Among the largest bears are the Kodiak brown bear, grizzly bear, and polar bear. These are all animals of enormous weight and length. There is also a record holder among teddy toy bears.
The largest teddy bear
The record-breaking teddy bear, recognized as the largest in the world, greeted visitors to the plush toy museum every day for almost twenty years, standing at the entrance. The museum was located in the city of Statford. All this time he was the subject of admiration for young visitors. The height of this toy is three meters and thirty centimeters. It's hard to imagine the weight of this giant.
Over the years, the exhibition was visited by at least a million people. Unfortunately, the museum was closed in 2007, and this bear, like the rest of the exhibits, was put up for sale.
Big polar bears
Polar bears have several other names - polar bear, sea bear, northern bear and oshkuy. The polar bear descended from the brown bear. The largest specimens grow up to three meters or more and can weigh about eight hundred kilograms, however, this is very rare. Usually the male is within the length of two to two and a half meters, his weight does not exceed half a ton. Externally, the oshkuy and the brown bear have noticeable differences. The polar bear's head is flat on an elongated neck, and its ears are small. The wool is not only white, but also yellowish. It's amazing that all polar bears have black skin. This is impossible to notice due to the dense fur.
Oshkuy lives in the northern hemisphere and feeds on walruses, seals, seals and other marine animals. To catch them, the bear hides in a shelter and then stuns them with a blow to the head. Polar bears have long been listed in the Red Book. The reason is that they reproduce slowly, and their young often become prey to other predators. These bears are hunted by poachers. Every year they destroy at least two hundred individuals.
Huge Kodiak bears
One of the subspecies of brown bears is the Kodiak. It is the largest among the planet's predators. This is confirmed by its size. The height at the withers of an individual of this subspecies reaches one and a half meters, and the length is about four meters. The weight of the giant bear is also striking. So, a female weighs a quarter of a ton, and an adult male weighs almost four hundred and fifty kilograms. These parameters are average, and there are specimens that reach a weight of one ton.
The habitat of this subspecies is Kodiak Island and the islands of the Kodiak archipelago, that is, where winter does not last long and there is always a lot of different food. Like other bears, Kodiaks hibernate in winter. Their food is not only animals, these bears do not refuse carrion, they eat roots, berries and herbs. During the salmon spawning period, Kodiaks enjoy eating it with pleasure. Animals mate in the summer, and the development of a fertilized cell begins in the fall. No more than three cubs are born in January or February, when the female is in a state of hibernation. Children remain with their mother for the first three years of life.
Kodiaks are an endangered subspecies of brown bears. There are less than three thousand of them left. However, according to official permission, one hundred and sixty individuals are shot annually.
The largest grizzlies
Another large subspecies of brown bear, considered the second largest in size after the Kodiak, is called the grizzly. Its habitat is Alaska and Canada. Until recently, grizzlies could be found in Mexico. Outwardly, he is not particularly different from other brown bears. The only difference is the length of its claws, which can reach fifteen centimeters. It is for this reason that grizzlies never climb trees.
Some individuals weigh about a ton and are about four meters long. From a distance, grizzlies appear slightly grayish, the reason being that, being brown, they are covered in gray fur in some places. While bears are small, their claws are still very small, which allows grizzlies to climb trees, destroy hives and eat plant foods.
The main diet of an adult is animal food. Grizzly is an excellent fisherman. It is very dangerous for a person to encounter this predator. He can deliver a fatal blow with one blow of his paw. It is known that this subspecies of brown bear and polar bear can interbreed.
The largest bear in the world
The largest bear in history is considered to be a giant short-faced cave bear that once lived in South America. He is known as Arctodus. According to scientists, such bears lived from about two million years ago to five hundred thousand years ago.
The mass of the giant predator reached two tons, and its height was at least three and a half meters. The cave bear ate lions, woolly rhinoceroses, wolves, tigers, giant moose and deer. He had enormous bite force. In Argentina in 1935, the skeleton of a short-faced cave bear was found. According to National Geographic, there is nothing in the world even remotely similar to such a powerful predator.
