Name of the bears. Polar bears - brown bears - photos of bears. The giant panda is a mountain bear of Tibet. Description and photo of a giant panda

From early childhood we become acquainted with such an animal as a bear. This is an image from a cartoon, a favorite plush toy, and even a painting by a famous artist. Did you know that there is a whole family of Bears, which includes many representatives?

Lovers of honey and at the same time dangerous predators, huge, but sometimes such funny animals - bears have always fascinated people with their power. Below are articles about various representatives of the Bear family. In them you will plunge into the world of wild bears and find a lot of interesting things about these curious, strong and ferocious animals.

The giant panda is a mountain bear of Tibet. Description and photo of a giant panda

The giant panda is a member of the Bear family. These funny bears will make you smile! In this article you will find a detailed description and photo of a giant panda, and you will be able to learn a lot of new and fascinating things about the life of this rare animal.

The polar bear is a large predator of the north. Description and photo of a polar bear

The polar bear (other names for the polar bear: polar bear, northern bear, oshkuy, nanuk, umka, sea bear) is one of the largest predators on the planet, which is a member of the Bear family. The big polar bear is the embodiment of strength. Since ancient times, the polar polar bear has become a respected character in folklore among the indigenous northern peoples. In this article you can see a photo and description of a polar bear, learn a lot of new and interesting things about this large and strong predator of the North.

The Himalayan bear is the owner of the moon sign. Description of the Himalayan bear and photo

The Himalayan bear (other names: white-breasted bear, black Himalayan bear, black Ussuri bear) is a predatory species of mammals from the Bear family. The Himalayan bear is often called the "moon bear" because of its white patch on its chest, which is shaped like a crescent moon. In this article you will find a description of the Himalayan bear and photos, you will learn a lot of interesting and new things about this unique animal.

The bear is the largest predator on earth. This animal belongs to the class mammals, order carnivores, family bears, genus bears ( Ursus). The bear appeared on the planet about 6 million years ago and has always been a symbol of power and strength.

Bear - description, characteristics, structure. What does a bear look like?

Depending on the species, the body length of a predator can vary from 1.2 to 3 meters, and the weight of a bear varies from 40 kg to a ton. The body of these animals is large, stocky, with a thick, short neck and a large head. Powerful jaws make it easy to chew both plant and meat foods. The limbs are rather short and slightly curved. Therefore, the bear walks, swaying from side to side, and rests on its entire foot. The speed of a bear in moments of danger can reach 50 km/h. With the help of large and sharp claws, these animals extract food from the ground, tear apart prey and climb trees. Many species of bears are good swimmers. The polar bear has a special membrane between its toes for this purpose. The lifespan of a bear can reach 45 years.

Bears do not have sharp eyesight or well-developed hearing. This is compensated by an excellent sense of smell. Sometimes animals stand on their hind legs to use their sense of smell to obtain information about their surroundings.

Thick bear fur covering the body has a different color: from reddish-brown to black, white in polar bears or black and white in pandas. Species with dark fur turn gray and gray in old age.

Does a bear have a tail?

Yes, but only the giant panda has a noticeable tail. In other species it is short and almost indistinguishable in the fur.

Types of bears, names and photos

In the bear family, zoologists distinguish 8 species of bears, which are divided into many different subspecies:

• Brown bear (common bear) (Ursus arctos)

The appearance of a predator of this species is typical for all representatives of the bear family: a powerful body, rather high at the withers, a massive head with rather small ears and eyes, a short, barely noticeable tail, and large paws with very powerful claws. The body of a brown bear is covered with thick fur with brownish, dark gray, and reddish colors, which vary depending on the habitat of the “clubfoot”. Baby bear cubs often have large light tan marks on the chest or neck area, although these marks disappear with age.

The distribution range of the brown bear is wide: it is found in the mountain systems of the Alps and on the Apennine Peninsula, common in Finland and the Carpathians, and feels comfortable in Scandinavia, Asia, China, the northwestern United States and Russian forests.

