of the animal without it.
Weight Limit The Himalayan bear weighs 140 kilograms. The animal reaches one and a half meters in length. But the claws of a predator are thicker and larger than those of brown and polar individuals. The reason is the black bear's lifestyle. Most he spends time in the trees. The claws help to climb them.
The Asian clubfoot cannot be called a formidable predator. Of animal food, the bear usually eats only insects. The basis of the diet is herbs, roots, berries, and acorns.
Baribal
An alternative name is black bear. It lives in Northern, 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 prominent shoulders, lower ears and, as the name implies, black fur. However, on the face 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. This, by the way, also applies to the red panda. She is also one of a kind.
The closest relative of the koala is not a bear or even a small panda.
About 30 million years ago, 18 species of marsupial “bears” lived on the planet. There were also unprecedented modern man true clubfoot. Among them, 5-6 species became extinct.
Extinct bears
The number of extinct bears is vague because 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 has not been seen by people or captured by video cameras. If you see one, let the scientists know. The bear looks like a brown one, but the front part of the body is reddish. The animal's withers are almost black. In the groin area the fur is red. The rest of the fur on the back of the predator is dark brown. The bear lived in the east of the Tibetan plateau.
California grizzly
It appears on the California flag, but has not been found in the state or beyond since 1922. Then they killed the last representative type of animal.
Bear was distinguished by its golden coat color. The beast was a totemic animal among the Indians. The Redskins believed that they were descended from grizzly bears, so they did not hunt the ancestor. The white settlers exterminated the clubfoot.
Mexican grizzly
Officially declared extinct in the 60s of the last century. The animal was large, weighing approximately 360 kilograms.
The Mexican grizzly bear was distinguished by whitish claws on its front paws, small ears and a high forehead.
Etruscan bear
Fossil species, lived back in the Pliocene. This geological period ended 2.5 million years ago. The second name of the predator is short-faced bear. This is the one with 13 pairs of ribs.
Skeletons of Etruscan bears are found only in southern latitudes. Therefore, scientists assume that the animal was heat-loving. It is also known that the extinct animal was large, weighing approximately 600 kilograms.
Atlas bear
Inhabited lands from Morocco to Libya. The last individual was killed by hunters in the 1870s. Externally, the animal was distinguished by reddish fur on the underside of the body and dark brown hair on top. There was a white spot on the bear's face.
Unlike most bears, the Atlas bear preferred desert and arid areas. The name of the species is associated with the chain of mountains where the clubfoot lived. Zoologists classified them as a subspecies of brown bear.
Giant polar bear
Appearance polar bear was similar to the appearance of the modern one. Only the beast reached 4 meters in length and weighed 1200 kilograms. Such giants lived on the planet 100 thousand years ago.
So far, scientists have found the only ulna bone of a giant bear. The bone was discovered in Pleistocene sediments in Great Britain.
Survival of modern polar bears also questionable. The number of the species is sharply declining. This is due to climate change. Glaciers are melting. Animals have to make increasingly longer swims. Many predators reach the shore exhausted. Meanwhile, and full of energy It is not easy for bears to get food in the snowy expanses.
- Class: Mammalia Linnaeus, 1758 = Mammals
- Infraclass: Eutheria, Placentalia Gill, 1872 = Placental, higher animals
- Squad:
- Family: Carnivora Bowdich, 1821 = Carnivores
- Family: Ursidae Gray, 1825 = Ursidae, bears
- Genus: Ursus Linnaeus, 1758 = Bears
Is the bear a predator?
Mostly bears are content plant foods, but in case of its deficiency and once having tasted animal meat, he 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 feeds on carrion. At least in Siberia, it often happens that during livestock deaths, peasants bury their dead animals, and bears dig them up to satisfy their hunger. Having fattened up their body and fat throughout the summer and autumn, with the approach of winter the bears prepare a den for themselves in some cave, or in the hollows of trees, or in the thicket of the forest.
Before lying down in the den, the bear confuses its tracks like a hare, meanders through the brown, mossy swamps, through the water, jumps sideways from the track through fallen trees, in a word, it goes back and forth more than once. Only then will he lie down, reassured that the trail is well entangled.