In 2006, a huge man-eating grizzly bear was killed in Alaska. If he could stand on his hind legs, he would be about four meters and thirty centimeters tall. The bear's weight turned out to be seven hundred twenty-six kilograms. But the smallest bear, Biruang, according to uznayvse.ru, weighs only 25 kg as an adult. The website has
The smallest bear in the world
A miniature but formidable predator. Biruang is the name of the smallest bear in the world. He is also the rarest bear on the planet. A miniature but formidable predator. Biruang is the name of the smallest bear in the world. He is also the rarest bear on the planet. The unusual animal is also called the Malayan or sun bear. And he really is the smallest representative of the bear family. The height of the clubfoot is no more than one and a half meters, but its weight varies from 25 kilograms to 65 kilograms. However, even despite such small dimensions, the biruang is considered one of the most ferocious bears in the world, if not the most aggressive. However, this opinion exists only in Western countries. And in Asia, for example, the sun bear is called not dangerous. Moreover, the bear is tamed and sometimes kept as a pet.
The smallest bears in the world, like dogs, are quite easy to train. And only mother bears protecting their cubs pose a danger to people. It is worth avoiding angry individuals. If the beast is provoked to attack, then they are truly fearless and fight with all their might, not for life or death, trying to defeat the enemy at any cost.
The smallest bears in the world are dart frogs. Sun bears have rather large, and sickle-shaped claws. The animals have huge paws with completely bare soles. It is this fact that helps biruangs to climb trees well. Of all the bears, it is the smallest bears in the world who love trees the most. Therefore, they are sometimes also called "basindo nan tenggil", which literally means "one who likes to sit high." Biruangas are predominantly nocturnal animals, so individuals can sleep the whole day or lie on convenient tree branches. At a height, they also build themselves something similar to a nest and, without leaving the “house,” feed on fruits and leaves. It is worth noting an interesting fact - Malayan bears never hibernate. Sun bears are omnivores. But, as a rule, they feed on earthworms, insects, fruits, shoots and rhizomes of various plants. A distinctive feature of the Biruang is its unusually long tongue. It reaches 20-25 centimeters. This part of the body is very sticky and thin. And she helps the bear get his favorite treat - honey from the hives. Hence another name for the smallest bear in the world - “honey bear”. By the way, the animal does not mind eating not only honey, but also bees. Sometimes biruangs also absorb birds, lizards and small mammals. The powerful jaws of the individuals help to easily bite even coconuts. Malayan bears are found in southern China, northeast India, Thailand, Myanmar, as well as on the island of Borneo, the Indochina Peninsula and Indonesia.
The miniature bear differs from its relatives not only in its amazingly long tongue. The biruang's fur is stiffer, shorter and smoother. And this is explained by the fact that the animal lives in a fairly warm climate. The color of the sun bear is black, and there is a large light spot on its chest. It looks like a horseshoe and is shaped like the rising sun. And from here came the name of the entire genus of small bears - “Helarctos”. The first part of the word is translated as sun, and the second – bear. All together it turns out to be a sun bear. Biruangs live up to 25 years, but this is in captivity. But in the wild, the smallest bear in the world, its life and habits have been studied quite poorly. However, we can say with confidence that under human care these animals live much longer. Truly a clubfoot! Teddy bear is a phrase that everyone knows from childhood, biruang makes it true. Scientists have noted the interesting gait of the Malayan bear. All four paws turn inward when walking. But the sun bear's vision is not so good. But poor vision is compensated by an excellent sense of smell and hearing. Enemies of the little bear The main enemy of the sun bear has always been and remains man. Biruangs easily defeat almost any predator. They, as they said, are very strong in battle, so the neighbors in the forest prefer to give the baby a wide berth. But sometimes conflicts with leopards and tigers still occur. The largest predators try to grab their opponent by the throat. But bears can avoid such an attack, because they have very loose skin on their necks, which allows the biruang to “slip out” from the mouth of a leopard or tiger and strike back with a crushing blow.
