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Bears evolved from a common ancestor with cats, dogs, seals or weasels 55 million years ago. It is believed that the first species of bear to appear was the polar bear.
Bears can be found almost everywhere in the world, every one of them. adapted to your environment. These adaptations are what make the bear species different from each other. Coat color, skin color, hair thickness and length are things that make them more adapted to the environment in which they live, in order to regulate their body temperature or camouflage themselves in the environment.
Currently, there are eight species of bears, although these species are subdivided into many subspecies. In this article by PeritoAnimal, we'll see how many types of bears exist and their characteristics.
Malay bear
You malay bears, also known as sun bears (Malayan Helarctos), inhabit the warm areas of Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam or Borneo, although their populations have declined alarmingly in recent years due to the disappearance of their natural habitat and the use that Chinese medicine places on the bile of this animal.
It is the smallest species of bear that exists, males weigh between 30 and 70 kg and females between 20 and 40 kg. The coat is black and very short, adapted to the hot climate where it lives. These bears have a orange horseshoe-shaped patch on the chest.
Their diet is based on the consumption of nuts and fruits, although they eat everything they have at their disposal, such as small mammals or reptiles. They can also consume honey whenever they find him. For this, they have a very long tongue, with which they extract the honey from the hives.
They do not have a set breeding season, so they can breed throughout the year. Also, Malay bears do not hibernate. After intercourse, the male stays with the female to help her find food and a nest for future offspring and when they are born, the male can stay or leave. When the offspring separate from the mother, the male can leave or mate again with the female.
sloth bear
You sloth bears or sloth bears (Melursus bears) is one more in this list of bear types and they live in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal. The population that existed in Bangladesh was wiped out. They can live in many different habitats, such as wet and dry tropical forests, savannas, woodlands and grasslands. They avoid places very disturbed by humans.
They are characterized by having long, straight, black fur, very different from other bear species. They have a very elongated snout, with prominent, mobile lips. On the chest, they have a white spot in the shape of a "V". They can even weigh 180 kilos.
Their diet is halfway between insectivore and frugivore. Insects such as termites and ants can account for more than 80% of their food, however, during the fruiting season of the plants, fruits make up between 70 and 90% of the bear's food.
They reproduce between May and July, females give birth to one or two offspring between the months of November and January. During the first nine months, the offspring are carried on the mother's back and remain with her for a year or two and a half.
spectacled bear
You spectacled bears (Tremarctos ornatus) live in South America and are endemic to tropical Andes. More specifically, they can be found by the countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru.
The main characteristic of these animals is, without a doubt, the white spots around the eyes. These patches also extend to the muzzle and neck. The rest of its coat is black. Their fur is thinner than that of other bear species, due to the warm climate in which they live.
They can live in a wide variety of ecosystems in the tropical Andes, including tropical dry forests, humid tropical lowlands, mountain forests, wet and dry tropical shrublands, high altitude tropical shrublands and grasslands.
Like most types of bears, the spectacled bear is an omnivorous animal and its diet is based on very fibrous and hard vegetation, such as the branches and leaves of palm trees and bromeliads. They can also eat mammals, like rabbits or tapirs, but mainly consume farm animals. When fruit season comes, bears supplement their diet with a variety of tropical fruits.
Not much is known about the reproduction of these animals in nature. In captivity, females behave like seasonal polyestrics. There is a mating peak between March and October. The size of the litter varies from one to four puppies, with twins being the most common case.
Brown bear
O Brown bear (Ursus arctos) is distributed over much of the northern hemisphere, Europe, Asia and the western part of the United States, Alaska and Canada. Being such a broad species, many of the populations are considered to be subspecies, with about 12 different.
An example is the kodiak bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi) that inhabits the Kodiak Archipelago in Alaska. The types of bears in Spain are reduced to the European species, Ursus arctos arctos, found from the north of the Iberian Peninsula to the Scandinavian Peninsula and Russia.
the brown bears are not just brown, because they can also present black or cream color. The size varies according to the subspecies, between 90 and 550 kilos. In the upper weight range we find the Kodiak bear and in the lower weight range the European bear.
They occupy a wide range of habitats, from dry Asian steppes to Arctic thickets and temperate and humid forests. Because they live in a greater diversity of habitats than any other bear species, they also exploit a wide variety of foods. In the United States, their habits are more carnivores as they approach the North Pole, where more ungulate animals inhabit and they manage to encounter salmon. In Europe and Asia they have a more omnivorous diet.