If the summer was poor in food, then some, especially thin, bears do not lie in the den at all; they wander around hungry all winter. These connecting rods, as they are called, are “suicide bombers”; they will die before spring. Connecting rods are dangerous to humans, cattle and any animal - even to a bear sleeping in a den. There was a case: a small connecting rod bear dug up the den of a bear that was healthier than him, bitten and ate the sleepy Toptygin. Some bears, in places where it is not very cold, lie down for the winter right among young spruce trees, just bending their tops above them - it turns out something like a hut, and they sleep in it. But where the winter is cold, they dig a hole for a den somewhere near the water, in a swamp, under the root of a fallen tree. Others cover the pit with brushwood, branches, and moss. Such a den is said to have a “sky,” that is, a roof. A den’s “brow” is a hole in a den—an outlet.
They say about a bear that it sucks its paw in winter. Maybe some people suck because they think that the soles of their soles shed and itch. But, says A. Cherkasov, he has never heard of bears being caught in dens with sucked paws: they are all dry, dirty since the fall, covered in dust and with dried mud.
The further east the bears live, the larger they are. In the Old World the most big bears- Kamchatka. In Alaska and some islands close to it, even larger specimens are found. This is the brown bear Kadlyak - the heavyweight champion among all predators on Earth (weighing up to 751 kg). When this animal stands, leaning on all four legs, its height at the withers is up to 130 cm (for a European bear, on average, 1 m).
The she-bear retires to her den already in early November, while bears roam as early as December, despite the snow and frost. And some old animals lead a wandering life all winter. Even bears that retire to a den do not always fall into continuous hibernation, only those that are heavily overfed and fat sleep motionless, while the rest lie very sensitively and stick their heads out of the den, or “greet” - as the hunters say - at every approach of a person; and she-bears sometimes directly rush at the violator of their peace. Feeling the smell of spring, they get out of the den and into the light.
Having become hungry during the winter, it goes out to get food. But first he takes a laxative - in the form of cranberries and moss, of which he eats enormous quantities. Having cleared his stomach, he hurries to strengthen his body, weakened hibernation. During this rather hungry time, it can attack livestock.
We have all known these powerful animals since childhood. But few people know what types of bears exist. Pictures in children's books most often introduced us to brown and polar bears. It turns out that there are several species of these animals on Earth. Let's get to know them better.
Appearance of the bear
If we compare bears with other predators, they differ in the most uniform appearance, features internal structure, sizes. Currently these are the most major representatives terrestrial predatory animals. For example, polar bears can reach a body length of up to three meters and weigh 750 and even 1000 kg!
Animal fur has a well-developed undercoat; it is quite rough to the touch. The hairline is high. He just can’t boast of such a fur coat - his coat is low and sparse.
The color is varied - from black to white, and can be contrasting. The color does not change over the seasons.
Lifestyle
Different species of bears live in very different environments. They feel great in the steppes and highlands, in forests and in arctic ice. In this regard, the types of bears differ in their feeding methods and lifestyle. Most representatives of these predators prefer to settle in mountain or lowland forests, much less often in treeless highlands.
Bears are active mainly at night. The only exception is the polar bear, a species of animal that leads a diurnal lifestyle.
Bears are omnivores. However, some species have a preference for one food or another. For example, a polar bear almost always eats the meat of mammals; for a panda, there is no better treat than bamboo shoots. True, they supplement it with a small amount of animal food.
Variety of species
Quite often, animal lovers ask the question: “How many species of bears live on Earth?” For those interested in these animals, there seems to be a myriad of them. Unfortunately, it is not. Today our planet is inhabited by species of bears, a list of which can be presented as follows:
There are subspecies and varieties of these animals, but we will talk about this in another article.
Brown bears
These are large and clumsy-looking animals. They belong to the bear family. Body length - from 200 to 280 cm.
This is a fairly common type. lives throughout the Eurasian and North American forests. Nowadays, this predator has completely disappeared from Japanese territory, although in old times it was common here. On the territory of Western and Central Europe The brown bear can be found quite rarely in some mountainous areas. There is reason to claim that in these areas it is an endangered species. The brown bear is still widespread in Siberia, 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 boundaries of their territories. Each site has permanent places, where the animal feeds, builds temporary shelters and dens.