But leaving a person is not so easy. Humans have already caused almost irreparable damage to the population of the world's smallest bears. Even five thousand years ago, Chinese people used bear bile for medicinal purposes - to treat bacterial infections. Now the situation has not changed. But on the island of Borneo, animal fur is used to sew hats. Trophy hunting for the Malayan bear is also popular among people. Farmers shoot the animal for the simple reason that the clubfoot is capable of causing damage to coconut and banana plantations. It is for these reasons that biruangs are now the rarest species of bear. They are listed in the International Red Book. However, the number of Malayan bears is only decreasing every year. Touching predator One way or another, Malayan bears can be called shy and timid. They usually prefer to avoid a person, not show themselves to him, and generally stay away from him. But in Asia, a tamed biruang is not a rare sight. The animal can calmly walk around the owner’s house without supervision and play with interest with the children. By the way, Malayan bears are very smart. There is a story about a certain bear who once surprised his owners. The animal did not eat the rice offered to him, but scattered it on the ground, sat down next to him and began to wait for something. A little later, the birds came to dine on rice, and the cunning Biruang dined on the birds. Curiously, the mating season of the biruang is not limited to one season. Mating of the smallest bears in the world can occur throughout the year. After a 95-day pregnancy, the female gives birth to 1-2 cubs, sometimes three. Blind, naked and helpless newborns weigh approximately 300 grams. They remain under the protection of their mother for up to 2.5 years.
Here are the 10 largest bears in the world, by size and weight. The largest breeds of bears living around the world.
Weight - up to 140 kg, body length - up to 180 cm.
Despite its small size, compared to other largest bears in the world, the sloth bear can be very dangerous.
It was this beast that terrorized the outskirts of Bangalore for a long time, killing and maiming people. He was included in the number.
Weight - up to 140 kg, length - up to 2 meters.
This “intellectual bear” got its name due to the fact that the rings around its eyes look like glasses.
Although this animal is considered a carnivore, meat makes up about 5 percent of its diet. The rest comes from grass shoots, rhizomes and fruits. Spectacled bears also love to eat termites and ants. Fortunately, their long tongue easily penetrates the ant’s home.
Weight - up to 160 kg, length - up to 1.8 meters.
One of them also belongs to the bear family. But, unlike other bears, the panda prefers a vegetarian menu, 99% of which is bamboo. However, on occasion, the panda will not disdain small animals, bird eggs or insects.
For a long time, scientists argued about which family to classify the panda in - the bear family or the raccoon family. However, at the end of the 19th century, the bearish supporters won. They studied the panda's skin and decided that this cute black and white chubby is almost the ancestor of today's bears. And genetic tests confirmed that the panda is not a giant raccoon at all, but a real bear, the closest relative of the spectacled bear.
Weight - up to 200 kg, length - up to 1.7 meters.
This is one of the most beautiful bears, with luxurious shiny black fur and a white or golden “front”. It is shaped like a crescent moon, which is why the Himalayan bear is also called the “moon bear.”
When meeting a person, the Himalayan bear behaves very aggressively. However, people are the most terrible threat for them. The fact is that in many Asian countries, the bile of the Himalayan bear is used as a remedy for impotence and many other diseases. Therefore, dozens of animals are kept in cramped cages and bile is pumped out of their gallbladders using special tubes. This procedure is extremely painful, and, one might say, brutal.
Weight - up to 300 kg, length - up to 1.8 meters.
This big guy lives only in the forests of western Canada. Although it is a subspecies of the black bear, the Kermode's skin color is either off-white or cream with an amber tint. This camouflage coloring helps the animal when catching salmon on the river.
This bear received its name in honor of the explorer Francis Kermode, who described it. And the local Indians call it “ghost bear.”
Weight - up to 380 kg, length - up to 2 meters.
The diet of the black baribal bear consists mainly of plant foods (raspberries, wild grapes, blackberries, acorns, etc.).
You can’t eat much on such food, so the cunning bears have adapted: they rummage through garbage dumps and look for scraps there. Some black bears can even open jars with screw tops.
Black bears usually do not attack people, but they can attack livestock (sheep, goats).
Weight - up to 410 kg, length - up to 2.4 meters.
Brown bears are very unusual animals. They can stand on two legs, pick things up with their “fingers,” and often eat what we eat. This - combined with their ability to communicate with each other through scratches left on trees, smells and sounds - gives similarities to our own way of life.
Brown bears can be found in Western and Central Europe, Scandinavia, Finland and the Carpathians. In Russia, brown bears live in almost the entire forest zone with the exception of the southern regions.
This bear was the inspiration for the names of two constellations, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
3. Grizzly bear
Weight - up to 726 kg, length - up to 4 meters.
