Bears are large furry mammals that live in the wild. They can be as heavy as a thousand pounds and as light as a hundred pounds. This animal can be extremely vicious, and some of them are bound for extinction.
Moreover, bears are among the smartest land mammals that use tools and clever ways to look or hunt for food. Do you want to know more about these hairy creatures? Read on and discover some of their fascinating facts.
Bears Are Divided into Eight Species
With thousands of bears living on different sides of the world, these mammals are divided into eight species. While some of them are quietly living in the forest and far from extinction, most of them are vulnerable or endangered.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN, the panda bears are classified as endangered, and five out of eight bear species are vulnerable. These are:
- Andean Bears
- Asiatic Black Bears
- Giant Panda
- Sloth Bears
- Sun Bears
The only exceptions are the American Black Bears and Brown Bears that are both widely distributed around the world and are not threatened with extinction.
The American Black Bear is the Smallest Bear Specie in North America
Being the most widely distributed bear species is one of the American Black bear facts. But, do you know they are also the smallest bears in North America? Yes, you read it right!
The American black bears are the smallest compared to the three bear species found in the continent. This medium-sized mammal is about 4 to 7 ft. long — from nose to tail– and 2 to 3 ft. in height. It has rounded ears, small eyes, a large body, short tail, and a long brown snout.
Bears Are Omnivores
Bears are omnivores since their diet includes both plants and meats. However, polar bears often eat meat due to the scarcity of vegetation in the Arctic, and the giant panda bears eat mostly greens — particularly bamboo.
Hence, the brown bear, black bear, Andean bear, sloth bear, and sun bear have a more balanced diet of meat and plants compared to the polar bear and panda bear.
Polar Bears Have 2 Coats of Hair
The polar bear has two coats of hair: the first one is the outer layer made up of long hair (about 5 to 15 cm long), and the second is a thick undercoat made up of shorter hair.
The guard hair of this arctic mammal is mostly clear or transparent, and when reflected in visible light, these hair appears white. With that, polar bears are seen to be white, which in fact, they are actually black!
The Brown Bear is The National Animal of Finland
The brown bear or also known as the chestnut bear is Finland’s national animal. This large mammal can be found in the Arctic Tundra regions, subalpine meadows, dense forests, and open plains. Furthermore, this species is widely spread in America, Russia, and Canada.
The most distinctive feature of these omnivorous animals is their shoulder hump. This hump contains energy that helps the brown bear to dig up plants and search for food. Perhaps, because of their extreme strength, chestnut bears became one of Finland’s national symbols.
Takeaway
Whether you love the rounded ears of American black bears or the large size of polar bears, knowing more about them will make you love them more. The information mentioned above is just some of the interesting facts about these huge furry mammals. Thus, if you want to understand more about their nature and behaviors, reading articles and books about them will be a big help.
