The Bears, also known as ursids or ursidae, are majestic and very powerful animals that, for many years, have been part of various stories, fables and movies. They are feared for their strength and ferocity, however, they are also loved and respected as they represent one of the most beautiful facets of nature.
Let's learn about bears
Bears are within the mammalia class, that is, they are mammalian animals. They are considered Omnivorous animals due to the great diversity of foods that can be consumed. Bears are considered as large animals, their diet, although it is mainly carnivorous, also consists of fruits, roots, insects and some other foods that can be consumed by them.
Although there are some exceptions, such as the polar bear, this animal has a diet mainly based on meat, especially the meat of the seals in its environment, this is because in its habitat, in general, there is not a large variety of other types of food that can be consumed by the same and that provide the amount of nutrients and fat they need.
Bears have large, strong and very heavy bodies, in addition to this, they have extremely powerful legs or paws as well as their jaws, all these characteristics make these animals one of the most important carnivores that can be found on our planet. .
A male polar bear can weigh about half a ton, that is, 500 kilograms. Its size can reach 130 centimeters when measured from the withers. When moving, these animals have a heavy gait, where they must support all their weight on the soles of their legs, which is why they are called "plantigrade animals" because many animals do not have that quality when walking. In addition to this, both its ears and its tail are much smaller than some other animals.
Main characteristics of bears
These Vertebrate animals They have characteristics that make them stand out from other large mammals:
- They have a large head.
- They have small ears, rounded at the end and are erect, that is, they do not fall with gravity.
- His eyes are small and round.
- They have a large and very heavy body.
- They have a robust build.
- His tail is short, so short that it is almost indistinguishable from his fur.
- Although they have short legs, they are extremely powerful, they have five fingers on their four legs in which there is the presence of sharp and long claws.
As we said before, bears are considered plantigrade, that is, they share with humans the characteristic that they support all their weight on the sole of their foot when walking, in addition to that, they are capable of walking on their two hind legs and travel a small distance in this way. Despite their large size and weight, bears are capable of being very fast when required and have smooth and cautious movements.
Although they lack good senses of sight and hearing, they are rewarded with an exceptional sense of smell, which they use for much of their lives to tell if there is prey, predators, or something of interest nearby.
Bears are capable of hibernating. Hibernation is known as the ability of some power animals to remain partially asleep during hibernation times where the living conditions are not entirely favorable to them, just as the weather is usually inclement and extreme. This ability is possessed by many mammalian and non-mammalian animals, however, all species of bears are born with this characteristic.
Currently, bears tend to measure between 1 meter and 2.8 meters in total, in addition to this, they can weigh between 27 and 780 kilograms, although there are some records where male polar bears have been seen weighing very close to the ton, that is, 1.000 kilograms.
In general, the males of this species are usually 20% larger and heavier than the females. They have quite abundant and long fur, which, in most cases, is usually unicolor. The most commonly seen hues among these animals are the color palettes of browns, blacks, and whites. Of course, to these, we must except the spectacled bears, which have white circles on their faces and the panda bears that have a characteristic black and white fur.
The teeth of these animals are usually very particular, they have unspecialized incisors, the canines of these animals are protruding, the three main premolars mostly do not exist or are very small, and the molars are quite wide and short, specially designed for animals with an omnivorous diet.
Most of the bears that exist today are omnivorous animals, that is, they can eat different types of food, other smaller vertebrates, eggs, fruits of different types, various vegetables, invertebrate animals and more. The exceptions to this rule would be the sloth bears of India, which generally feed on ants and termites, and the polar bear, which has a diet based on the meat of the seals or walruses found in its environment.
The distribution of bears ranges from Europe, Asia, North America, the Atlas Mountains of Africa and the Andes of South America, in the latter, only spectacled bears can be found. Knowing this, we can say that these animals can be found in various types of habitat, from the coldest in arctic areas, to the warmest in tropical forests.
Currently, there are much fewer bears than in the past, since many of the species that lived in past eras are now extinct. That is why, today, there is a wide variety of scientists who are studying these animals, their diet, habitats, geography, genes and the interaction they have with humans. These investigations are being carried out with the important purpose of being able to learn more about the species and thus manage to maintain and conserve it.