Grizzly bears, scientifically named Ursus arctos horribilis (terrible brown bear), have a rather prominent hump at the shoulder blades and long claws (up to 80 mm). Both the hump and the claws are characteristics associated with the grizzly bear being a good digger.
Grizzly bears are omnivores and their diet can vary widely. They feed on seeds, berries, roots, grasses, mushrooms, fish, deer, moose, dead animals and insects. Grizzlies often attack people who were careless enough to get too close to the bear. In 1998, a huge man-eating bear was killed in Alaska. The size of his body was such that, standing on his hind legs, he could look out the second floor window of a typical five-story building.
In late summer and early autumn, grizzly bears enter a stage of hyperphagia, lasting from 2 to 4 months. Simply put, they increase their calorie intake to gain weight for hibernation. During this time, they can add up to 6 kg per day to their already impressive carcass.
Weight - up to 780 kg, length - up to 2.9 meters.
This furry giant lives on Kodiak Island in Alaska, hence its name. He is the largest brown bear in the world.
The most famous bear in movies was also a Kodiak. He starred in such famous films as “The Bear”, “Legends of the Fall” and “On the Edge”. In total, Bart had 16 films in his collection.
1. White Polar Bear
Weight - up to a ton, length - up to 3 meters.
When asked which bear is the largest, the Guinness Book of Records names the polar bear. Although in the race of sizes a Kodiak bear is breathing down the back of the white man’s head.
These beautiful, exotic creatures live in northern Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Norway and Russia.
The largest bear in the world shares a common ancestor with brown bears. Therefore, crossing of polar and brown bears is not only possible, but also occurred regularly. Because of this, between 2% and 10% of polar bear genetic material is found in the brown bear population. Hybrids of polar and brown bears are called polar grizzlies.
However, brown bears are uncomfortable in the conditions in which polar bears feel at ease. And vice versa.
It is curious that in hot climates the luxurious white fur of a polar bear can turn green. This is due to the fact that microscopic algae grow in the hairs.
The largest bear in history – Arctodus simus
Weight – more than 1100 kg, length – up to 3.5 meters.
The extinct species of the Giant short-faced bear (Arctodus simus) is the largest bear in Earth's history. He lived about 12,000 years ago. The giant's habitat was North America.
Bears are the largest among predatory animals. For example, an adult lion can weigh about 230 kilograms, a tiger - 270 kilograms, but the weight of a large polar bear and grizzly bear reaches 450 kilograms. And yet the largest bear in the world is rightfully called the Alaskan brown bear. The weight of some males of this species was more than 680 kilograms with a height of about three meters. I wouldn't want to meet such a giant somewhere on the trail. But these are average statistical indicators, but in real life there are specimens of bears whose parameters are much higher than the above. There is still a debate among people about which bears are the biggest, this is expressed in hunting stories and legends.
The Guinness Book of Records names the white polar bear as the largest bear on the planet. The average weight of these predators is in the range of 400-600 kg, length - 240-260 cm, height 1.6 m. The largest polar bear that was measured weighed, according to one version, 1002 kg, according to another - 900 kg. The length of this polar bear was 3.5 m. The polar bear's menu includes mainly walruses and seals. A male polar bear gains full physical fitness at the age of 9-10 years.
Among Alaskan brown bears there is an interesting subspecies, which scientists call Kodiak. So, among these Kodiaks, the heaviest bear measured was a giant, whose weight was 1134 kg. If he stood on his hind legs, then his height would be 4 m. Kodiaks are distinguished by long strong limbs, a muscular body and a massive head. These bears live alone and sleep in the winter, just like brown bears. The Kodiak diet includes fish and a variety of plant foods in the form of nuts, roots, berries and grass. Kodiaks very rarely hunt other species of animals. The Kodiak is not afraid of water, so it usually settles along the river bank. These bears live on the southern coast of Alaska. There is even an island called Kodiak.
The closest relatives of Kodiak bears are grizzly bears, which also reach enormous sizes. Currently, the Kodiak population is constantly increasing. Most of them live in the Kodiak National Forest, which is protected by law.
