The bear family (Ursidae) includes the largest of modern land predators. Most taxonomists believe that there are currently eight species of bears on Earth (they are in turn divided into many different subspecies), belonging to three different branches.
Bears are found on all continents except Africa, Australia and Antarctica. Three species of bears - spectacled, sloth and Malayan - live in the tropics, but the center of origin of the bear family is in the Northern Hemisphere. Long ago, the brown bear was also found in the Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa.
Bears are predominantly inhabitants various types forests and woodlands. One species, the polar bear, inhabits Arctic deserts and ice.
The most likely ancestors of modern bears were small predators that lived 25 million years ago (subfamily Agriotheriinae). Most ancient representative of this group, Ursavus elmensis, had a long tail and looked like a raccoon, but animals of a later period already resembled modern bears in both size and appearance. This group gave rise to three modern subfamilies. The giant panda was the first to separate from the common trunk, then the real bears (Ursus and its relatives) and spectacled bears (Tremarctos) separated.
Depending on the species, the body length of a predator can vary from 1 to 3 meters, the weight of individual polar and brown bears can reach up to 1000 kg. Males are much larger than females.
Bears have a heavy, awkward build. To support large mass, their hind limbs are plantigrade (when walking, the entire sole is pressed to the ground). This also allows them to rise and stand freely on their hind legs. The structure of the front paws is different in different types of bears - from plantigrade to semidigital (the back of the foot is partially raised above the ground). All species have five toes on each paw, equipped with curved, non-retractable claws.
The skull of bears is massive, larger than that of other predators; the facial section is of medium length or shortened (especially in spectacled bears). Wide molars with flat chewing surfaces and rounded fangs are well adapted for crushing and grinding plant foods. Polar bears are exclusively carnivores, which is why their teeth are sharper. Depending on the species, bears have 40-42 teeth.
Bears' fur is thick and long; The color is usually dark, monochromatic, from brown to black (as an exception, white or contrasting two-color), sometimes with a light pattern on the head and chest. The tail is very short; ears are small, round; the lips are large and very mobile.
Polar bears and most brown bears of the New World do not climb trees, only European browns and all other species climb trees where they feed or sleep, but they still prefer to spend most of their time on the ground. For tree-climbing predatory animals, bears have amazing features - they have too much short tails and facial vibrissae are completely absent.
Most species of bears are non-specialized omnivores that feed on berries, nuts, shoots, rhizomes and leaves of plants, as well as meat, fish and insects. They have an excellent sense of smell, color vision and good memory, which allows them to remember places rich in food. It should be noted that bears do not digest plant food very well, since their gastrointestinal tract does not contain symbiotic microorganisms capable of decomposing fiber (these bacteria are found in the stomach of ruminants). Therefore, plant fibers and berries are excreted from the body almost undigested.
Photos and descriptions of modern bear species
Now let’s take a closer look at each of the eight species of bears.
The brown bear or common bear (Ursus arctos) is a typical representative of the bear family; found in Russia, Canada and Alaska. It prefers to settle in old forest areas, avoids wide open spaces, but can live at an altitude of up to 5000 meters above sea level, where there are no longer forests. Habitats are usually confined to freshwater bodies of water.
The brown bear is a large animal: its body length is 1.5-2.8 m, its height at the shoulders is up to 1.5 m. Males weigh from 60 to 800 kg. The weight of adult predators varies depending on the time of year and geographic habitat. The smallest one is a pika eater from the mountains Central Asia, and the largest are Kodiak from Alaska and Kamchatka.
The photo shows a brown bear in all its glory.
Polar bear
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is the largest living member of the family. Its body length is 2-2.5 m, height at the withers is about 1.5 m, body weight is on average 350–450 kg, but there are also giants with a body weight of more than 500 kg.
Distributed on the Arctic coast of the Arctic Ocean, in Northern Canada.
The color of the fur is pure white, often yellowish due to contamination with fat, especially in summer. The fur is thick and warm, but the main warming function is played by a thick layer of subcutaneous fat.