Reproduction takes place between the months of April and July, but the fertilized egg does not implant in the uterus until autumn. The puppies, between one and three, are born in January or February, when the mother is hibernating. They will stay with her for two or even four years.
asian black bear
The next kind of bear that you will meet is the Asian black bear (Ursus Thibetanus). Its population is regressing, this animal inhabits southern Iran, the most mountainous regions of northern Pakistan and Afghanistan, the southern side of the Himalayas in India, Nepal and Bhutan and Southeast Asia, extending south to Myanmar and Thailand.
They are black with a small white half-moon-shaped spot on the chest. The skin around the neck is thicker than the rest of the body and the hair in this area is longer, giving the impression of a mane. Its size is medium, weighing between 65 and 150 kilos.
They live in many different types of forests, both broad-leaved and coniferous forests, near sea level or at over 4,000 meters in altitude.
These bears have a very varied diet and seasonal. In spring, their diet is based on green stems, leaves and sprouts. In summer, they eat a wide variety of insects, such as ants, which can search for 7 or 8 hours, and bees, as well as fruit. In autumn, your preference changes to acorns, nuts and chestnuts. They also feed on ungulate animals and cattle.
They reproduce in June and July, give birth between November and March. The egg implantation can occur sooner or later, depending on the conditions of the environment in which it was fertilized. They have about two puppies, who stay with their mother for two years.
black bear
Most member of this list of bear types is the black bear (ursus americanus). It became extinct in most of the United States and Mexico and currently inhabits the Canada and Alaska, where its population is increasing. It lives mainly in temperate and boreal forests, but it also extends into the subtropical areas of Florida and Mexico, as well as the subarctic. You can live near sea level or at more than 3,500 meters in altitude.
Despite its name, the black bear can present other colorations in the fur, be it a little browner and even with white spots. They can weigh between 40 pounds (females) and 250 kilos (males). They have a much sturdier skin than other bear species and a larger head.
Are generalist and opportunist omnivores, being able to eat anything they can find. Depending on the season, they eat one thing or another: herbs, leaves, stems, seeds, fruits, garbage, cattle, wild mammals or bird eggs. Historically, in the fall, bears fed on American chestnuts (Castanea dentata), but after a plague in the 20th century that reduced the population of these trees, bears began to eat oak acorns and walnuts.
The breeding season starts in late spring, but the cubs will not be born until the mother is hibernating, just like in other bear species.
Giant panda
In the past, populations of giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) stretched across China, but are currently relegated to the far west of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Thanks to efforts invested in its conservation, it appears that this species is growing again, so the giant panda is not in danger of extinction.
The panda is the most different bear. It is believed to have been isolated for over 3 million years, so this divergence in appearance it's normal. This bear has a very rounded white head, with black ears and eye contours, and the rest of the body is also black, except for the back and belly.
As for the habitat of the panda bear, you should know that they live in temperate forests in the mountains of China, at an altitude of between 1,200 and 3,300 meters. O bamboo is abundant in these forests and is their main and practically only food. Panda bears change places periodically, following the rhythm of bamboo growth.
They reproduce from March to May, gestation lasts between 95 and 160 days and the offspring (one or two) spend a year and a half or two years with their mother until they become independent.
Check out everything about the feed of this type of bear in our YouTube video:
Polar Bear
O Polar Bear (Ursus Maritimus) evolved from the brown bear about 35 million years ago. This animal lives in arctic regions, and its body is fully adapted to cold weather.
Its fur, translucent for being hollow, is full of air, working as an excellent thermal insulator. In addition, it creates a white visual effect, perfect for camouflage in the snow and confuse your fangs. Its skin is black, an important feature, as this color facilitates the absorption of heat.
As for feeding the polar bear, you should know that this is one of the most carnivorous bears. Your diet is based on various species of seals, such as the ringed seal (Phoca hispida) or the bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus).
Polar bears are the least reproducing animals. They have their first puppies between the ages of 5 and 8 years. Generally, they give birth to two puppies that will spend with their mother for about two years.
Understand why the polar bear is in danger of extinction. Check out our YouTube video with full explanation:
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