Among fossil animals, bears were also large predators. According to scientists, the largest of them is called the prehistoric South American short-nosed bear. His height was 3.4 m, weight - 1.6 tons. The bones of this giant were found in 1935 in Argentina at the La Plata construction site. According to scientists, this bear was the largest predator on the planet about 2 million years ago. The weight of individual representatives of this species, according to scientists, could reach up to 2 tons.
Recently, a giant man-eating bear was shot and killed by a US Forest Service employee in Alaska. A special commission, after measuring the parameters of the killed bear, found that the prey turned out to be the largest grizzly bear in the world. Such a bear could stand on its hind legs and look at the second floor window. His weight was 726 kg, and his height on his hind legs was 4.3 m.
This fall, a US Forest Service employee shot and killed a giant man-eating bear in Alaska. The young man was hunting deer when a huge grizzly bear appeared fifty meters away and rushed at him. Having managed to raise his 7mm semi-automatic rifle, the hunter emptied his entire magazine into the attacking bear. The grizzly fell a few steps away from the man, but was still alive.
After reloading the rifle, the guy shot the bear in the head several times, and only this stopped his heart. An Alaska Department of Wildlife and Fisheries commission later determined that it was the largest grizzly bear ever taken in the world.
His weight was more than 726 kg, and his height, if he stood on his hind legs, was about 4.3 meters. Having examined the contents of the grizzly bear's stomach, scientists found fragments of human bodies in it. The commission found that the grizzly bear has killed at least two people in the last 72 hours alone.
An investigation was immediately organized. Forest Service personnel followed the grizzly bear's trail and soon discovered a .38-caliber pistol with an empty clip. Not far from the gun, the remains of a tourist were found, who became the giant bear's last meal. In defense, the man managed to shoot six times, and he hit the grizzly four times before this monstrous animal killed him. The encounter occurred about two days before the grizzly bear was shot and killed by a Forest Service employee. The body of the second victim was never found. In total, Forest Service personnel found four .38 caliber bullets and 12 bullets from a 7 mm semi-automatic rifle in the bear's body.
In order to more clearly imagine the size of this monster, we can make the following comparison: if you are a person of average height, you would only reach his lower abdomen when the bear stood on its hind legs. His height was such that he could look through the roof of a one-story house or look into the windows of the second floor. And when the bear stood on four legs, then his eyes and yours would be at the same level.
The world's largest bear
Many animals that live in the vastness of North America are listed as endangered species. But there are also those who successfully continue to exist. This is a representative of the subspecies of brown bears. Kodiak is the largest bear in the world. It lives off the southern coast of Alaska on the islands of the archipelago of the same name. It is also considered one of the largest predators living on land.
Kodiak
Kodiak bears are the closest relative of grizzly bears. More than twelve thousand years ago, he moved to the islands of the archipelago from Alaska. In the context of global warming and rising sea levels, animals now live only on the islands of the archipelago. The population is constantly growing and today is at its peak. There are three and a half thousand individuals in total, most of them live in the protected areas of the National Wildlife Refuge.
On average, the length of Kodiaks is three meters, and their weight is 400 kilograms for males and 250 for females. However, among males there are also individuals weighing more than a ton. These animals have strong and long limbs, a muscular body and an impressive head.
Kodiaks live alone and sleep in winter. These animals are omnivores. Their diet is not only fish, but also plant foods - roots, nuts, grass, berries. They rarely waste energy and time hunting other animals. An exciting part of the tourist program on the islands of the archipelago is watching brown bears. The optimal period for this is from July to September.
Largest bears
In 2008, a US Forest Service employee killed an impressive grizzly bear. It was subsequently discovered that he was a cannibal, which was confirmed by the contents of his stomach. The beast turned out to be the largest photographed bear ever killed by a human. Its weight reached 750 kilograms, and its length was 3.5 meters. The remains of a traveler were discovered not far from the place where the animal was killed.
In 1983, two researchers from America caught, euthanized and weighed a bear weighing eight hundred and seventy kilograms. All actions took place in a hurry, since the scientists did not have the required amount of drugs for a full examination. And it’s quite difficult to euthanize an animal weighing a ton.
A grizzly or Kodiak bear can weigh over a thousand kilograms when living in a zoo. Measurement is carried out in late autumn. Characteristically, a polar bear does not change its weight throughout the year. If a male weighs 600 kilograms in winter, his weight is the same in autumn. Therefore, the polar bear holds the leadership position in the “largest predator” category.