The polar bear is the only member of the family that lives exclusively on a meat diet. He hunts young walruses, ringed seals, bearded seals, beluga whales and narwhals.
The photo shows a polar bear with cubs. The female usually gives birth to two cubs once every 3 years. You can read more about polar bears in this article.
Black bear
The black bear or baribal (Ursus americanus) is found in Canada, Northern Mexico, the USA, except the central part of the Great Plains. Lives in dense forests, bushes, and also in more open areas.
Black bear sizes vary depending on geographical location and season. In the northern and eastern regions of its range, the baribal is larger. Their body length varies from 1.2 to 1.9 meters, height at the withers - from 0.7 to 1 meter.
The photo shows a black bear on a tree. The ability to climb trees is vital for baribals - here they feed and hide in case of danger.
The Himalayan or white-breasted bear (Ursus thibetanus) is found from Iran to Southeast Asia, in Northern China, Primorye, Japan and Taiwan. Prefers to settle in forests of the temperate zone, subtropics and tropics.
Body length is 1.2-1.9 meters, weight of males is 60-200 kg, females are 40-140 kg. Because of its long fur, the Himalayan bear appears much larger than it actually is. The coat is black with a white V-shaped mark on the chest, another mark is on the chin; There is a collar of long wool around the neck. Apparently, the collar plays a role in protection from predators, because this species has always coexisted next to the tiger.
The white-breasted bear is an excellent tree climber and often builds something resembling a nest by bending branches to the trunk.
The Himalayan bear is a rare, vulnerable species. For 3 thousand years now, people have been hunting it for its paws and gall bladder (dried bile is used in traditional Chinese medicine).
The life expectancy of the Himalayan bear is up to 25 years in the wild and up to 37 years in captivity.
Malayan bear
The Malayan bear or biruang (Helarctos malayanus) is the smallest species of bear, sometimes called the “dog bear”. Due to their small size and friendly disposition, Buriangs are often kept in captivity as pets in Asia. Their body length does not exceed 140 cm, they weigh 27-65 kilograms. Malayan bears have short, black fur with a white, orange, or dark yellow crescent-shaped chest marking.
Malayan bears are found in Southeast Asia and Eastern India. Their life is closely connected with trees, where they often sleep in specially built nests. They feed mainly on various fruits, but if such food is not enough, they switch to insects.
Malayan bears are diurnal. They breed at any time of the year, and the duration of pregnancy varies greatly (from 3 to 8 months).
In captivity, the Malayan bear can live up to 33 years.
The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) lives in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. Found mainly in lowland forests and steppes.
Body length – 1.4-1.9 meters, weight – 80-190 kg. The sponge's coat is long, thick, black with a white spot on the chest. Its claws are slightly curved, its palate is wide, and its lips are elongated (this is how it got its name). These devices help the sloth fish dig up and suck up termites, which make up a significant part of its diet. And it received its generic name (Melursus) for its special love for honey: it often climbs trees and is ready to endure bee stings just to feast on honeycombs. In addition to termites, other various insects and honey, the sloth fish eats berries with pleasure.
The sloth fish has long fur, which is quite surprising for a species living in the tropical forest. Apparently, it plays the same role as the loose clothing worn by people living in hot climates.
The sloth bear is a vulnerable species. In captivity, life expectancy is up to 34 years.
Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) Lives in the Andes from eastern Venezuela to the border of Bolivia and Argentina. It is found in a wide variety of biotypes: in mountain and tropical rainforests, alpine meadows and even in deserts.
Body length – 1.3-2.0 meters, weight – 100-200 kg. The coat is black with a creamy white bib-like marking on the chin, neck, and chest; There are white markings of various shapes around the eyes (hence the name bear).
The spectacled bear is a rather slender animal. Despite its relatively large size, it is agile and climbs trees well, where it gets food and builds resting nests from branches and twigs.
