Comparison of bears in size. The biggest bears in the world. Quiet and relaxing holiday

The Bears   considered the largest of the predators that live on our planet. Despite this, they more often than other carnivorous mammals prefer plant food over animal meat.

Bear Appearance

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

Sensory organs: Bears are small, eyes set close together. The fields of view of both eyes overlap, so the animal sees the objects are voluminous. In general, the eyesight of the bears is weak. Hearing is also not very well developed. The bear has a better sense of smell. A bear often rises on its hind legs and turns its head to examine its nose and obtain information about what surrounds it.

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

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

Wool: There are several types of bear hair: from thick yellowish-white hair from a polar bear to long fluffy from Gubach. The fur of most species of bears is brown in color, perfectly masks animals in the forest.

Did you know? What a giant brown bear living in North America, in other languages \u200b\u200bcalled "Kodiak." That is the name of the island on which these representatives of the subspecies meet. A bear standing on its hind legs can reach up to 3 m in height.
   The polar bear can be found in the open sea at a distance of 80 km from the coast.
   Bears walk slowly, waddling, but if necessary, can reach speeds of up to 50 km / h. The grizzly menu is 80% plant-based.

The areas of polar bear and arctic fox are located in the far North. These are hardy mammals. Almost all bears are on the verge of extinction and are protected by law.
   Once upon a time, many brown bears lived in Europe. Now their number has decreased, but they still remain the largest species in the family. The polar bear has been the subject of fishing in the past. People ate his meat and sewed clothes from his skin.
   Polar bear acclimatized better than other animals in the permafrost region.

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

The origin of the bears

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

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

Breeding bears

Bears live alone, meeting only in the breeding season. The mating period, depending on the species, occurs at different times of the year. Some species of bears, in particular Malay, can breed throughout the year - they live in tropical rainforests, where they have enough food. In addition, the Malay bear belongs to the monogamous. After mating, the male and female part. Only a bear is engaged in raising offspring.

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

Bears lifestyle

Bears are territorial animals. Each individual is the owner of a sufficiently large area that controls which hunts and hibernates. Females up to two years old live with cubs. Bears are avid loners, but in individuals rich in food places, for example, in a berry glade, several individuals can meet at once. When they are full, they disperse. But the bear invaded foreign territory, waiting for a meeting with the owner, which could end in a collision. Finding food is time consuming, so bears are active day and night. Bears sleep in disguised shelters - lairs that are in depressions under the roots of trees. The white-breasted bear makes a nest in a tree. Bears of the genus Ursus, living in cold climatic zones, hibernate in winter. Winter sleep lasts from 78 to 200 days. The exact time depends on the area. During their hibernation, the bears make their den in the middle of a windbreak, under the roots of trees or dig it on the side of mountains and hills. They line and insulate lairs with grass, leaves and moss. Bears hibernate in order to survive a hungry winter.

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

Brown Bears (Ursus arctos).

In a systematic sense, the bears are small (only 8 species) and a 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 stop-walking, that is, when walking they rest on the ground with the entire plane of the foot. Because of this, they are not too graceful and maneuverable in movement, the club-footed gait of a bear has become synonymous with awkwardness.

Paws of bears are wide and flat.

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

Black bear (Ursus americanus) during molting.

This fur, on the one hand, allows the bears to endure severe colds and develop the northernmost habitats, on the other hand it inhibits their spread to the south. Modern species of bears live on all continents except Africa and Australia. The koala living in Australia, although it looks like a little teddy bear, has nothing to do with these animals.

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

Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)

The largest is second 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 a color from light straw to almost black.

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

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

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

Brown bears feed on almost everyone that gets in their way. They enjoy eating berries, mushrooms, nuts and other fruits, they will not refuse young greens, they hunt ungulates, starting from small roe deer and ending with large elk. But their rations are not limited to ungulates, on occasion they can fish, fish for mollusks, and do not disdain carrion. They especially like ants, which the bear simply licks off the surface of the anthill by the thousands. Do not miss a bear and a nest of wild bees or an apiary hoping to get honey and larvae.