The largest bear in history may have been the short-faced cave bear. Its weight reached two tons. He ate not only huge elk and deer, but also lions, wolves, and tigers. Since these animals are extinct, they cannot be considered gigantic.
While not pronounced predators, bears nevertheless command fearful respect for their enormous size, and the largest bears in the world - white and Kodiak - live in the Northern Hemisphere of the globe.
The body length of a polar bear reaches 3 meters, and the height at the withers is from 1.2 to 1.5 meters. The largest individuals can weigh up to a ton, but the average weight of the largest bears in the world is between 400-450 kilograms. Female bears are much smaller than males and weigh on average 100-150 kilograms less.
The polar bear is sometimes called a polar bear because it lives on the icy shell of the Arctic Ocean and its coastal zones. Swims well, eats fish and other inhabitants of the northern seas. In winter, males go into hibernation for a short time, and not every year, but only pregnant females are subject to a full winter bear sleep, lasting from 50 to 80 days.
The largest bear in the world does not freeze in the severe frost thanks to its dense thick fur and a ten-centimeter layer of subcutaneous fat.
Kodiak bears live on the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago, located in the Pacific Ocean, just south of Alaska. They are even slightly larger in size than white ones - the length of large individuals reaches 3.5 meters, and the height at the withers is as much as 1.8 meters.
The maximum weight of Kodiaks, like polar bears, reaches a ton, but in the spring they weigh much less, while their polar bears remain “in the body” all year round. Therefore, many consider the white bear to be the largest bear in the world.
The Kodiak looks like a bear should look in the eyes of a European - a brown, massive and muscular animal. It feeds on the fish that are plentiful in those parts, and if you’re lucky, meat, as well as plant products from the forest. The closest neighbor of the Kodiak in habitat is another brown bear - the grizzly, which is also one of the largest in the world.
Kodiak is the largest bear in the world
Kodiak is the largest bear in the world. This species mainly lives on Kodiak Island, as well as on the islands near Alaska. There are about 3 thousand individuals in the world. All of them are under the protection of the American government.
Some individuals of this huge bear can weigh more than a ton, the height can reach up to 2 meters, and the length can reach 3 meters. The average weight of a young male is approximately 500 kilograms. Like other types of bears, Kodiaks are omnivores, that is, they can eat fish and meat, as well as berries, nuts, and so on.
However, the largest bear in the world has a worthy competitor in nature: the polar bear. This large predator weighs on average 700 kilograms, but particularly large individuals can reach a weight of up to a ton and a length of up to 3 meters. Unlike other big bears, the polar bear has a flat head and a long neck.
The polar bear has been known since ancient times, it was known in the Roman Empire, and its skin began to appear in Japan in the 7th century AD. The first scientific work devoted to this predator was published in 1774 by zoologist Constantine Phipps.
The largest bear in the world was on the verge of extinction in the first half of the 20th century due to hunting. Therefore, back in 1941, the American government decided to protect it.
Sources: samiye.ru, joyous-life.ru, woman-v.ru, www.vseznayem.ru, hontos.ru
Reading time: 4 minutes. Published 10/22/2019
There are 8 different types of bears on our planet. Today we will talk about the largest bears in the world. Some of them are very large representatives of their species. The sheer size of these large animals can scare anyone and put them to flight!
Polar bear
Polar bears have a body length of 2.5 meters and weigh 800 kg and are one of the largest animals in the world. The polar bear spends most of its life in the icy waters of the Arctic. They can swim continuously for up to 65 km and dive deep underwater in search of prey.
Seals are the polar bear's favorite prey. To survive, they need to catch one or two seals a week. Therefore, bears constantly wander and search for their favorite delicacy throughout the year. Polar bears never hibernate. Today, between 22,000 and 31,000 polar bears live in the wild.
Scientists believe that the ancestors of polar bears are brown bears, which lived 200,000 years ago in the forests of Siberia and ate plants and fish. However, during the Ice Age, their homeland was covered in snow, so they were forced to travel to the polar regions, where they focused on seals.
Gradually, their muzzles and necks stretched out, making it easier to hunt in the icy expanses. The dark fur took on a white color for perfect camouflage, and the paws became longer and thicker. Their hair is hollow inside. These cavities provide excellent insulation to prevent the bear from losing body heat. In addition, it has a 10 cm thick layer of fat.