The diet of spectacled bears varies in different habitats, but food predominates everywhere plant origin(fruits, bamboo, cacti, etc.). They also enter fields of grain crops and corn, which greatly annoys farmers.
In captivity, the spectacled bear lives up to 39 years.
Big panda
The giant panda or bamboo bear (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is found in the Sichuan, Shanxi and Gansu provinces of central and western China. Prefers cool, damp bamboo forests at an altitude of 1500-3400 meters above sea level.
The height of a giant panda at the withers is 70-80 cm, weight is 100-150 kg. The fur of the bamboo bear is black and white (the circles around the eyes, the area around the nose, the front and back legs and shoulders are black, everything else is white).
The diet consists primarily of bamboo; Occasionally, pandas eat bulbs of various plants, cereals, insects and rodents.
In the wild, a panda usually lives up to 20 years, in captivity - up to 30 years.
Today, enormous efforts have been made to preserve the giant panda, however, despite the most stringent ban, the animals still become victims of poachers. They also fall into traps set for other animals. Read more about the giant panda.
What types of bears are the most dangerous?
Bears are often spoken of as aggressive and dangerous animals. Indeed, their strength and size allow them to easily cope with a person, but the tendency of bears to attack people is greatly exaggerated.
Only polar bears, being true predators, are perhaps the only representatives of the family that actually sometimes perceive a person as prey, while tracking him down according to all the rules of hunting. Their attacks are caused by hunger, not fear. It is polar bears that are considered the most dangerous to humans. However, not many people live near polar bears, and people, knowing who they might have to deal with, always carry weapons with them.
Brown bears are in second place in terms of danger to humans, but their aggressiveness largely depends on their geographical habitat. Grizzlies in the center of the American continent, as well as bears living in Siberia, are truly dangerous. This is especially true for mother bears who protect their cubs, or animals who defend their prey. More aggressive individuals are found in the eastern regions of Europe. But in general, all bears, like other wild animals, try not to get in the way of humans and, if possible, avoid meeting them.
American black bears, especially those that live near humans, often frighten people, but very rarely cause them any harm.
Spectacled bears are very cautious and are absolutely not aggressive towards humans, but it happens that they attack livestock.
Among the Asian bears, only the giant panda is a true vegetarian, and naturally does not pose any danger to humans.
Malayan bears often frighten local residents. If they are accidentally disturbed, they usually rear up, let out a furious roar and make a sharp lunge towards the enemy, but they rarely actually attack.
Himalayan bears and sloth bears, which often have to fight off large cats, are more likely to attack than to flee. Many people believe that sloth bears are more dangerous than tigers.
Literature: Mammals: Complete illustrated encyclopedia /Translated from English/ Book. I. Carnivores, marine mammals, primates, tupayas, woolly wings. / Ed. D. MacDonald. – M: “Omega”, - 2007.
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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. Although different types of bears retain general typological similarities, they differ from each other in appearance, habits and way of life.
Brown bear (Ursus arctos)
It ranks second in size 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 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 the 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. Area 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. They survive in relatively large numbers in sparsely populated areas of the USA, Canada and Siberia. By the way, the American grizzly bear 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 special control by bears. 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).
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.
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 is accumulated in the form of heat on the surface of the body. Polar bear fur works just like the real thing solar battery! Hollow hairs often harbor microscopic algae, which can turn the hair yellowish, pinkish, or 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 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 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. 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 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 garbage.
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 white or white on their chests. yellow spot shaped like a V.
The Himalayan bear has the largest ears relative to its 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. The sloth fish feeds on 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 - the most interesting species of bear? 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.
Bears or bears (lat. Ursidae) are a family that includes mammals from the order of predatory animals. The difference between all bears and other canine-like animals is their stockier and well-developed physique.
Description of the bear
All mammals from the order Carnivores originate from a group of marten-like primitive predators known as miacidae, which lived in the Paleocene and Eocene. All bears belong to the fairly numerous suborder Caniformia. Everything is supposed to be fine famous representatives of this suborder descended from one dog-like ancestor, common to all species of such animals.