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

Rivers in which salmon spawn are under special control of bears. Each fall, with the onset of spawning, bears gather on their shores and begin mass fishing. To do this, the bear enters the water and patiently waits for salmon to swim by. Bears catch fish jumping out of the water on the rapids literally on the fly. Due to such fishing, the bears are fed before going to sleep. For the sake of this, they even forget about hostility 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 easily climb even trees, which is surprising for animals of such dimensions.

Roaring males engage in fierce battles with each other.

The race of the bears lasts all summer.

Bear feeds cubs lying.

In this case, bears can cripple and even kill the enemy. Pregnancy is relatively short - 6-8 months. A bear gives birth in a dream, more precisely during winter hibernation, 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 are already grown up.

Little cubs are very meek and obedient. This property is often used by animal trainers who raise bears from an early age. Teddy bears quickly learn tricks and perform them until about 2-3 years. Then, matured animals become dangerous and, as a rule, give way to younger ones. In nature, the cubs also stay near their mother for two years. Moreover, the older cubs of the last year help the bear to look after the younger ones. At the age of two, 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, in fact, its coat is transparent, because the hairs inside are hollow. But the skin of a polar bear is coal-black.

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

This color 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 like a real solar battery! Hollow hairs often become a refuge for microscopic algae, which give the hair a yellowish, pinkish and even green hue. This structure of the fur is very rational, because the polar bear lives north of all other species. Its habitat is circumpolar, that is, it covers the north pole around the circumference.

This polar bear living in the zoo, the heat is clearly bothering.

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. Due to harsh living conditions, they are forced to constantly wander in search of prey. Polar bears are very well adapted for such trips, they are very hardy, tolerate long hunger and can swim very well, which helps them to overcome large expanses of free water between the continents and islands. A record is known when a polar bear spent 9 (!) Days in water. Due to global warming, the ice surface in the Arctic is constantly decreasing, and animals make such forced swims more often.

In a foggy haze, polar bears cross the sea.

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

Two polar bears share a whale carcass. Gulls are spinning nearby - the eternal companions of bears. They accompany predators in the hope of profit from the remnants of their prey.

In polar bears, males never hibernate, and females equip their lairs only in connection with the onset of pregnancy. The 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 arranging the den, females often gather in a limited area of \u200b\u200bconvenient islands, creating a kind of “maternity hospital”. Bear cubs, like all bears, are born tiny and helpless, they leave the lair only at 3 months of age.

A female polar bear with a teddy bear is resting right in the snow.

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

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

Black bear, or baribal (Ursus americanus).

The range of the black bear covers almost the entire North American continent, where it often adjoins the brown bear. This species is not particularly rare, and thanks to the protection in nature reserves, it even enters the outskirts of cities in some territories. In general, this animal resembles a small brown bear weighing 120-150 kg. But there are some differences: the black bear’s fur is usually darker, the muzzle is more elongated and painted white or yellow, the ears of the baribal are relatively large, and the nails are long.

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

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

While the mother is busy searching for food, the little bear learns to climb trees.

The black bear eats the same food as the brown one, but plant food predominates in its diet, it never attacks large animals. And his character is more flexible. Smaller, and, therefore, less dangerous, this bear often approaches human housing in search of some kind of garbage.

Himalayan bear (Ursus thibetanus).

These bears are a little smaller than brown, and weigh 140-150 kg.

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

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

Gubach Bear (Melursus ursinus).

The territorial neighbor of the Himalayan bear - the area of \u200b\u200bthe gubach also covers Southeast Asia. But the appearance of the animal is very original. Gubach is a sort of “hippie” in the bear family. What self-respecting hippie does not try to stand out among his surroundings?

The color of the gubach strongly resembles a Himalayan bear, but its coat is very long and dense. Claws are also of extraordinary length.