• Polar (white) bear (Ursus maritimus)

It is the largest representative of the family: its body length often reaches 3 meters, and its weight can exceed one ton. The polar bear has a long neck and a slightly flattened head - this distinguishes it from its counterparts of other species. The color of the bear’s fur is from boiling white to slightly yellowish; the hairs are hollow inside, so they give the bear’s “fur coat” excellent thermal insulation properties. The soles of the paws are thickly lined with tufts of coarse fur, which allows the polar bear to easily move across the ice without slipping. There is a membrane between the toes that facilitates the swimming process. The habitat of this bear species is the circumpolar regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

• Baribal (black bear) (Ursus americanus)

The bear is a little similar to its brown relative, but differs from it in its smaller size and blue-black fur. The length of an adult baribal does not exceed two meters, and female bears are even smaller - their body is usually 1.5 meters long. A pointed muzzle, long paws ending in rather short feet - this is what makes this representative of bears remarkable. By the way, baribals can become black only in the third year of life, receiving a gray or brownish color at birth. The black bear's habitat is vast: from the vastness of Alaska to the territories of Canada and hot Mexico.

• Malayan bear (biruang) (Helarctos malayanus)

The most “miniature” species among its bear counterparts: its length does not exceed 1.3-1.5 meters, and the height at the withers is slightly more than half a meter. This type of bear has a stocky build, a short, rather wide muzzle with small round ears. The paws of the Malayan bear are high, while the large, long feet with huge claws look a little disproportionate. The body is covered with short and very tough black-brown fur; the animal’s chest is “decorated” with a white-red spot. The Malayan bear lives in the southern regions of China, Thailand and Indonesia.

• White-breasted (Himalayan) bear (Ursus thibetanus)

The slender physique of the Himalayan bear is not very large in size - this representative of the family is two times smaller than its brown relative: the male has a length of 1.5-1.7 meters, while the height at the withers is only 75-80 cm, females are even smaller. The bear's body, covered with shiny and silky fur of dark brown or black color, is crowned by a head with a pointed muzzle and large round ears. A mandatory “attribute” of the Himalayan bear’s appearance is a spectacular white or yellowish spot on the chest. This type of bear lives in Iran and Afghanistan, is found in the mountainous regions of the Himalayas, in Korea, Vietnam, China and Japan, and feels at ease in the vastness of the Khabarovsk Territory and in the south of Yakutia.

• Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus)

A medium-sized predator - length 1.5-1.8 meters, height at the withers from 70 to 80 cm. The muzzle is short, not too wide. The fur of the spectacled bear is shaggy, has a black or black-brown tint, and there are always white-yellow rings around the eyes, smoothly turning into a whitish “collar” of fur on the animal’s neck. The habitat of this type of bear is the countries of South America: Colombia and Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador, Venezuela and Panama.

• Gubach (Melursus ursinus)

A predator with a body length of up to 1.8 meters, height at the withers varies from 65 to 90 centimeters, females are approximately 30% smaller than males in both respects. The body of the sloth fish is massive, the head is large, with a flat forehead and an overly elongated muzzle, which ends in mobile, completely hairless, protruding lips. The bear's fur is long, usually black or dirty brown in color, and in the area of ​​the animal's neck it often forms something like a shaggy mane. The sloth bear's chest has a light spot. The habitat of this type of bear is India, some areas of Pakistan, Bhutan, the territory of Bangladesh and Nepal.

• Big panda (bamboo bear) ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

This type of bear has a massive, squat body, which is covered with dense, thick black and white fur. The paws are short, thick, with sharp claws and completely hairless pads: this allows pandas to firmly hold smooth and slippery bamboo stems. The structure of the front paws of these bears is very unusually developed: five ordinary fingers are complemented by a large sixth, although it is not a real finger, but a modified bone. Such amazing paws enable the panda to easily handle the thinnest shoots of bamboo. The bamboo bear lives in the mountainous regions of China, with especially large populations living in Tibet and Sichuan.

