Bears Information :

Bears are found all over the world, from the Arctic Polar bears to china (Pandas). There are eight different bear species worldwide. The largest of these bears is either the polar bear or the brown bear. The polar bear is the biggest weighing up to 1500 pounds. Males of all bear species are usually larger than the female and sometimes can be twice the size. The grizzly bear is the most feared bear.

Habitat:

The existing bear species are found in vastly different climates surrounding the world, except Antarctica and Australia. Wherever they are found they have adapted to there surroundings to hunt, feed, sleep, hibernate and survive.

Diet; Food and eating habbits:

Different bears eat a variety of different foods depending on the species. The panda for example eats almost nothing but plants (a herbivore), the polar bear is mainly a meat eater (a carnivore), Each has adapted its own skills for catching food or stripping plants such as bamboo. 

Predators:

Bears have no direct predators, but are becoming less in numbers due to humans building and farming in their habitat. Also humans capture them for entertainment purposes such as circus acts and bear fighting. 

Social Structure:

Bears aren't the most social creatures. But, It takes more than one bear to start a family. Male bears are called boars, and females called sows the same as pigs. They live separate lives coming together only to mate, maybe staying together only a few days or a few weeks. Baby bears are called cubs. Mating varies between species but all are often quite noisy. Females select the male they wish to mate with and playfully wrestle, growl, bark and hug the male. Mating must take place several times to allow the female to ovulate. After mating the male will leave and have nothing to do with rearing the cubs. Most females will only give birth to up to 10 cubs during there lifetime, mating for the first time at about age 4years. Males have to wait a bit longer until there old enough and big enough to compete with other males for an available female. 

Birth, Offspring:

When the male bear leaves, the female is left to raise the resulting cubs, These will be born several months later. Bears can only give birth when they are at there best, if there is a shortage of food and the mother cannot take on all the food and goodness she needs to survive raising the cubs. They would be born into a den with no food, mother would survive off her stored body reserves (the fat she was able to put on during the preceding season). In spring the mother will take the cubs and leave then den, teaching them how to hunt for food, search for food such as berries, how to fish an how to climb trees for safety if threatened, how to navigate there territory and how to pick a suitable den spot. Cubs will learn how to fend off intruders or possible threats by watching and copying there mother. Mother bears are renowned for protecting there cubs. Orphaned cubs stand little chance of survival, they need there mothers to learn many important skills they'll need in adulthood. Only when the cubs are roughly 3 years of age are they old enough to fend for themselves. Bears are the largest of land mammal carnivores, but give birth to the smallest offspring compared to there size. 

Attributes:

Bears have sharp claws for climbing, hunting and tearing. There is not much that could stand up to a bear and live to tell the tale. Polar bears have extremeley thick skin and a thick layer of fat under the skin to help them maintain a normal body temperature when the weather gets colder. 

Fun Facts:

1. The teddy bear is the most popular stuffed toy
2. Bears are often made into cartoon characters as children like there cuddly appearance
3. Pooh bear is perhaps the most popular bear ever