And the gubach surprises. First of all, the way to get food. Gubach eats various plants, invertebrates and other small animals. But he has a special passion for ants and termites. For the destruction of strong termite mounds, the long claws of the gubach serve. When the sponge gets to the contents of the termite, he first blows air through the lips, folded in a tube, and then begins to suck insects through the gap between the front teeth. For this reason, he does not even have front incisors. During feeding, the gubach resembles a vacuum cleaner and produces no less noise. At other times in his life, the gubach is also nonchalant: he usually sleeps during the day and, unlike other bears, does not seek to hide in the wilderness: a sleeping gubac can be found right in the middle of some clearing, but this meeting is unlikely to be a surprise. The fact is that the governor also snores loudly and can be heard from afar. The gubach has reasons for such behavior - he simply does not have natural enemies. The only danger can be a tiger, with which the gubach is on an equal footing. By the way, the governor is the main contender along with the Himalayan bear for the role of Balu from the book of Rudyard Kipling. Most likely it was him who was meant by the author when he wrote The Jungle Book.

Malay Bear (Helarctos malayanus).

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

His coat is very short, which makes the Malay bear unlike the “real” bear.

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

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

Omnivorous, but because of its small size preys only on small animals. This bear does not hibernate.

Malay bears in the zoo.

Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus).

The only member of the bear family living in South America. It inhabits mountains and foothill forests. This is a beast of medium size.

The spectacle bear got its name because of the round spots around the eyes that resemble glasses.

Spectacled bear is the most herbivorous of all. This is a very rare animal that few have been able to see in natural conditions. Leading zoos in the world are participating in a spectacle bear breeding program.

A spectacled bear cub is studying zoo visitors from behind a fence.

And where is the panda - the most interesting species of bears? But whether a panda is a bear is a question that haunts scientists so far. 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 of the pandas on a separate page.

The brown bear, a brief description of which we will consider in this article, is a characteristic inhabitant of the taiga-type forests. It can be found practically throughout Russia, especially in Siberia and the Far East. It is found in coniferous, deciduous, and even in mixed areas of different countries, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. So, get acquainted: the owner of the Russian taiga is a brown bear!

Brief Description of the View

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

Nutrition

The diet of clubfoot on ¾ consists of plant foods. These are various berries, nuts, acorns, rhizomes and tubers of plants. Sometimes these predators even eat grass. In lean years, brown bears, like foxes, encroach on oat crops in the stage of their milk ripeness and various insects, reptiles, amphibians, small rodents, fish and, of course, large ungulate animals make animal feed. For example, a clumsy giant doesn’t cost anything alone with the blow of his powerful clawed paw to kill an adult large elk!

Subtype Brief Description

The numerical difference between brown bears is so great that once these animals were classified into independent species. Currently, all brown bears are united in one single species, combining several subspecies or geographical races. So, brown bears include:

• ordinary (Eurasian or European);
• californian;
• siberian;
• satin;
• gobian;
• grizzly or mexican;
• tien Shan;
• ussuri or Japanese;
• kodiak
• tibetan.

Giant heavyweights

As you already understood, the brown bear, which we describe in this article, is the most common clubfoot species in the world. Although it is called brown, it is not always painted in this color. In nature, you can find black, and beige, and yellow, and even fiery red bears. But we will talk about the color of their coat a little later. Now we are interested in their size.

The sizes of these animals vary depending on their gender, age and habitat. But males in any case are larger than females and weigh 30% more. Most brown bears have a height at the withers ranging from 75 to 160 centimeters. The length of the body mainly ranges from 1.6 to 2.9 meters.

The mass of the brown bear depends on its habitat. One of the largest animals are bears that live on the Scandinavian peninsula and, of course, in our country. Their weight is 350 kilograms. Their American relatives living in and also living in Canada can sometimes weigh more than 400 kilograms of net weight. Their name is grizzly, or gray.

A brown bear, the size of which is considered impressive around the world, is also found in Kamchatka and Alaska. There, these predators weigh more than 500 kilograms. Described cases of hunting brown bears, allegedly reaching a weight of 1 ton! However, for the most part, these shaggy heavyweights do not exceed 350 kilograms of net weight. The maximum recorded weight, for example, of the Kamchatka bear was 600 kilograms. The animals preserved on the territory of Europe are small in size. Their weight does not exceed 90 kilograms.