Relative to other families from the order of predatory animals, bears are animals with the greatest uniformity in appearance, size, and are also similar in many features in their internal structure. All bears are among the largest representatives of modern terrestrial predatory animals. The body length of an adult polar bear reaches three meters with a weight ranging from 720-890 kg, and the Malayan bear is one of the smallest representatives of the family, and its length does not exceed one and a half meters with a body weight of 27-65 kg.
Appearance, colors
Male bears are approximately 10-20% larger than females, and in a polar bear such figures can be even 150% or more. The animal's fur has a developed and fairly coarse undercoat. The tall, sometimes shaggy type of hair in most species has a pronounced density, and the fur of the Malayan bear is low and quite sparse.
The fur color is uniform, from coal-black to whitish. The exception is, which has a characteristic contrasting black and white color. There may be light markings in the chest area or around the eyes. Some species are characterized by individual and so-called geographical variability in fur color. Bears exhibit marked seasonal dimorphism, expressed by changes in height and density of fur.
All representatives of the Bear family are distinguished by their stocky and powerful bodies, often with fairly high and pronounced withers. Also characteristic are strong and well-developed, five-fingered paws with large non-retractable claws. The claws are controlled powerful muscles, thanks to which animals climb trees, dig the ground, and also easily tear apart prey. The length of grizzly claws reaches 13-15 cm. The gait of a predatory animal is plantigrade, characteristically shuffling. The giant panda has a sixth additional “finger” on its front paws, which is an outgrowth of the sesamoid radius bone.
The tail part is very short, almost invisible under the fur covering. The exception is the giant panda, which has a fairly long and clearly visible tail. Any bear has relatively small eyes, a large head located on a thick and, as a rule, short neck. The skull is large, most often with an elongated facial part and highly developed ridges.
This is interesting! Bears have a highly developed sense of smell, and in some species it is quite comparable to a dog’s sense of smell, but the vision and hearing of such numerous and large predators are an order of magnitude weaker.
The zygomatic arches are most often slightly spaced in different directions, and the jaws are powerful, providing very high bite forces. All representatives of the Bear family are characterized by the presence of large fangs and incisors, and the remaining teeth may be partially reduced, but their appearance and structure most often depend on the type of food. The total number of teeth can vary between 32-42 pieces. The presence of individual or age-related variability in the dental system is often observed.
Character and lifestyle
Bears are typical predators leading a solitary lifestyle, so such animals prefer to meet each other solely for the purpose of mating. Males, as a rule, behave aggressively and are capable of killing cubs that are near the female for a long time. Representatives of the Bear family are distinguished by their good adaptability to a variety of living conditions, therefore they are able to inhabit high mountain areas, forest zones, arctic ice and steppe, and the main differences lie in the way of nutrition and lifestyle.
A significant portion of bear species live in lowland and mountain forest zones of temperate or tropical latitudes. The predator is somewhat less common in high mountain areas without dense vegetation. Some species are characterized by a clear connection to aquatic environment, including mountain or forest streams, rivers and sea coasts. The Arctic, as well as vast expanses
This is interesting! The Arctic Ocean is the natural habitat of polar bears, and the lifestyle of an ordinary brown bear is associated with subtropical forests, taiga, steppes and tundra, and desert areas.
Most bears fall into the category of terrestrial carnivores, but polar bears are semi-aquatic members of the family. Malayan bears are typical adherents of a semi-arboreal lifestyle, therefore they are able to climb trees perfectly and create a shelter for themselves or the so-called “nest”. Some species of bears choose holes near the root system of trees and crevices of sufficient size as their habitat.
As a rule, representatives of the Bear family and the Carnivora order are nocturnal, so they rarely go out hunting in the daytime. However, polar bears may be considered an exception to such general rules. Predatory mammals leading a solitary lifestyle unite during the period of “mating games” and mating, as well as to raise their offspring. Among other things, groups of such animals are observed at common watering places and traditional feeding areas.
