Bears throughout the world
Bears are found in many different countries. When we think of bears the main ones that pop into our heads are polar bears, grizzly bears and the Giant Panda. But there are a more bears out there than just these three. Some are not as cute and fluffy as the bears mentioned, but they are still as important in our Eco system as the others. Most bears are now endangered due to habitat loss, hunting and cubs being taken as pets. Parts of bears are used in traditional medicine in certain countries and are also a delicacy to some. Bear gall, is very profitable, worth more than gold. The Chinese have even started breeding captive bears just to milk them for their bile.
There are known to be eight species of bear in the world with several sub-species. You can find all these bears in zoo's worldwide.
Here is a list of bears that live with us in our world:
1. The Sun Bear : 'Helarctos Malayanus'
The Malayan Sun Bear is the smallest of the bears and get their lovely name from a yellow/ golden crescent shaped patch on their chest which is said to represent the rising sun. The rest of their fur is black and short, so as not to overheat. These bears live in south east Asia and are very shy. They are nocturnal bears and not much is known about their habits. Because of their small, stocky body they are also known as the dog bear, this is fitting because some bear cubs are actually kept as pets, with their mothers being killed in the process.
Sun bears are excellent climbers and have been known to make little tree houses for themselves. Like most bears, sun bears are omnivores so they eat berries, small animals, termites and honey. They have extremely sharp claws to rip open termite nests and long tongues to lick up all the honey from bee nests. Thus their other nickname the 'honey bear' , not to be confused with the Kinkajou which is not related.
Sun bears do not have brilliant eyesight so they rely on their sense of smell.
2. The Moon Bear : Asiatic Black Bear : 'Ursus Thibetanus'
Like the Sun Bear, the Moon Bear gets its name from its distinct white patch on its chest. It has very furry shoulders and around its neck, with quite large ears. This bear lives in Eastern Asia, mostly in China and eats a wide range of food, fattening itself up in winter when it hibernates. Bears in the southern climate do not hibernate, just the ones in the north.
Moon bears are also farmed their bile in China and are classified as vulnerable. Because of their ability to stand on their hind legs, these bears are also used in the entertainment industry as 'dancing bears'.
Moon bears are crepuscular, they are most active at dawn and dusk.
3. North American Black Bear : 'Ursus Americanus'
The North American Black Bear is the most common and smallest bear in North America and are usually a black or brown colour but can be grey, blue-ish or cinnamon coloured. Bears that are closer to British Columbia, Canada can be white. These are known as Spirit or Kermode bears, not to be confused with polar bears. American Black bears are omnivores. Some subspecies of Black bear are the Florida Black bear and the Louisiana Black bear. The Louisiana Black bear is listed as threatened. These bears will only hibernate if there is a lack of food and if the weather turns really cold, they are not true hibernators, mother bears will stay in their dens during winter and give birth but other bears will come out during winter. They are usually solitary bears.
4. Polar Bear : 'Ursus Maritimus' (Sea Bear)
Polar bears are among the largest and well known of bears. They live in the arctic regions (the word arctic comes from the Greek word for bear), found in Canada, Norway, Russia and Greenland. Their diet mainly consists of ice seals. Even though polar bears are sometimes featured with penguins, they are at completely opposite places to each other.
Polar Bears are known by many different names: Sea Bear, Tornassuk, Lord of the Arctic, Nanuq, White Bear and many more. They are revered by the Inuit, the Ket (a Siberian tribe), whalers and the Sami people. There is a lot of respect for this bear.
Polar bears have black skin with a layer of fat underneath, which keeps them warm in the icy water and their fur is not actually white, the hair shafts are pigment free and have a hollow core that scatters visible light, making them appear white. Sometimes before moulting, polar bears can look yellow from the oil of the seals they eat.
These bears are made for an arctic life, their large paws act as paddles in the water and the papillae (small bumps) on the bottom of their paws act as ice grips. Their ears and tail are small so as not to waste any heat.
5. Brown Bear 'Ursus Arctos'
The Brown bear is another North American bear with some scatterings in Europe (Russia), Asia and the island of Kodiak. Even though they are known as Brown bears, their colour can range from brown to black to blonde. Depending on the location, some brown bears can grow very large especially the Russian and Alaskan bears, rivalling the polar bear in size. The Grizzly bear of North American and Europe are smaller.
Many bears can be seen in Alaska during the summer spawning of salmon, where the bears wait to catch them as they jump out of the water. Other than that, most bears are solitary.
Brown bears create dens to hibernate in over winter, with the females giving birth, usually to two cubs over the winter period. Even though Brown Bears are large, they can move fast when they want to. Some up to thirty miles per hour.
6. Spectacled Bear (Andean Bear) 'Tremarctos Ornatus'
Spectacled Bears are found only in the Andes Mountains in South America, hence their name. They are the continents only bear. These are an endangered species and it is illegal to kill them.
It is the closest living relative and the last remaining Short faced bear of the Short faced bears and the Florida spectacled bears of the middle Pleistocene age.
Spectacled Bears have shaggy fur that can be brown, black or red. They sometimes have white or yellow rings around their eyes, but some bears do not have any markings at all.
They are small bears and quite shy. They are nocturnal and mostly vegetarian but as with most bears they will eat small mammals and insects, including small cows, making them the largest carnivore in South America.
7. Sloth Bear ‘Melursus ursinus’
Sloth bears love to munch on termite nests, they are specially adapted for this with their long tongue, big lips and strong claws. They actually suck the termites out through a gap in their front teeth. They have shaggy black fur, a pale coloured snout and a white U-shaped patch on their chest.
Sloth Bears live in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, with two subspecies, the Sri Lankan Sloth Bear and the Indian Sloth Bear. They are nocturnal creatures and don’t mind being around other Sloth Bears. Their main diet, termites and ants are available all year round, so these bears do not have to hibernate. They love honey as well and are also known as the honey bear.
8. Panda Bear ‘Ailuropoda melanoleuca’
Most people’s favourite bear, very distinguishable with its black and white coat. The Panda is a rare, endangered bear and feed primarily on bamboo, which is low in any nutrition so they have to consume large quantities of it a day. Safe to say, Panda’s spend most of their time eating. They have an extra little digit, which is an enlarged wrist bone, on their paws which acts as opposable thumbs and helps them to tear up bamboo and their stomach is extra muscular and has a very thick layer of mucus that protects it against splinters. The Giant Panda’s numbers are quickly declining due to habitat loss, they are now restricted to six separate mountain ranges in China where it is considered a national treasure. These bears do not hibernate; they just move to lower elevations to keep warm. They are excellent climbers, despite their size.
Giant pandas are solitary and hate being around other Pandas. They will leave waxy, scent markers to warn others away.
The Giant Panda is also used as the logo for the WWF.
Extra Bear facts:
1. Female bears are known as sows.
2. Male bears, like most mammals, have a bony rod in their penis, called a baculum.
Want to learn more about the bears in our world? Check this website out
http://bearwithus.org/8-bears-of-the-world/