Crouched on the edge of an ice floe, he can wait for hours until his prey appears above the surface. The force of its bite or blow can be so great that it literally crushes the animal’s skull. It can eat up to 70 kg of meat.
Kodiak Bear
This is the largest subspecies of brown bear. Together with the polar bear, this is one of the two largest species of bears in history. Kodiak hair can range in color from light orange to dark brown. The cubs have a white collar around their necks during their first years of life.
However, brown grizzly bears are very similar in color, so to distinguish a Kodiak from a “regular” grizzly bear, knowledge of other characteristics of these animals is necessary. Although the term "Kodiak bear" is commonly used for all brown bears found in Alaska, they actually only exist in the Kodiak Archipelago of the same name, off the southeast coast of Alaska.
In 2005, the number of these giant predators was estimated at approximately 3,500 individuals, and this figure has increased slightly over the past decade. Another distinctive feature of Kodiaks is their size, which is difficult to determine under normal conditions. However, from available data it is known that females weigh 225–315 kg, while males reach 360–700 kg.
Grizzly bear
This subspecies of brown bear, in addition to eating various plants, also hunts large mammals such as elk, deer, sheep, bison or polar reindeer. He also likes to eat salmon, trout or perch. They also devour carcasses left behind by other predators.
This formidable beast comes from the Ussuri bear, which migrated to Alaska about 100,000 years ago. Most adult grizzly bears weigh between 130 and 200 kg, and sometimes reach weights between 180 and 360 kg. The average length of an adult bear is about two meters, in a position on four legs. Like the Kodiak, the Grizzly is a subspecies of the brown bear.
Some experts consider grizzlies to be the most aggressive bears. Unlike black bears, which also live in North America, grizzlies are too large. Females protecting their cubs are the most aggressive, and in 70% of cases, they are the ones who attack humans. Typically, grizzlies avoid communicating with people, and they almost never see people as prey.
Its diet consists of 85% vegetation, roots and tubers. They also enjoy eating nuts and honey. If the hive is too deep in the tree trunk, a piece of the trunk may be bitten off.
They do not disdain bees, wasps, ants and larvae. At night they hunt for salmon. Other black bear food includes bald eagle eggs, whose nests they like to raid.
Although these bears live in North America, the species is not closely related to the brown or polar bear. Also, its closest relative is the black bear, living in Central and East Asia.
Baribal is not an endangered species. Its distribution is large, and the number of individuals is twice as large as all other bear species combined.
IN OTHER NEWS:
A mobile zoo recently came to our city. Of course, we decided to go and look at the animals, although I am not a supporter of keeping animals in cages. Wild animals should live in the wild. Passing by a cage with a bear, my daughter shouted: “Look how huge he is. This is the largest bear in the world.” I just smiled back, because I know which bear is the best.
Among the largest bears, three species can be distinguished: grizzly bear, polar bear and Kodiak bear. A white polar bear was included in the Guinness Book of Records; its length was 3.5 meters and it weighed 1002 kilograms.
Some facts:
- A polar bear weighs from 200 to 450 kilograms, sometimes reaching up to a ton.
- The height at the withers reaches 130 - 150 centimeters.
- The body length of this predator reaches three meters.
The polar bear, the largest among mammals, has completely transitioned to life in the vast icy expanses of the northern hemisphere. Thick and dense white wool, a layer of fat up to 10 centimeters help him survive in the cold and not freeze in icy water. Hunting is the only way for the northern bear to feed itself. He is the only bear that eats only meat and fish. The polar bear is a very dangerous, cunning and unpredictable predator. It can sneak up on prey for several hours, dive under ice floes, and then overtake it with a sharp throw.
Some interesting facts:
- The polar bear's skin is black and its tongue is blue.
- Despite their weight, bears can run at a speed of 10 kilometers per hour.
- It can swim about 160 kilometers without stopping.
- They can smell prey at a distance of up to 30 kilometers.
- Polar bears, unlike others, do not hibernate.
If you want to learn more about the largest bear on earth, I advise you to watch the film “Polar Story”, and we will watch the good old story “The King is the Polar Bear”, and I will show my daughter the largest bear.