Appearance

The brown bear, the dimensions of which we examined above, has a pronounced barrel-shaped and powerful trunk with a high withers (height at the shoulders). Massive and high paws with a flat clawed sole hold this torso. The length of the claws of this shaggy giant ranges from 8 to 12 centimeters. These animals have practically no tail, since its length does not exceed 21 centimeters.

The shape of the head of a brown bear is round. On it are located small blind eyes and small ears. The muzzle is elongated, and the forehead is high. The owner of the Russian taiga is covered with a thick and evenly colored coat. Bears, like their size, are volatile. It all depends on the particular habitats of these animals. For example, famous ones may have brown wool with a silver tint. For this, by the way, they were nicknamed gray-haired.

Spread

As mentioned earlier, bears are forest dwellers. We repeat that typical habitats, for example, in Russia are solid forests with dense growth of grasses, shrubs and deciduous species. The brown bear, a brief description of which we consider in this article, is found in both tundra and highland forests. In Europe, he prefers mountain forests, and, for example, in North America it can be found in alpine meadows, in coastal forests.

Once upon a time, these animals inhabited the whole of Europe, including Ireland and Great Britain, and in the south of the globe its habitat reached the African satin mountains. In the eastern direction, this type of shaggy heavyweights was distributed through Siberia and China to Japan. Scientists believe that brown bears came to North America from Asia about 40 thousand years ago. They are sure that these animals were able to independently cross the Bering Isthmus, settling in western America from Alaska to Mexico.

Winter sleep

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

Preparation for sleep

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

Sometimes these predators dig out "dugouts" directly in the coastal cliffs of the rivers. If during this time the bear did not find a secluded place for his winter refuge, he digs a large hole, and then strengthens its walls with vertically protruding branches. With them, brown bears fill up the inlet, at the same time disguising themselves and isolating themselves from the outside world for several months. Immediately before bedtime, the beast that has accumulated a sufficient amount of subcutaneous fat thoroughly confuses its traces of being near the den.

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

Hibernation

Adult animals in most cases spend their cold winter days in their dens alone. Only a bear can hibernate along with last year’s cubs. Scientists who observed the lives of these predators (see photo of a brown bear and a description of his lifestyle) noticed that in some areas of the globe where there are no particularly suitable places for wintering, bears use the same shelters several times.

In some places, lairs can generally be located in close proximity to each other, it turns out something like a bearish “apartment building”. If the choice of "winter apartments" is very tight, some especially arrogant bears encroach on other people's homes. For example, an adult male brown bear can, without any pity, expel a weaker relative from the dens that it has liked.

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

Caution, connecting rod!

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

It also happens that some bears, due to malnutrition in the autumn-winter period, cannot gain the necessary weight, find and equip their homes. In this case, they do not lie in the den at all. Not having time to accumulate the reserves of subcutaneous fat necessary for a comfortable wintering, the beast simply staggers through the snowy forest, as if restless. The people called these poor fellows "connecting rods." A connecting rod bear is a very dangerous and extremely aggressive beast! At this time, it is better not to mess with him at all, since the beast is very hungry, incredibly angry and attacks almost everything that moves.

Breeding

Female brown bears bring offspring 2 to 4 times per year. The mating period usually falls on them in May, June and July. At this time, the males behave aggressively: they begin to roar loudly, serious fights arise between them, sometimes ending in the death of one of the bears. Pregnancy in females lasts from 190 to 200 days. At one time they can bring up to 5 cubs with a body weight of up to 600 grams and a length of up to 23 centimeters.

Progeny

Young growth is born blind, with overgrown auditory canals and covered with short sparse hair. After two weeks, the cubs begin to hear, and after a month - to see. Already 90 days after birth, all of their milk teeth grow in them, and they begin to eat berries, plants and insects. As a rule, males of brown bears are not involved in offspring; raising young animals is the prerogative of females. Cubs become sexually mature by the age of 3, but continue to grow up to 10 years.

Brown bear. Red Book

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

Bears are powerful predatory animals with thick legs with claws bent down. While walking, they step on the whole foot, for which they received the name "stop-walking." The maximum speed that that predator can develop is fifty kilometers per hour.

