BEAR

BEARS

1. Introduction
2. Characteristics
3. Types of bear

1. INTRODUCTION

Shield of Madrid

Although the bear has retreated to the most rugged places in the mountains and forests and no longer competes with man, the bear is still a totemic animal, a creature that occupies a privileged position in literature, in heraldry in folklore and in the legend of the entire northern hemisphere. Without going any further the shield of our city (Madrid) has a bear as the protagonist. 

2. CHARACTERISTICS

Bears are carnivorous animals, although in practice they are opportunistic omnivores and most of them include large amounts of plants, seeds and fruits in their diets.

Angry bear standing

Physically all of them have in common a large head, small round ears, small eyes and a large fat body that ends in a short tail. They are plantigrade, like us, which means that they support the whole sole of the foot when walking, which also allows them to stand easily on their hind legs, which they usually do when they feel angry.

When winter comes they hibernate, this means that they remain half asleep during this time of year when the weather is unfavorable. It is believed that his ancestors are the dog or the raccoon to which he looks a lot.

An important feature is their polymorphism, they have very different shapes and sizes, since they have been adapted to the conditions of each region, since they can be found in polar ice, meadows, forests and plains.

They are lonely and aggressive if they feel threatened.

3. TYPES OF BEAR

There are currently eight types of bears around the world, as some species have become extinct.

North American Black Bear

North American Black Bear

The black bear can be black, bluish-black, brown or white. It is the most common bear in North America ranging from the State of Florida north, into Canada and north to Alaska. The black bear is omnivorous. Their diet is mostly vegetable matter. Black bears live up to 25 years in the wild.

Brown Bear

Brown bear

The Brown Bear can be found in  North America,  Alaska, Canada and Small individual populations are scattered throughout parts of Europe and Asia. Brown bears range in colour from almost black, brown to very light brown or blonde. 

The largest bears, the “Big Browns” exist along the coast of Alaska and Russia growing to very large sizes rivaling that of the Polar Bear. The interior bears of the North American Rocky Mountains (Grizzly Bear) and the mountains of Europe tend to be much smaller. 

Polar bear

Polar bear

Polar bears are among the largest bears in the world. Adult males may reach 800 kilograms. The Polar Bear is carnivores because in the places where they live there is no vegetation.

Asiatic black bears

Asiatic black bear

Asiatic black bears have long black fur with a distinct white patch on the chest that is often crescent-shaped. Their ears are relatively large. Asiatic black bears live in eastern Asia. Asiatic black bears are omnivorous. In autumn they fatten up for the winter by feeding on nuts. In northern climates they hibernate. In southern climates they do not hibernate.

Spectacled bear

Spectacle bear

They are found only in the Andes mountains in South America. Spectacled bears are the only surviving species of bear native to South America. The Spectacled Bear is technically the largest land carnivore on that continen. The Spectacled bear is a mid-sized species of bear. Overall its fur is blackish in color, though bears may vary from jet black to dark brown and to even a reddish hue. The species typically has distinctive beige-coloured marking across its face and upper chest.

Panda bear

Panda bear

He giant panda is a rare, endangered and elusive bear. Giant pandas are famous for their love of bamboo, a diet so nutritionally poor that the pandas have to consume up to 20 kg each day. The extra digit on the panda’s hand helps them to tear the bamboo and their gut is covered with a thick layer of mucus to protect against splinters. Unlike other bears, giant pandas do not hibernate. In the winter, they move to lower elevations to keep warm, while traveling to higher elevations in the summer to stay cool. 

Sloth bear

Sloth bear

Sloth bears are stocky with long, shaggy, black hair and a white U- or Y-shaped marking on the chest. They have large lips, a long tongue, a pale muzzle and well-developed hook-like claws that enable them to climb trees and dig for termites. Sloth bears live in Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh. Sloth bears are nocturnal. The constant availability of ants and termites also mean that they do not need to undergo a winter sleep.

Sun bear

Sun bear

They are the smallest species of bear. Sun bears have short black/dark brown water-repellent fur, with a yellow crescent on their chest. They have flexible snouts and very long tongues, which are an adaptation for extracting termites from nests. They have the largest canines of all the bear species. Canine teeth are specialised for tearing meat, but sun bears are not particularly carnivorous. They may use their sharp canines as weapons or as tools for tearing at trees to get at insects. Sun bears live in south east Asia.