Where do bears live?

The distribution range of bears includes Eurasia, North and South America, Asia, some islands of Japan, Northwestern Africa and the Arctic. Bears live in the forest. Except for polar bears, all representatives of this family lead a sedentary lifestyle. They can stay in families (a mother bear with cubs), but usually prefer solitude. Each individual has its own territory where the bear lives, hunts and winters. In places with excess food, several bears can be present at the same time. Animals living in cold regions fall into seasonal hibernation, lasting up to 200 days.

What does a bear eat?

The bear's diet includes both plant and animal foods. Brown bears, in addition to berries, mushrooms, nuts and various roots, eat meat

Bear breeding

Although bears are monogamous, their pairings do not last long. Soon after the mating season, which takes place at different times in different species, they separate. Depending on the species, a female bear's pregnancy lasts from 180 to 250 days. A female bear gives birth during hibernation and emerges from the shelter with her cubs. A litter usually contains from 1 to 4 cubs, which are born without teeth, with closed eyes and practically no fur. They feed on their mother's milk for about a year. For about 2 years, babies are near their mother. The cubs of the previous litter help the mother in raising young offspring. Bears become sexually mature at 3-5 years of age.

In zoos, bears are kept in large enclosures that create conditions that best match the natural habitat of each species. In addition to tree trunks, piles of stones and wooden structures, a spacious swimming pool is necessary. The food must be seasonal and contain products that are available to the animal in natural conditions. Vitamins, bone meal and fish oil are used to supplement the diet. Despite the fact that little bear cubs are very cute and funny, it is not worth keeping this wild animal at home: an adult bear is a dangerous and strong predator, for which its home is natural spaces.

• The Malayan (sun) bear is the smallest among the “bear” representatives - its dimensions do not exceed the dimensions of a large dog: the height at the withers is only 55-70 centimeters, and the weight varies from 30 to 65 kg.
• The normal pulse of a bear is 40 beats per minute, but during hibernation this figure drops to 8-10 beats.
• The only true predator is the white polar bear: it feeds on meat and fish, all other species of “clubfoot” are omnivores and prefer a varied menu.
• A newborn brown bear cub weighs only 450-500 grams at birth, but by the time it reaches adulthood, this baby gains 1000 times its weight!

The bear is considered the largest predator on earth; this species originated on the planet about 6 million years ago.

All about bears

The body length of the predator, depending on the species, varies from 1.2 to 3 meters, weight can reach up to 1 ton, the jaws are very powerful, and the limbs are slightly curved and short.

The bear can reach a speed of up to 50 km/h, with the help of large and sharp claws it can easily climb a tree, tear apart its prey, and pull out plant roots from under the ground.

Most bears are good swimmers.

Life expectancy can reach 45 years. They have a good sense of smell.

The bear's fur is very hard and thick, the color has various shades from brown to black, white or black and white, and gray hair may appear with age.

The tail of predators is almost invisible, only in the panda it is clearly pronounced.

Varieties and photos of bears

Zoologists distinguish eight main species of bears and many varieties:

Brown bear

Its external characteristics are: a large head, a rather powerful body, small ears and eyes, an almost invisible tail, large paws with large claws.

The color of six, depending on the habitat, can be brown, gray or even reddish. Brown bears are found in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Scandinavian Peninsula.

Polar bear (white)

It is the largest predator of the bear family: the weight can be more than one ton, the body length is about three meters, the head is flattened, and the neck is long. The coat color can be pure white or slightly yellowish.

The fur on the soles of the paws is very thick, which allows the bear to easily walk on ice without slipping.

Feels comfortable in the water and swims well. Lives in regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Baribal (black)

Unlike the brown bear, it is smaller in size and its coat color is very black. It can be more than 2 meters long, the female is 1.5 m.