Despite being sedentary, this predator can wander over a distance of more than 300 kilometers in hungry years in search of more abundant food.
Hibernation
Everyone knows that in winter the brown bear hibernates. He first carefully prepares his den, which he arranges in hard-to-reach places - on islands in the middle of swamps, in a windfall. The bear lines the bottom of its winter home with dry grass or moss.
To survive the winter safely, a bear must accumulate at least fifty kilograms of fat. To do this, he eats about 700 kilograms of berries and about 500 kilograms of pine nuts, not counting other food. When there is a lean year for berries, bears in the northern regions raid fields sown with oats, and in the southern regions - corn crops. Some bears attack apiaries and destroy them.
Many people believe that during hibernation, animals go into suspended animation. This is not entirely true. They sleep quite lightly. During hibernation, when the animal lies motionless, its cardiac and pulmonary systems slow down their activity. A bear's body temperature ranges from 29 to 34 degrees. Every 5-10 breaths there is a long pause, sometimes lasting up to four minutes. In this state, the fat reserve is used sparingly. If during this period the bear is raised from the den, it begins to quickly lose weight and is in dire need of food. Such a bear turns into a “tramp”, or, as it is popularly called, a connecting rod. In this state he is very dangerous.
Depending on the climatic conditions the predator can hibernate for three to six months. If there is food in southern regions Bears generally may not hibernate continuously, but only fall asleep for a short time. Females with one-year-old cubs sleep in the same den.
Nutrition
Different types of bears prefer to eat different foods. Animals of this species most often feed on fruits, berries and other plant foods, but sometimes they can eat ants, insect larvae, rodents, along with winter supplies. Quite rarely, males hunt forest ungulates. Despite its external clumsiness, the brown bear can be very fast and agile. It sneaks up on its prey unnoticed and grabs it in a quick lunge. At the same time, its speed reaches 50 km/h.
White bears
IUCN - The International Union for Conservation of Nature has expanded the list of endangered animals for the first time in several years. New species appeared in it. Polar bears were brought not only into this international list, but also in the Red Book of Russia. Today their number is only 25 thousand individuals. According to scientists, this population will decline by almost 70% in the next 50 years.
Rare species of bears (you can see the photo in our article), which recently include white bears, suffer from industrial pollution of their habitats, global warming and, of course, poaching.
Appearance
Many people believe that white, polar, northern, sea or oshkuy are types of polar bears. In fact, this is what one species is called carnivorous mammal from the bear family, the closest relative of the brown bear.
Its length is three meters, weight is about a ton. The largest animals are found off the coast, the smallest are found on Spitsbergen.
Polar bears are distinguished from other species by their long hair and flat head. The color can be completely white or with a yellowish tint. IN summer time the fur turns yellow when exposed to sunlight. The skin of these animals is black.
The soles of the paws are reliably protected by wool so as not to slip on ice and not freeze.
Lifestyle and nutrition
According to scientists, the polar bear is the most predatory of the entire family. After all, he practically does not consume plant foods. Different kinds bears (photos and names of which are posted in our article) are almost never the first to attack a person. Unlike its counterparts, the polar bear quite often hunts people.
The main “menu” of these predators consists of seals, mainly ringed seal. In addition, he feeds on any animals that he manages to kill. These could be rodents, birds, walruses, or whales washed ashore. For the predator itself, killer whales pose a danger, as they can sometimes attack in the water.
Reproduction
In October, females begin to dig a den in the snow. They settle there in mid-November. Pregnancy lasts 230-240 days. Cubs are born at the end of the Arctic winter. The female first bears offspring when she is 4-6 years old. Cubs appear once every two to three years. There are from one to three cubs in a litter. Newborns are completely helpless and weigh about 750 grams. The babies begin to see after a month, after two months their teeth erupt, and the babies begin to gradually leave the den. They do not part with the bear until she is one and a half years old. Polar bears are not very fertile, so their numbers are recovering too slowly.
Black bear
It is also called baribal. Its body length is 1.8 m, weight is about 150 kg. The bear has a sharp muzzle, high paws with long and sharp claws, short and smooth black fur. Sometimes the color is black-brown, except for the light yellow muzzle.