Characteristics of different types of bears

According to research, On Earth, these predatory animals appeared about five or six million years ago. Now scientists distinguish 8 species in the bear family:

• brown bear,
• himalayan
• big panda,
• polar bear,
• sponge bear
• baribal
• spectacled,
• malay.

All species of these predators have their own diet. For example, a polar bear consumes exclusively meat, a panda absorbs only plants, while others regale themselves with berries, fruits, plants, insects, and meat.

All types of bears have uniform external data, almost the same size and similar structure. Bears are the largest mammalian predatory animals living on earth.

Popular brown bear

This is the most numerous species.because it can adapt to completely different conditions and places of residence. They can be met in desert and mountainous areas, in dense taiga and even beyond the Arctic Circle. In ancient times, these bears lived in Japan, but now this species of bears has completely disappeared from the Land of the Rising Sun.

A few such bears   in the western and central parts of Europe, you can meet them only in mountainous areas. Scientists seriously believe that here this species of bears is on the verge of extinction. But in the areas of the Far East and Siberia, brown bears live happily because of the large number of diverse food.

Due to the large range of their habitat, these bears have acquired numerous subspecies, which vary in appearance and size. The weight of representatives of various subspecies of brown bears starts at one hundred kilograms and can reach even one ton.

The 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 clubfoot animals is in the range of 200-280 centimeters.

Brown predators lead a sedentary life, the land on which one bear lives stretches for tens of kilometers. However, the beast does not really protect the borders of its “possessions,” but on this site there are places where the predator seeks food and makes lairs, the visit of which by other animals is immediately suppressed by the owner.

In the winter season, brown bears hibernate. By that time, the lair, hidden from prying eyes in a poorly accessible place, should be equipped. To do this, the bear lays 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 should eat about seven hundred kilograms of various berries and about five hundred kilograms of pine nuts. And that's all besides other types of food.

Bear diets are mainly berries, nuts, fruits, roots, crops. Sometimes ants, insects and their larvae, small rodents appear on their menu. Males can also catch small ungulates that live in the forest.

The sleep of a brown bear during hibernation is quite sensitive, but you should not wake it up, because the "not enough sleep" bear is 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 between 29-34 degrees. This condition allows the predator to spend fat reserves more economically.

Dangerous Himalayan Bear

This kind of bears also called asiatic black bear. The size of the Himalayan bear is slightly smaller than the brown one, and it is slimmer in structure. He has a more elegant physique, a slightly elongated muzzle and large ears. This species of predators lives in the highlands and hilly regions of East Asia, from formidable Iran to hospitable Japan. You can meet an Asian bear in Indochina, the southern Himalayas, and Afghanistan. In Russia, this species of bears can only be seen in the Ussuri Territory, beyond Amur, in the northern region.

Himalayan bears are coal-black with a white or yellowish spot on their chests, their hair is thick, in the head and neck the hair is longer and slightly raised, forms a kind of mane . Their individuals can reach a length of 170 centimeters, their maximum weight is 140 kilograms. Basically, these bears lead a woody lifestyle, so their claws are strong and sharp, so they cling well to the branches.

At the heart of the food of the Himalayan representative of the bear family is plants. In summer, he eats fresh grass, plant bulbs, roots, berries, as well as insects. In the spring, pine nuts and acorns remaining on the ground from last year prevail in his diet. These bears are big sweet tooth and will never refuse to feast on the honey of wild bees or raid the apiary. Sometimes the diet of the Asian bear is enriched with meat of ungulates, rodents and amphibians.

This species of clubfoot predators   It is dangerous for people, because these bears are very brave, they can compete for prey with a Bengal tiger and a leopard. In Asian countries, there have been many cases of attacks by Himalayan bears on livestock.

Cute big panda

Pandas live in the forests of central and western China and are under state protection because they have a small population. The birth of each new panda is fixed and considered a joyful event.