How long do bears live?
The average life expectancy of bears in nature can vary depending on the species characteristics of this predatory mammal:
- Spectacled bears – two decades;
- Apennine brown bears - up to twenty years;
- Tien Shan brown bears - up to twenty years or a quarter of a century;
- Polar polar bears - just over a quarter of a century;
- The gubachi are just under twenty years old.
In captivity, the average life expectancy of a predatory mammal, as a rule, is noticeably longer. For example, brown bears can live in captivity for more than 40-45 years.
Types of bears
Area, distribution
Spectacled bears are the only representatives of the Bear family that inhabit South America, where the predator prefers the mountain forests of Venezuela and Ecuador, Colombia and Peru, as well as Bolivia and Panama. - inhabitant of the Lena, Kolyma and Anadyr river basins, most of Eastern Siberia and Stanovoy Range, Northern Mongolia, some regions of China and the border territory of Eastern Kazakhstan.
Grizzlies are found primarily in western Canada and Alaska, with a small number remaining in continental America, including Montana and northwestern Washington. Tien Shan brown bears are found on the Tien Shan ridges, as well as in the Dzungarian Alatau, which has peripheral mountain ranges, and Mazalai are found in the desert mountains of Tsagan-Bogdo and Atas-Bogdo, where sparse bushes and drainage dry riverbeds are located.
Polar bears are distributed circumpolarly, and live in the circumpolar regions in the northern hemisphere of our planet. White-breasted Himalayan bears prefer hilly and mountain forests of Iran and Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Himalayas, all the way to Japan and Korea. Representatives of the species in the Himalayas in summer rise to a height of three and even four thousand meters, and with the onset of cold weather they descend to the mountain foot.
Sloths live mainly in the tropics and subtropical forests of India and Pakistan, in Sri Lanka and Nepal, as well as in Bangladesh and Bhutan. Biruangs are distributed from the northeastern part of India to Indonesia, including Sumatra and Kalimantan, and the subspecies Helarctos malayanus euryspilus inhabits the island of Borneo.
Bears in the planet's ecosystem
All representatives of the Bear family, due to their diet and impressive size, have a very noticeable impact on the fauna and flora in their habitats. The polar and brown bear species are involved in regulating the total number of ungulates and other animals.
All herbivorous bear species contribute to the active distribution of seeds of many plants. Polar bears are often accompanied by Arctic foxes, which eat their prey.
Bear diet
Spectacled bears are the most herbivorous in the family, and their main diet includes grassy shoots, fruits and rhizomes of plants, corn crops, and sometimes insects in the form of ants or termites. Important role The diet of the Siberian bear is devoted to fish, and Kodiaks are omnivores, feeding on both herbaceous plants, berries and roots, and meat foods, including fish and all kinds of carrion.
Pika-eating bears or Tibetan brown bears feed mainly on herbaceous plants, as well as pikas, which is how they got their name. The main prey of polar bears is ringed seals, bearded seals, walruses and many other marine animals. The predator does not disdain carrion, willingly feeds on dead fish, eggs and chicks, can eat grass and all kinds of seaweed, and in inhabited areas it looks for food in numerous garbage dumps.
The diet of white-breasted or Himalayan bears is 80-85% made up of products of plant origin, but the predator is capable of eating ants and other insects, as well as highly nutritious mollusks and even frogs. Sloth bears, like , are adapted to eating primarily colonial insects, including termites and ants. All biruangs are omnivores, but primarily feed on insects, including bees and termites, as well as fruits and shoots, earthworms and plant rhizomes.
