Bears are large land predators, represented by a large list of species, and living in the spaces of Eurasia, North America. Bears eat more than one meat - most species are omnivorous. Unpretentiousness in food, as well as high adaptability to various conditions allowed them to spread widely and gain a foothold as the main predators in many ecosystems.
For thousands of years, the bear has been adjacent to humans, causing awe and fear. There was even an interesting Slavic belief that put the bear closest to animals - because of the ability to walk on its hind legs, love for sweets, anatomy close to humans - and in particular, the structure of the fingers. It is also worth noting the exceptional mind of these animals.
Prehistoric bears
According to paleontologists, the bears appeared about 7 million years ago, and after 2 million settled over a large territory, forming several species. The largest of them was a short-faced bear. Extinct giant with growth to 2-3 meters at the withersweighing up to 1400 kg or more. These huge predators lived in the era of glaciation, when gigantism among mammals was very common. There were other ancient bears of large sizes, but they all became extinct, and therefore it is worth moving to their large descendants.
Kermod is not an albino or a polar bear
Not everyone knows about the existence of the Canadian bear Kermond, called a ghost bear by the local Indians. These are unusual and very beautiful representatives of a bear kind, possessing white or cream hair.The habitat of kermods is not large, they live only in forests in western Canada, which are located off the coast. You might think that this species has some kind of affinity with polar polar bears, but this is not so. They are not similar neither in a way of life, nor in any other features, and are very different in appearance. Keromids can weigh 230-300 kg with growth of about 180 cm (adult, on hind legs).
Baribal - black bear
Baribals are more common. This is also an American bear, whose possessions start from Alaska and extend to Canada and the United States. Most often they spend their lives in the forest, only occasionally going to open areas - and then only in search of food. Bears live alone, but at the time of birth, females can create groups to care for cubs - this looks like a kind of kindergarten. Baribals mainly choose vegetarian food, which does not prevent them from periodically enjoying fish and meat. The growth of the forest giant reaches 2 meters (adult, on its hind legs), weight is 330-360 kg.
Brown grizzly
Grizzly bear is the largest of the American bears, you can meet him in Alaska, in a number of American states. Such a meeting will not please, because some individuals reach 450 kg and more, weighing up to 2.3 meters(adult, on hind legs)! Grizzlies are similar to European brown bears, differing only in habits and behavior. This is a bear dangerous to humans, stories of tragic encounters with him appear every year. By nature, the beast is omnivorous, the diet consists of plant and animal food of about 50 to 50.
Siberian brown bear
Huge brown bears live in Siberia, actively consume plant and animal food in the summer, and sleep in the dens in winter. In the dens, in winter, the she-bears give birth to a new generation. In the future, the teddy bear remains with his mother for three years, growing up and learning to hunt. Large males are more than 2.5 meters tall (adult, on their hind legs), their weight reaches 800 kg.
Kodiak - the largest brown bear
Kodiaks are champions among brown bears, reaching three-meter growth and weight of 850-1000 kg. This is an endangered species that lives on the Kodiak archipelago and needs to be protected - no more than 3 thousand individuals remain.
This species of bears is also omnivorous. However, they are very difficult to adapt to changing conditions, and therefore poorly take root in zoos.
The biggest bear in the world
The largest bear in the world - the polar bear. The weight of the male may exceed a ton, and height up to 3 meters (adult, on hind legs), although some bears significantly exceed these indicators and turn out to be perfect giants. Polar bears are perfectly adapted to life in the polar regions and on the islands of the Arctic Ocean, inhabiting places where there are practically no people, or adjacent to humans.
The polar bear eats fish, seals and other available food - with vegetarianism in the northern latitudes it would not be easy. Read our article: why polar bears do not eat penguins. These bears also know how to hibernate, but it is short for them - especially for males who do not sleep at all for long.Pregnant females sleep longer.
Polar bears are very intelligent animals, characterized by curiosity. Under the white coat, which dries easily after bathing even in the cold, they have black skin that absorbs heat from the sun as much as possible (read our article: why the polar bear is white). And they also know how to walk on their hind legs, using the entire foot as a person - other animals do not know how.
Bears are one of the largest predators on the planet (the largest of the land). And despite all their power and size, they also need protection. Many of their species are on the verge of destruction, but measures to protect them are being taken and implemented. I would like to believe that in the future the number of endangered species will increase, and their habitat will become more environmentally friendly.