These bears have an interesting black and white color., in length they reach 120 cm, their maximum weight is 160 kg. They have a dense body with a large head, their paws are short with small claws. Scientists argued for a long time about which family to “identify” pandas - bearish, or raccoon. But as a result of numerous studies, it turned out that the body structure of the panda corresponds to the bear, although they have some features that are characteristic of raccoons.

Pandas are slow and thoughtful, therefore they prefer to live alone, however, in the spring they mate with individuals of the opposite sex for mating.

Pandas feed on fresh bamboo shoots for the most part, and sometimes can be enjoyed by other plants or fish.

Mighty polar bear

The polar bear is the largest   representative of the bear family. The weight of individuals ranges from 300-800 kilograms. Moreover, females can reach only 400 kilograms, males are larger, and some of their representatives can weigh under 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 on Svalbard. These bears have longer hair, compared with other species, and a flat skull structure. Their hair is white, but sometimes it gets a yellowish tone under the sun's rays, the skin of polar bears is black.

There are almost no plant foods in the diet of this type of predator. The main "dish" in the menu of white bears are seals, but they do not disdain birds, walruses, rodents, whales that were on the shore.

Polar bears pose a huge danger to polar explorers. If other species of bears almost never attack humans first, then their white brethren can specifically track a person.

Gubach Bear - a resident of tropical countries

The habitat of the Gubach bear is the woodland of the island of Ceylon, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. This is a slender look.   bears with long legs, which are crowned with large and sharp claws. His coat is thick, long, black with a V-shaped white mark on his chest, growing in different directions, so the bear has a rather untidy appearance. His muzzle has a pointed appearance, his lips are long, and while eating, the bear folds his lips in such a way that various funny grimaces are obtained.

The gubach 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 seeks food for himself at night.

These bears eat mainly fruits of trees and insects. At the same time, he gets insects by blowing them from the bark of trees, and then dragging them into the mouth with air. Sharp claws also help to get insects and their larvae, with the help of which the bear easily breaks rotten trees.

Black baribal

Lives baribal in North America, in Canada, Alaska, in the Pacific and Atlantic. Baribal resembles a brown bear, but its coat color is black, its muzzle is more elongated and yellowish, its dimensions are slightly smaller than that of a brown fellow. The body of a baribal is 180 centimeters long, and its weight is in the region of 120-150 kilograms.

Such a bear has long claws that allow him to climb trees well. The black baribal eats only food of plant origin, but insects, their larvae, and small vertebrates also occur in his diet.

Spectacled Bear: South American

This species of clubfoot predators lives in the highlands of the South American continent. The length of his body reaches 170 centimeters, and the weight is in the range of 70-140 kilograms. In addition, this bear has an impressive tail, its length is about 10 centimeters. The bear has a thick coat of black or black-brown color, and the muzzle is decorated with white spots that look like a bear wears dark glasses.

Spectacled bears are listed in the Red Book, their population is not numerous, therefore this species of bears is studied rather poorly. This bear eats exclusively berries, herbs, fruits and roots. He lives in lairs, but can settle for a few days on a tree, arranging a special nest there from branches bent under him, and eat juicy leaves or fruits.

Little malay bear

The smallest member of the family   a bear is a Malay bear, or biruang. The length of his body reaches only 140 centimeters, and the weight is within 65 kilograms. The “baby” lives in eastern India and further to Indonesia.

Biruang's hair is short, smooth, resembles black plush. The muzzle is shortened and colored either in orange or gray, on the chest there is a horseshoe-shaped mark of orange or white. His paws are quite wide, and the claws are strong, have a curved shape.

The Malay bear leads a nocturnal lifestyle, and during the day quietly sleeps in a tree under the warm sun. The bear eats everything for food:

1. shoots of plants
2. fruit,
3. insects
4. small rodents.

The bear is a beautiful, but at the same time very dangerous animal that has chosen the forests of North America, Europe and Asia. Since ancient times, this animal has become one of the main characters of legends, fairy tales and myths.

In Russia, they were so afraid of this beast that they didn’t even pronounce its name in rumors, only the definition “he that knows honey”, that is, “bear”, remained for us to use.