Let's know the different species of bears
In several of the world's cultures, bears are cataloged as animals that represent the power and connection that unites man with the wild world. However, we can assure you that of the 8 remaining species of these mammals, 6 are seriously threatened. This is largely due to the evil and destructive hand of man.
That is why, currently, there are various organizations specialized in the protection, care and conservation of species that have been dedicated to keeping alive the various species of bears that are left alive today, especially those found in most vulnerable state.
Let's find out what are the species of bears that live on our planet today:
Giant panda bear
This is the best known and most charismatic bear in the world, which is why it is currently the national animal of China. These animals have a genetic closeness to spectacled bears, which is why it is known of the existence of a subspecies of these that have a unique coat, it is brown with white, however, there are only about 300 specimens of this subspecies of giant pandas.
Pandas generally live in the bamboo forests that are located within China, as it is in these areas where their food is found in great abundance. It is believed that there are approximately 2.000 specimens of this species of bear, most of which are found living in the wild.
Currently, the population of these panda bears has been increasing thanks to the work carried out by government agents, scientists and organizations dedicated to the conservation of the species, who have dedicated themselves to keeping this species alive. However, it is still a vulnerable species. Their vulnerability is mainly due to the constant and rapid loss of their natural habitat, the illegal hunting that man has constantly carried out against them, and the inability of these animals to reproduce in captivity.
Spectacled bear
Also known by the name of "gardener of the forests", these are the only species of bears that can be found within the territory of South America, especially within the Andean mountains that range from the country of Venezuela to Bolivia.
The spots that these animals have on their bodies, especially on their faces, chest and snout, are distinctive characteristics of each individual, that is, no specimen has the same pattern of these spots as another specimen. It is something similar to what we humans have with our fingerprints.
These, along with the panda bear and sun bear, are one of the few bears of the ursid species that do not go into hibernation. One of its main characteristics is that they are excellent climbers, because their claws are designed in such a way that it helps them to hold and manage the branches of the trees they climb, in addition to that, they also serve to be able to take the stems of some plants and to dig in the ground.
Although these bears are also considered omnivores, in general, their diet is essentially based on fruits and some types of plants. Thanks to this diet and to the fact that they are animals that can travel great distances in one day, they are capable of spreading the seeds they eat throughout different territories.
sun bear
These are the smallest bears within the species and are located within the Asian continent. They are also excellent climbers, they climb the branches of trees in search of their food, which consists mainly of coconuts, as these are their favorite food. They are also considered omnivorous animals, they can feed on different types of insects, seeds and even other smaller mammals.
As mentioned before, this species of bear does not go into hibernation, so they remain active all year round. The females of this species of bears can give birth to two cubs per year. Currently, there are not many of these animals left, this is due again to the loss of their habitats, since man has taken part of these to create their areas of crops and agriculture, in addition to this, the extraction of minerals, logging of trees and the illegal hunting of these animals have led to their becoming an endangered species.
sloth bear
This is one of the best known species of bears in the world due to the character that plays it, Baloo, the friendly bear that was in charge of teaching Mowgli many things in the famous story of "The Jungle Book". Sloth bears can generally be found living within the grasslands and forested areas of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
These animals are characterized by having a much longer and smoother coat than that of other species of bears. Their legs can be distinguished due to the inward curvature they have, in addition to this, they have a slightly more remarkable snout than that of the rest of the species.
The diet that these animals have is very diverse, they can eat from eggs of other animals, vegetables, flowers, honey and more, however, their favorite food is ants and termites, as they are their greatest source of protein.
These animals have an annual reproduction and last gestating the bear cub for about eleven months. Currently, the population of these animals is decreasing, this is because many of them are hunted with the intention of obtaining their skins or to extract their bile acid, which is very popular in China as a natural medicine. .
asiatic black bear
This Asian animal can be found in forested areas ranging from Iran to the country of the rising sun, Japan. Although they have also been seen within Taiwanese territory. The closest relative to this species of bear would be the American black bear, in addition to this, both species share genes from their polar and brown ancestors.
