Learn About Bears - Cute Photos

Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere and partially in the Southern Hemisphere. Bears are found in the continents of North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

Common characteristics of modern bears include a large body with stocky legs, a long snout, shaggy hair, plantigrade paws with five nonretractile claws, and a short tail. While the polar bear is mostly carnivorous and the giant panda feeds almost entirely on bamboo, the remaining six species are omnivorous, with largely varied diets including both plants and animals.

With the exceptions of courting individuals and mothers with their young, bears are typically solitary animals. They are generally diurnal, but may be active during the night (nocturnal) or twilight (crepuscular), particularly around humans. Bears are aided by an excellent sense of smell, and despite their heavy build and awkward gait, they can run quickly and are adept climbers and swimmers. In autumn some bear species forage large amounts of fermented fruits which affects their behaviour. Bears use shelters such as caves and burrows as their dens, which are occupied by most species during the winter for a long period of sleep similar to hibernation.

Bears have been hunted since prehistoric times for their meat and fur. To this day, they play a prominent role in the arts, mythology, and other cultural aspects of various human societies. In modern times, the bear's existence has been pressured through the encroachment on its habitats and the illegal trade of bears and bear parts, including the Asian bile bear market. The IUCN lists six bear species as vulnerable or endangered, and even least concern species such as the brown bear are at risk of extirpation in certain countries. The poaching and international trade of these most threatened populations is prohibited, but still ongoing.

Bears hunt on mice, ground squirrels, and other small animals. They occasionally catch fish with their front paws. Some of their favorite dishes are ants, grubs, and birds' eggs. Berries, fruits, acorns, nuts, and the roots and leaves of plants are also a part of their diet. Bears are famous for their fondness of hone

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cc licensed ( BY ND ) flickr photo shared by Peter Macdonald Photo

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Alaskan Dude

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Malayan Sun Bears (Animals of the Rain Forest) [Library Binding]

In some places Sun Bears are considered good pets but they often become uncontrollable after 3 or 4 years, and are then either abandoned or killed. Because its Asian tropical rainforest homes are being destroyed at an alarming rate the Sun Bear may be declining faster than any other bear and will probably disappear from some areas. In the wild the Sun Bear is often cited as one of the most dangerous animals of the species. 

The sun bear (Ursus malayanus), sometimes known as the honey bear, is a bear found primarily in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia; North-East India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Southern China, Peninsular Malaysia, and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.Stirling I., 1993; Bears, majestic creatures of the World. Rodale Press, Emmaus

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The spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), also known as the Andean bear and locally as ukuko, jukumari or ucumari, is the last remaining short-faced bear (subfamily Tremarctinae) and the closest living relative to the Florida spectacled bear and short-faced bears of the Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene age.Spectacled Bear. Grizzly Bear.org. Retrieved on 2011-09-26.Bear Planet. Bear Planet. Retrieved on 2011-09-26.

The spectacled bear is a relatively small species of bear native to South America. It has black fur with a distinctive beige-coloured marking across its face and upper chest, though not all Andean bears have "spectacle" markings. Males are a third larger than females in dimensions and sometimes twice their weight. Males can weigh 100 ? 200 kilograms (220 ? 440 lb), and females 35 ?82 kilograms (77 ? 181 lb).Spectacled, or Andean, Bear ? National Zoo| FONZ. Nationalzoo.si.edu. Retrieved on 2011-09-26. Length can range from 120 to 200 cm (47?79 in) long and shoulder height from 60 to 90 cm (24?30 in).Spectacled bear videos, photos and facts ? Tremarctos ornatus. ARKive. Retrieved on 2011-09-26.Spectacled Bear. Brazilianfauna.com. Retrieved on 2011-09-26. They are found in several areas of northern and western South America, including eastern Panama, western Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, western Bolivia, and northwestern Argentina. Spectacled bears are the only surviving species of bear native to South America, and the only surviving member of the subfamily Tremarctinae. Their survival has depended mostly on their ability to climb even the tallest trees of the Andes.