In the course of research, paleontologists found that these large animal planets settled about 5-7 million years ago. Consider several large species to find out which is the largest bear in the world.

Of all species of bears, gubach has the most unusual appearance, and this bear lives in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia.

The head of the most exotic species is similar to the head of a sloth, and the shape of elongated lips gave the name to the whole species. Adult individuals have a body length of up to 180 centimeters, and weight reaches 140 kilograms.

Despite the favorable living conditions, spectacled bears are on the verge of extinction, and hunting for them is prohibited.

Big panda

Cute and funny bamboo bear is the most peaceful and good-natured. Pandas grow up to 1.8 meters in length, and the largest individuals weigh 160 kilograms.

According to the species classification, these are predators, but the favorite delicacy of this animal is bamboo. An adult panda eats up to 30 kg per day. of this plant. Feel great in captivity, and as a Hispanic fellow, also does not fall into hibernation.

Only in 2016 was it possible to overcome the peak of the threat of the disappearance of pandas, and in recent years the population has grown significantly.

A beautiful bear can only be found in the coastal forests of western Canada. They grow up to 180 centimeters in length, and weigh from 230 to 300 kilograms, which brings them to the top of the largest bears.

Most of this species has a white, sometimes dirty cream color, but they are not albinos, or even relatives of polar bears.

They named it after the zoologist Kermod, who first studied and described this species, and the waters of the local Indian tribes I call him a ghost bear.

You can meet a black bear from the northern expanses of Alaska to Mexico, in all provinces of Canada and in 39 US states. Baribals grow up to 2 meters, and weigh from 330 to 360 kilograms.

Lives mainly in forests, and only in search of food, can go to open areas - river valleys, meadows and plains. This is a loner, although at birth, cubs, females form a kind of kindergartens, with the aim of raising and protecting offspring.

Baribals are vegetarians, although occasionally they can attack small livestock.

This is one of the subspecies of the brown bear. Grizzly bear lives mainly in Alaska, and it can also be found in some provinces of Canada and in some states of America.

This is the largest bearish representative in North America, and grows up to 2.3 meters in length and weighs 450 kilograms. There are many tales of cannibals, and in 2010 a 476 kilogram bear was killed in the United States.

It differs from its European relatives in habits and character, although it is very similar in appearance. Grizzly bear brown color, sometimes with a blackish tint.

Siberian brown bear

This giant is also a subspecies of the brown bear, and lives, as the name suggests, in Siberia, in Anadyr and Kolyma.

Alone wandering through the woods in search of food, and in winter falls into prolonged hibernation. It is omnivorous, and eats animal and plant foods in about the same amount. They are really huge, the body length reaches 2.5 meters, and the weight can reach 800 kilograms.

The offspring is born during the winter hibernation, and the teddy bear remains with the mother until the age of 3 until it gets stronger and acquires hunting skills.

And here is the world's largest bear in the brown squad, because it grows up to 3 meters, and an adult kodiak weighs from 850 to 1000 kilograms. Today there are no more than 3,000 individuals, and the largest number lives on the Kodiak archipelago off the coast of Alaska.

A muscular mammal with a massive body is omnivorous, and in addition to animal food, vegetation also enters their diet. Large views do not adapt very well to captive conditions.

It is famous for the fact that this particular subspecies played in some popular films shot by Hollywood directors, and its beauty, grace and size can be estimated in the photo.

Our review is completed by the largest predator of the planet - the polar bear, whose weight reaches 1 ton and a body length of more than 3 meters. But there were very large individuals. So of all the predators that walk on Earth, the largest is the polar bear.

Fish . Interestingly, the skin under the coat of a polar bear is black.

It is noteworthy that only pregnant females hibernate for a long period of time, but males hibernate in the winter for a short period, and even then not every year.

In conclusion, we note that the bears are incredibly smart and very inquisitive. For example, according to the testimony of hunters, bears can throw a stone or a stick into a trap, in order to neutralize it, then to pick up the bait without hindrance.

When walking on its hind legs, the bears put their foot completely on the surface of the earth, and of all living creatures on the planet, only humans walk this way.