Bears - do they belong to the canine family??? and got the best answer
Answer from Elena Kazakova[guru]
To the bear family
Family BEARS (Ursidae)
Mammals / Carnivores / Ursids /
Mammalia / Carnivora / Ursidae /
BEAR family (Ursidae) Compared with other groups of the order of carnivores, representatives of the bear family are distinguished by the greatest uniformity appearance, sizes, many features of the internal structure. Bears are the largest of modern predatory animals. Some of them reach a length of 3 m and a weight of up to 725 and even 1000 kg. All animals of this family have a powerful body, many with high withers; paws are strong, with large claws, five-fingered, plantigrade; the tail is short, barely visible from the fur; the head is massive, with small eyes and ears (some are short, others, on the contrary, long). The coat is thick, uniformly colored black, brown or White color, which does not change with the seasons. Some species have light markings on the chest or around the eyes. The skull of bears is large, with large crests and zygomatic arches. The canines are powerful, while the remaining teeth, due to the mixed diet, are not as large as one might expect, and the carnassial teeth are not developed. U typical species There are 42 teeth, but some are missing middle incisors or second and third premolars, which reduces the total number of teeth to 40 and even 38 and 34.
Family taxonomy:
Subfamily Ursinae
Genus Helarctos
Helarctos malayanus – biruang (Malayan bear, sun bear)
Genus Melursus
Melursus ursinus – sloth bear (lazy bear)
Genus Tremarctos
Tremarctos ornatus – spectacled bear
Genus Ursus
Ursus americanus - American black bear
Ursus arctos – brown bear (brown bear, gray bear)
Ursus maritimus - polar bear
Ursus thibetanus – Himalayan bear (Asian black bear)
Subfamily Ailurinae
Genus Ailuropoda
Ailuropoda melanoleuca - panda (giant panda)
Genus Ailurus
Ailurus fulgens - small panda (the addition of this species and genus to the bear family causes great controversy).
The paws are short, stocky, with hairy soles, each containing five curved claws that cannot contract. The gait of a bear is flat-footed, with the soles of the feet completely touching the ground, a shuffling gait. The claws are controlled by powerful muscles, allowing bears to climb trees as well as dig and tear apart prey when hunting. Hearing and vision are less developed than their keen sense of smell. Bears, in general, live solitary lives, with exceptions during courtship and females with cubs. Litters are produced at intervals of one to four years with a short gestation period, although females are able to delay the implantation of a fertilized egg, extending the pregnancy from six to nine months. The litter size is one - four helpless cubs, weighing from 200 to 700 grams, usually born in a secluded den or cave. They remain with their mother for at least the first year, reaching sexual maturity at 2 - 5 years of age. Species that live in extremely cold regions spend most of the winter in a den, in a state called hibernation. During this period, they live off accumulated fat reserves without eliminating waste products.
Bears are widespread in Europe, Asia, North America, found in North Africa. One species lives in South America, isolated from the rest of the family. Most bears live in lowland or mountain forests of temperate and tropical latitudes, less often in open highlands. One species inhabits the Arctic, right down to the ice fields of the ocean. Bears have a long life expectancy. A polar bear can live in captivity for more than 30 years, a brown bear for over 45 years. Bears belong to valuable hunting animals. The decline in numbers required the introduction of restrictions on shooting and even protection. In some cases, bears can harm crops, beekeeping, and livestock. Bears are favorite objects for keeping and training in zoos.
Bears are powerful predatory animals with thick paws with downward-curved claws. When walking, they step on their entire foot, which is why they are called “plantigrade.” The maximum speed that this predator can develop is fifty kilometers per hour.
Characteristics of different types of bears
According to the research, these predatory animals appeared on Earth about five or six million years ago. Scientists now identify 8 species in the bear family:
- Brown bear,
- Himalayan,
- big panda,
- polar bear,
- sloth bear,
- baribal,
- spectacled,
- Malay.
All species of these predators have their own diet. For example, a polar bear consumes exclusively meat, a panda consumes only plants, while others feast on berries, fruits, plants, insects, and meat.
All types of bears have the same appearance, almost the same size and similar structure. Bears are the largest mammalian predators living on earth.