The black bear feeds exclusively on plant foods - larvae, insects, and small vertebrates.
The female's pregnancy lasts up to 210 days, the cubs are born in January-February, weighing 400 grams, and remain with the mother until April.
Himalayan bear
This animal is smaller in size than the brown one. In addition, these types of bears differ in appearance. The Himalayan bear has a slimmer build, a thin muzzle, thick and lush fur, usually black in color with a white, sometimes yellowish spot on the chest (shaped like the letter V).
Large adult individuals can reach a length of 170 cm and weigh 140-150 kg. Habitat - East Asia. In the west, it can be found in Afghanistan, Indochina, and on the southern slopes of the Himalayas. On the territory of our country it is found only in the Ussuri region, north of the Amur.
In spring it feeds on last year's acorns and pine nuts. Enjoy eating it in summer lush grass, berries, insects. There is evidence that in South Asia it often attacks domestic animals and can be dangerous to humans.
There are usually two cubs in a litter. Their weight does not exceed 400 grams. They develop very slowly, even at the age of a month and a half, and are completely helpless.
Spectacled bear
We continue to study types of bears, getting to know an indigenous resident South America. He settles in the mountains - from Colombia to Northern Chile. This is a spectacled bear - not a very good animal large sizes. Its body, no more than 1.7 m long, weighs about 140 kg.
The bear is covered with thick, shaggy fur of black or black-brown color, with white spots around the eyes (hence its name). Preferring mountains, the animal also often appears on meadow slopes. Its biology is still poorly understood, but at the same time, scientists consider it the most herbivorous in the entire family. He is a lover of leaves and roots, fruits and branches of young bushes. Sometimes he climbs tall palm trees to get his favorite delicacy, breaks young branches, and then eats them on the ground.
Sloth bear
For our compatriots, the last animals on our list are exotic species bears. You can see their photos and names in numerous domestic and foreign publications about animals.
Sloth bear - inhabitant tropical countries. He lives in the forests of Hindustan and Ceylon. It can be up to 1.8 m in length and weighs approximately 140 kg. This is a rather slender animal, on high legs, with huge claws. The muzzle is somewhat pointed. There is a light V-shaped mark on the chest. The bear is active at night. During the day he sleeps soundly, and (which is typical only for this species) snores surprisingly loudly.
The sloth fish feeds mainly on fruits and insects. With the help of huge claws, he easily breaks rotten, dilapidated tree trunks, and then he uses an amazing device that can resemble a pump. Long muzzle The animal has very mobile lips that extend, forming something like a tube.
The sponge fish lacks the upper pair of incisors, as a result of which there is a gap in the oral cavity. This feature allows the animal to hunt for termites. First, it blows out all the dust and dirt from the insects’ “house,” and then draws in the prey through its lips elongated into a tube.
Mating of spongers occurs in June, after seven months 2-3 babies appear. They spend 3 months in a shelter with their mother. At first, the father of the family takes care of his cubs, which is not typical for other bear species.
Panda
This animal, 1.2 m long and weighing up to 160 kg, lives in the mountain forests of the western provinces of China. Prefers solitude, except during mating time. This is usually spring.
Offspring appear in January. Mostly 2 cubs are born, weighing about two kilograms each. Unlike other bears, it does not hibernate. It feeds on various plants, bamboo roots, sometimes small rodents and fish.
Biruang
This is the name of the Malayan bear. This is the smallest representative of the bear family. Its body length does not exceed 1.4 m, its height is no more than 0.7 m, and its weight is about 65 kg. Despite its modest size, compared to its brothers, this animal is strong. Biruang has a short muzzle, wide paws with powerful curved claws. The body of the animal is covered with smooth, short, straight, black hair. There is a mark of white or orange color, in the form of a horseshoe. The muzzle is orange or gray. Sometimes the legs are also light.
Biruang is a nocturnal animal, so during the day it sleeps and basks in sun rays, in the branches of trees. By the way, he climbs trees very well and feels completely comfortable on them.
Feeds on young shoots. The female gives birth to two cubs. The animal does not hibernate.