Elongated muzzle, long paws, short feet, gray or brown color. Inhabits the territories of Alaska, Canada, Mexico.

Malayan bear

Very small, as a rule, body length no more than 1.3-1.5 m, height at the withers about 0.5 m. Stocky build, wide muzzle, small ears. The paws are high, the feet are long with large claws.

The bear's fur is very hard, black-brown in color, and has a white-red spot on its chest. It can be found in Thailand, China, Indonesia.

White-breasted bear

It does not differ in large size; the male reaches a length of up to 1.7 m, and the female is even smaller. The bear's body is covered with dark brown or black silky fur; this bear also has very large ears and a sharp muzzle.

A distinctive feature of this species is a white or slightly yellowish spot on the chest. These representatives of the bear family live in Afghanistan, Iran, and the countries of the Far East, as well as in the mountains of the Himalayas.

There are still a huge number of subspecies, which can be listed and described ad infinitum. Bright representatives of predators of this species can be called such bears as: Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), Bamboo bear commonly known as panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), and many other.

Habitat

The habitat of these graceful representatives of the fauna is very diverse; they are present on all continents. They mostly prefer to settle in forests and lead a solitary lifestyle.

All types of bears are attached to their territory, where they hunt and stay for the winter, the only exception to this rule is the polar bear.

Menu for the predator

Bears eat absolutely everything as food, it can be berries and mushrooms, nuts and various roots, all kinds of meat and fish; ants, bee larvae and honey can serve as a delicacy for animals; there are also vegans among bears, these are pandas and koalas.

Among all the diversity of bears, the pure predators are again polar bears, whose diet includes only fish and meat.

How is a bear animal born?

Mating of bears occurs during the mating season (this is a different period for each species). Also, depending on the species they belong to, the gestation period of female bears varies and lasts from 180 to 250 days.

Childbirth occurs during wintering, when the animal hibernates. The female gives birth to 1-4 cubs, weighing from 450 grams to half a kilogram, they have neither teeth nor hair.

Breastfeeding lasts about a year, and cubs from the previous litter (parents) help the mother in raising the babies until they reach the age of two.

Bears reach sexual maturity after a minimum of three years.

In order for the bear to feel most comfortable, spacious enclosures are created and a habitat as close to natural as possible is created.

In addition to trees, stones and various wooden structures, such an enclosure must be equipped with a sufficiently large swimming pool.

The diet must be kept in accordance with the season and include all those elements that animals receive in their natural habitat.

Photo of a bear

Bears are one of the smartest creatures on our planet. This huge animal has always inspired fear and apprehension in us humans. These predatory animals belong to the bear family. There are different types of bears living in nature, which have much in common, but are very different from each other.

According to scientists, bears appeared on our planet approximately 5 - 6 million years ago. Many species of these animals became extinct in the process of evolution, only four species remained: the brown bear (this includes the grizzly bear and the Kodiak bear), the baribal bear, the polar bear and the Himalayan bear.

Appearance. General characteristics of all types of bears

All types of bears are quite large in size and weight. The smallest are representatives of baribals (from 40 to 236 kilograms with a body length of 140 – 200 cm). Himalayans are slightly heavier than their relatives, they weigh 120 - 140 kilograms, and their length is from 150 centimeters.

The brown species is distinguished by the presence of even larger individuals: the average weight of representatives of this species is from 500 kilograms, and the body length is from one and a half meters. But the largest among all bears are considered white. The body length of an adult is from two meters or more, and they weigh up to 1 ton!

Representatives of each species also differ in coat color. Browns have a color from light fawn to almost black. Baribals are pure black with a light spot on the nose or chest. Polar bears have a color corresponding to their name (i.e., white). The fur of the Himalayan bear is shiny, glossy, it has a mainly black tint, sometimes brown or red. There is a light spot on the chest.

A distinctive feature of polar bears is the presence of a swimming membrane between their toes, this allows them to easily move and hunt in the water.