They are animals with an omnivorous diet, in general, they really like to eat all kinds of berries, some types of fruits, nuts such as walnuts, honey, fish and even some other smaller mammals. In addition to all these foods, these animals, if required, can also become scavengers.
Today, its various habitats have been invaded by humans. It is believed that for this reason, these animals have become much more aggressive than others of their species and have led to much more attacks on humans. At least seven subspecies of Asiatic black bears are currently known, however, they have already disappeared from many places where they once inhabited. This thanks to its loss of ecosystem and the abusive and sadly constant illegal hunting.
american black bears
This is the species of bears that have the greatest abundance in North America, in addition to that, they are cataloged as one of the species of mammals that have the highest intelligence in the world. Which is why many of the people who work in circuses have always wanted to have one of these animals as the center of attraction.
Until now, at least 16 subspecies of these bears have been counted, which are distributed throughout the different North American forests and mountains. Something striking about these species is that, despite their name, these animals have a great diversity of colors in their coats, which can range from the darkest black to the purest white, and in addition to this, their shades can also vary. depending on the base color of their fur.
The male specimens of this species of bears can reach an impressive height of up to 2.8 meters, while the females can reach 2.5 meters. On many occasions, nature has shown us that, despite their difference in size, females, if required, can become very powerful and defeat a male, especially if they are protecting the cub from him.
Contradictory to what may be believed, these animals, although they are extremely heavy, can become very agile and be considered very good climbers. In addition, during a chase or as a means of escape, these bears can become extremely fast. , because they can reach an incredible speed of up to 60 km / h.
In general, these animals are solitary, however, if there is an area full of many foods, a clear example is in the seasons when salmon swim against the current to spawn, several bears can be seen peacefully living together within the same territory.
Grizzly
There are several subspecies of these brown bears, however, the most popular are usually the Kodiak Bear and the Grissly Bear. These animals can be found within the temperate zones, specifically in the forests, of North America and the European and Asian continents. The history of this species of animals confirms that, approximately 150.000 years ago, a small part of these mammals moved away and searched for new lands to inhabit, they managed to reach the arctic lands and it was there that the emergence of polar bears began.
These bears, like the Andean bears, support all their weight on the soles of their legs when walking, which is why they are known as plantigrades. This detail may surprise many people, because these animals are really big and heavy, they can measure up to 2.9 meters and some can even exceed XNUMX meters in height.
Like most bears, these are also omnivores, however, they have a great weakness for honey and salmon fish. This species of bear has the ability to store at least 75% of the energy they acquire from their food within their own layer of fat, this energy will be used during the hibernation season.
When the hibernation season ends, most of the females of this species give birth to their young, however, this does not reduce the risk and the difficulty that they have to go through in order to live and become adult bears.
Some of the areas that were previously inhabited by this species of bears, today are devoid of them, because they have become extinct thanks to human intervention, poaching and the loss of their natural habitat.
Polar Bear
This is another of the best-known bear species in the world, due to its eccentric beauty as it is white in color and the majesty that these animals naturally transmit. They are considered the largest predators in the Arctic, in addition to this, although many do not believe it, the polar bear is not classified as a terrestrial mammal, in fact, it is located as an aquatic mammal, this due to its incredible ability to swim and the efficient way it hunts in the water.
The natural habitat of these animals is in the northernmost area of the planet, the only place in the world where the compass will always point south, this means that they are one of the few species of North Pole Animals. Their habitat is surrounded by ice, however, both polar bears and their environment are in serious danger due to constant global warming and high temperatures.
When we observe the profile of this species of bears, we can notice that it is a little longer than the rest, the legs and especially their pads, have been perfectly adapted so that these animals have excellent mobility on the ground. ice, a place where they often jump to hunt the seals that are submerged under the fragile layer.
As with the species of spectacled bears, female polar bears, after their reproduction, retain the fertilized egg and wait until the right time to let it implant, in this way, they make sure they can prepare before having to their young, because future mothers first store a large amount of fat, although this species does not hibernate either, they prepare themselves in this way since the winter season in their habitat is very harsh and difficult, so they will need all the energy they can store. After their preparation, the females will give birth to one or two cubs.