Popular brown bear
This is the most numerous species, since it can adapt to completely different conditions and places of residence. They can be found in desert and mountainous areas, in dense taiga and even beyond the Arctic Circle. IN old times These bears also lived in Japan, but now this type of bear has completely disappeared from the Land of the Rising Sun.
There are few such bears in the western and central parts of Europe, they can only be found in mountainous areas. Scientists seriously believe that here this type bears are on the verge of extinction. But in the regions of the Far East and Siberia, brown bears live happily due to the large amount of varied food.
Due to their large habitat, these bears have acquired numerous subspecies, which differ in appearance and size. The weight of representatives of various subspecies of brown bears starts from one hundred kilograms and can even reach one ton.
Subspecies of this species of large predators include:
- Ussuri and Kamchatka bears,
- american grizzly bear,
- brown European bears.
Wool color This type of bear varies from light fawn to very dark brown. The body length of these clubfooted animals is in the range of 200-280 centimeters.
Brown predators lead a sedentary lifestyle; the area of land where one bear lives stretches for tens of kilometers. However, the beast does not really protect the borders of its “domains,” but in this area there are places where the predator looks for food and makes dens, visits to which by other animals are immediately stopped by the owner.
IN winter time Brown bears hibernate every year. By that time, the den, hidden from prying eyes in a poorly accessible place, should be equipped. To do this, the bear places moss or dry grass on its bottom. Before hibernation, the bear must gain at least fifty kilograms of subcutaneous fat. To achieve this, the bear must consume about seven hundred kilograms of various berries and about five hundred kilograms of pine nuts. And this is all in addition to other types of food.
The bear's diet is mainly berries, nuts, fruits, roots, and grains. Sometimes ants, insects and their larvae, and small rodents appear on their menu. Males can also catch small ungulates that live in the forest.
A brown bear's sleep during hibernation is quite light, but you should not wake him up, since a bear that has not slept well poses a great danger. During hibernation, the cardiac and respiratory activity of the clubfoot predator slows down several times; breaks between inhalations and exhalations can be up to 4 minutes. Body temperature also drops, it is in the range of 29-34 degrees. This condition allows the predator to use fat reserves more economically.
Dangerous Himalayan bear
This type of bear also called the Asiatic black bear. The Himalayan bear is somewhat smaller in size than the brown one, and its structure is slimmer. He has a more graceful build, a slightly elongated muzzle and large ears. This species of predator lives in the mountains and hilly regions of East Asia, from the formidable Iran to the hospitable Japan. You can meet the Asian bear in Indochina, the southern Himalayas, and Afghanistan. In Russia, this type of bear can be seen only in the Ussuri region, beyond the Amur, in the northern region.
Himalayan bears are jet black with a white or yellowish spot on the chest, their hair is thick, in the head and neck area the hair is longer and slightly raised, forming a kind of mane . Their individuals can reach a length of 170 centimeters, their maximum weight is 140 kilograms. Basically, these bears lead an arboreal lifestyle, so their claws are strong and sharp, thanks to which they cling well to branches.
The diet of the Himalayan representative of the bear family is based on plants. In summer, it eats fresh grass, plant bulbs, roots, berries, and insects. In spring, its diet is dominated by Pine nuts and acorns left on the ground from last year. These bears have a big sweet tooth and will never refuse to enjoy the honey of wild bees or raid an apiary. Sometimes the diet of the Asian bear is enriched with the meat of ungulates, rodents and amphibians.
This type of clubfoot predator poses a danger to people, since these bears are very brave and can compete for prey with both the Bengal tiger and the leopard. In Asian countries, many cases of Himalayan bears attacking livestock have been recorded.
Cute big panda
Pandas live in the forests of central and western China and are protected by the state due to their small population. The birth of each new panda is recorded and considered a joyful event.