Distribution of bears in nature

These predatory animals live in northern Europe, on the continent of North America and in the Asian part of the Eurasian continent.

The territory occupied by brown bears is the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Apennines, some parts of Iraq and Iran, the island of Hokkaido in Japan, the USA, and Russia. Polar bears live in the polar regions of the northern hemisphere. Baribals are inhabitants of the North American continent. The Himalayan representative of the bear family lives in Iran, Pakistan, China, Russia (Far East) and Vietnam.

Animal lifestyle and behavior

Brown bear and baribal are forest dwellers. The polar bear lives on drifting ice floes. And the Himalayan is a semi-arboreal animal.

Brown bears are solitary animals, with the exception of the female. who initially lives with young offspring. They are active mainly during daylight hours. In winter, brown bears hibernate.

Baribals are crepuscular animals leading a solitary life. In cold weather they go to their dens and hibernate.

Polar bears are nomadic animals with excellent hearing and sense of smell, allowing them to sense prey living underwater or located several kilometers away.

Forages for food in trees. But trees are not only a way for him to find food, but also to escape from enemies and harmful insects. Spends the winter season in hibernation.

Bear food

The basis of nutrition for brown and Himalayan bears is animal and plant foods. Both of these species eat nuts, acorns, grass stems, fruits of berry bushes, as well as insects, meat of other animals (sometimes livestock), and fish.

They eat mainly animal food: sea hare, ringed seal, walrus, fish and others.

The Himalayan bear's diet is based on plant foods. He eats the fruits of berry plants, grass shoots, acorns, and nuts. Sometimes insects, frogs, and mollusks come to him for “lunch.” He does not disdain carrion.

Bear breeding

In brown bears, the female's pregnancy lasts from 6 to 8 months, after which 2 to 3 cubs are born. At the age of 4–6 years, the cubs become fully grown. A brown bear lives in nature from 20 to 30 years.

In baribals, the female bears offspring for 220 days and gives birth to 1 to 5 cubs. Usually, babies are born in the first months of winter. At the age of 2 – 5 years, small baribals fully mature. In the wild, these bears live only up to 10 years.

Polar bears give birth to cubs 250 days after mating. There are from 1 to 3 cubs in a litter. A polar bear gives birth once every 2-3 years. In the wild, polar bears live 25–30 years.

Himalayan bears give birth to 1–2 cubs, which become fully mature individuals at 3 years of age. And these bears live for about 25 years.

Bears are very strong and agile animals, although they seem clumsy. They are good tree climbers, skilled swimmers, fast runners, and can stand and walk short distances on their hind legs. Almost all bears have a powerful body, strong paws with large claws, and a short tail.

Different species of bears live in very different environments. They thrive in the steppes and highlands, in forests and in arctic ice. Today they distinguish 8 main species of this family with many subspecies.

Clubfoot brown bears(Ursus arctos) occupy a variety of habitats, from desert regions to high mountain forests and ice fields. In North America, they seem to prefer open areas such as tundras, alpine meadows, and coastlines. In Siberia, this species is mainly found in forests; the largest number of individuals in Europe is largely limited to mountain forests.

If someone carelessly wakes a brown bear during hibernation, expect trouble. If he doesn't have enough stored fat, he may wake up early. Such animals are called connecting rods. Meeting them is very dangerous, because a hungry animal behaves aggressively. It is very difficult to escape from him. At a short distance, a bear can outrun even a horse.

Bears are excellent fishermen. If he sees a fish not far from the shore, he stands on his hind legs and jumps into the water, and then presses the poor fish to the bottom and bites it so that it does not escape. Then it pulls the prey ashore and begins to feast on it.

One of the largest living predators, the grizzly bear, which is a subspecies of the brown bear, ranges from 1 to 2.8 meters in length, with a tail ranging from 65 to 210 mm long. Its weight varies from 80 to more than 600 kg. It has incredibly great strength and is capable of pulling the carcass of a deer, horse or bull weighing 400-500 kg. for several kilometers through steep mountains, thorny bushes or impenetrable forests.

Many scientists believe spectacled bear(Tremarctos ornatus) is the most herbivorous, but others argue that it is the only representative of the bears that feeds exclusively on plants. It is named so because it has white spots around its eyes, reminiscent of glasses. He chose South America as his habitat, where he leads a twilight and nocturnal lifestyle and does not hibernate. The spectacled bear's head is rounded and its snout is relatively short compared to other bear species.

From my brothers sponger(Melursus ursinus) is distinguished by a hard shaggy coat, a long white muzzle and very mobile lips. Through his moving lips, this bear was named - sponger. Thanks to its long curved claws, the bear can hang upside down on a branch for a long time, like a sloth, for which it received another name “sloth bear.” Despite the rather large size of the sloth fish, it weighs about 300 kg; its main food is ants and termites. It is precisely in order to rake anthills that it needs a long muzzle and wide paws with long claws. When a termite mound breaks, the sponger first blows out dirt and dust with force, and then sucks up insects through its elongated lips, like an anteater. The sloth bear is a rare bear that lives in the forests of India, has a protected status and is listed in the International Red Book.

(Helarctos malayanus) or Malayan bear, which lives in the mountain forests of Asia, is the smallest of all bears, only a little over a meter tall and weighing 30-60 kg. This handsome guy is “dressed” in a black fur coat, decorated on his chest with a yellow horseshoe, similar to the disk of the sun. Therefore, very often it is also called the “sun bear”. The biruanga has large paws with very long claws, with the help of which it easily climbs a tree to sleep or feast on bee honey.

These clubfooted predators sleep and rest in nests that they build in trees at a height of 3-7 meters, breaking or bending tree branches. Biruangs never hibernate. Another feature of the smallest bear is its very long and sticky tongue, with the help of which it is much easier for him to get termites, ants and worms, which he loves to feast on, and it is much more convenient to get tasty honey with such a “spoon”. That’s why they also called him “honey bear.” In addition, he does not refuse to savor lizards or birds; he loves to gnaw on young shoots of a coconut palm and chew various tropical fruits.

The largest land predator on the planet polar bear(Ursus maritimus) is listed for humans, it regards people as equal prey and often attacks. Adult males grow up to 2.6 meters in length. Polar bears have large, strong limbs and huge front paws, which are used as oars for swimming. The toes are not webbed, but are great for walking in the snow. The soles of the feet also have small projections and indentations that act like suction cups and help the polar bear walk on ice without slipping. Females are about half the size of males, although a pregnant female with stored fat can exceed 500 kg. Polar bear cubs weigh up to 0.7 kg. at birth.

Baribal, or black bear

(Ursus americanus) North American species. Most hibernate for up to seven months, but in the south, where plant food is available year-round, not all bears hibernate except for pregnant females. The female gives birth to 1-6 cubs (usually 2 or 3) in January while she sleeps deeply in her den. Black bears eat some meat as well as some insects and rely mainly on fruits, nuts and plant foods.

Vulnerable species bamboo bear(Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Most of the giant panda's body and belly are white, contrasting sharply with the black ears, black limbs and shoulders, and black spots above the eyes. It has a relatively large head and large, muscular jaws that allow it to crush bamboo. Today, the bear's distribution is limited to six distinct mountain ranges in western China, on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, in the provinces of Gansu, Shaanxi and Sichuan.

(Ursus thibetanus) usually avoids humans and attacks only when they are wounded or trying to protect their young. It has a stocky body, a round head and large ears. It has a yellow, crescent-shaped spot on its chest, which is why it is called the "moon bear" in some areas. The muzzle is also pale in color. The female gives birth to 2 cubs in a safe winter den. The cubs remain with their mother for 1 to 1.5 years. At the north pole of their range, black bears may hibernate to survive cold winters, although they generally migrate to warmer areas and thereby avoid the need for hibernation.

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