These bears have an interesting black and white color., they reach a length of 120 cm, their maximum weight is 160 kg. They have a dense body with a large head, their legs are short with small claws. For a long time, scientists argued about which family to “identify” pandas into – the bear family, or the raccoon family. But as a result of numerous studies, it turned out that the body structure of a panda corresponds to a bear, although they have some features that are characteristic of raccoons.
Pandas are slow and thoughtful, so they prefer to live alone, however, in the spring they still get closer to individuals of the opposite sex to mate.
Pandas feed mostly on fresh bamboo shoots, but sometimes they can feast on other plants or fish.
Mighty polar bear
The polar bear is the largest a representative of the bear family. The weight of individuals ranges from 300-800 kilograms. Moreover, females can reach only 400 kilograms, while males are larger, and some of their representatives can weigh up to a ton. The body length of such a bear can be up to 3 meters.
White predators live in the northern hemisphere, with large specimens living near the Bering Sea, and less prominent ones in Spitsbergen. These bears have longer hair compared to other species and a flat skull structure. Their fur is white, but sometimes under the sun's rays it takes on a yellowish tone; the skin of polar bears is black.
The diet of this type of predator contains almost no plant food. The main “dish” on the menu of polar bears are seals, but they do not disdain birds, walruses, rodents, and whales that find themselves on the shore.
Polar bears pose a huge danger to polar explorers. If other types of bears almost never attack people first, then their white counterparts can specifically hunt down a person.
The sloth bear is a resident of tropical countries
The habitat of the sloth bear is the wooded areas of the island of Ceylon, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It's a slim look bears with long paws crowned with large and sharp claws. His fur is thick, long, black with a V-shaped white mark on his chest, growing in different directions, so the bear has a rather unkempt appearance. Its muzzle has a pointed appearance, its lips are long, and when eating, the bear folds its lips in such a way that various funny grimaces are obtained.
The sloth bear reaches a length of 180 centimeters, and its weight is within 140 kilograms. During the day, he prefers to sleep soundly, while snoring very loudly, and looks for food for himself at night.
These bears eat mainly tree fruits and insects. At the same time, he gets insects by blowing them out of the bark of trees, and then strongly drawing them along with the air into his mouth. Sharp claws also help in catching insects and their larvae, with which the bear easily breaks rotten trees.
Black baribal
Baribal lives in North America, in Canada, Alaska, the Pacific and Atlantic regions. Baribal resembles a brown bear, but its fur color is black, its muzzle is more elongated and yellowish in color, and its size is somewhat smaller than that of its brown counterpart. The body of the baribal is 180 centimeters long, and its weight is around 120-150 kilograms.
This bear has long claws that allow it to climb trees well. The black baribal eats only food of plant origin, but its diet also includes insects, their larvae, and small vertebrates.
Spectacled bear: South American resident
This species of clubfoot predator lives in the highlands of the South American continent. Its body length reaches 170 centimeters, and its weight ranges from 70-140 kilograms. In addition, this bear has an impressive tail, its length is about 10 centimeters. The bear has thick black or black-brown fur, and its face is decorated with white spots that look as if the bear is wearing dark glasses.
Spectacled bears are listed in the Red Book; their population is small, so this type of bear has been studied rather poorly. This bear feeds exclusively on berries, herbs, fruits and roots. It lives in dens, but can settle in a tree for several days, having built a special nest there from branches bent under itself, and feed on juicy leaves or fruits.
Little Malayan bear
The smallest member of the family bear - this is the Malayan bear, or biruang. The length of his body reaches only 140 centimeters, and his weight is within 65 kilograms. The “baby” lives in eastern India and further to Indonesia.
The biruang's coat is short, smooth, and resembles black plush. The muzzle is shortened and colored either orange or grey colour, there is a horseshoe-shaped marking of orange or white on the chest. Its paws are quite wide, and its claws are strong and curved.
The Malayan bear is nocturnal, and during the day it sleeps peacefully on a tree under the warm sun. The bear eats everything:
- plant shoots,
- fruit,
- insects,
- small rodents.