The biggest bears. Brown bear: where it lives, what kind it has and what it eats. Where are the most bears?

On the territory Russian Federation There are mainly two types of bear representatives, the Brown bear and Polar bear. Let's look at each type separately:

(Ursus arctos): The brown bear in Russia is still quite common in the forests of Siberia and the Far East, in Kamchatka. In summer it often enters the tundra and highlands. In Chukotka it is often found in the tundra.
In Russia, its usual habitats are forests with windbreaks and burnt areas with dense growth of deciduous trees, shrubs and grasses; it is also often found next to meadows and oat fields.

Appearance: Brown bears are difficult to confuse with other animals - they are all large, shaggy, awkwardly built, with a large head, small ears and a short tail. The eyes glow dark red at night. Body length is up to 2 m, in Far Eastern bears - up to 2.8 m. There is a clearly visible depression in profile between the forehead and the bridge of the nose. In a standing animal, the withers are noticeably higher than the croup. The color is brown, less often black or reddish; in Caucasian animals it is usually lighter. There is a light stripe on the shoulders, especially often in young and South Kuril bears. Occasionally there is also a light spot on the chest. The ears are small and rounded.

The tracks are very wide and deep, five-toed, distinguished by long claws and clubfoot (this position of the paw is more convenient for climbing trees). The length of the fingerprints on the tracks of the front paws is 2-3 times less than the length of the palm print.

Average statistical dimensions: body length: up to 200 cm, height at the withers: up to 100 cm, weight: up to 600 kg, claw length up to 10 cm.

Behavior and lifestyle: Brown bears are most active at dusk and at night, but sometimes also travel during the day.

Brown bears mostly lead sedentary image life, moving along familiar paths. Bears place them in the most convenient places, choosing the shortest distance between objects that are significant to them. Despite their sedentary lifestyle, bears make seasonal migrations to places where at the moment there is food. In lean years, a bear can travel 200-300 km in search of food. For example, on the Pacific coast, during a massive migration of red fish, bears come from afar to river mouths.

In winter, bears hibernate in a den. In different habitats, bears sleep in winter from 2.5 to 6 months.

The inside of the den is arranged very carefully - the animal lines the bottom with moss, branches with pine needles, and tufts of dry grass. Dens are located on small islands among moss swamps, among windbreaks or dense small forests. Bears arrange them under inversions and logs, under the roots of large cedars and spruce trees. In mountainous areas, bears roost in earthen dens, which are located in rock crevices, shallow caves, and recesses under stones.

Bears sleep alone; only females who have cubs this year sleep with their cubs.

Bears sleep very lightly; if the animal is disturbed, it easily awakens, leaves the den and wanders in circles for a long time before lying down again. Often bears themselves leave their dens during prolonged thaws and return to them at the slightest cold snap.

In the summer, male bears mark the boundaries of their territory by standing on their hind legs and tearing bark from trees with their claws. Where there are no trees, bears tear up any suitable objects, such as clay slopes.

Diet: The brown bear is an omnivore; it eats both plant and animal food, but most of its diet, oddly enough, is plant food.

It is most difficult for a bear to feed itself in early spring, when there is not enough plant food. At this time of year, he sometimes hunts even large ungulates, eats carrion, digs up anthills, getting larvae and the ants themselves.

From the beginning of the appearance of greenery and until the mass ripening of various berries, the bear spends most of its time fattening in forest clearings and meadows, eating umbelliferous plants (hogweed, angelica), thistle, and wild garlic. When the berries begin to ripen, the bears begin to eat them: first blueberries, raspberries, blueberries, honeysuckle, later - lingonberries, cranberries.

The autumn period is the most important for preparing for winter. At this time, bears eat acorns, hazel nuts, in the taiga - pine nuts, in the mountains southern forests- wild apples, pears, cherries, mulberries. Climbing fruit-bearing trees, the bear breaks off branches, eating the fruits on the spot, or throws them down, and sometimes simply shakes the crown.

In early autumn, the bear loves to eat ripening oats. Less agile animals graze under the trees, picking up fallen fruits. The brown bear willingly digs into the ground, extracting succulent rhizomes and soil invertebrates, turns over stones, extracting and eating worms, beetles and other living creatures from under them. Bears living near the rivers of the Pacific coast, during the red fish run, gather in dozens near the rifts and deftly catch fish.

Reproduction: The breeding season of brown bears is May-June. At this time, the males are vigorously sorting things out. The formed pair stays together for about a month, and if a new contender appears, not only the male, but also the female drives him away. In January, mother bears bring from 1 to 4 cubs in their den, which weigh only 500 g. The cubs' eyes open after a month. After 2-3 months, the babies come out. By the time they leave the den, they weigh from 3 to 7 kg. The mother feeds the cubs for up to six months. But already at 3 months of age, young animals begin to eat plant foods, imitating a mother bear. For the entire first year of life, the cubs remain with their mother, spending another winter with her in the den. At 3-4 summer age young bears become sexually mature, but reach full bloom only at the age of 8-10 years.

Lifespan: In nature they live for about 30 years, in captivity they live up to 45-50 years.

Habitat: Each individual plot occupied by one animal can be very extensive, covering an area of ​​up to several hundred square meters. km. The boundaries of the plots are poorly marked, and in very rough terrain they are practically absent. The home ranges of males and females overlap. Within the site there are places where the animal usually feeds, where it finds temporary shelters or lies in a den.

Economic importance: The bear serves as an object of sport hunting. Fat and bile are used for medicinal purposes. The value of bear bile provokes poaching of bears. The fat of a bear, like other hibernating animals, contains large number vitamins and has healing properties.

In the mythology of most peoples of Eurasia and North America the bear serves as a link between the human world and the animal world. Primitive hunters considered it obligatory, after catching a bear, to perform a ritual ritual, asking for forgiveness from the spirit of the killed one. The ritual is still performed by the indigenous inhabitants of the remote regions of the North and Far East. In some places, killing a bear with a firearm is still considered a sin. Ancient Ancestors European peoples They were so afraid of the bear that it was forbidden to say out loud its names arctos (among the Aryans in the 5th-1st millennia BC, later among the Latin peoples) and mechka (among the Slavs in the 5th-9th centuries BC). Instead, nicknames were used: ursus among the Romans, vea among the ancient Germans, vedmid or bear among the Slavs. Over the centuries, these nicknames turned into names, which in turn were also prohibited among hunters and replaced by nicknames (among the Russians - Mikhailo Ivanovich, Toptygin, Boss). In the early Christian tradition, the bear was considered the beast of Satan.

Bear meat is almost always infected with worms, especially in old and weakened animals. Therefore, it should be consumed with great caution. Of particular danger is trichinosis, which can infect up to a third of brown bears. Triquinas are not killed by smoking, freezing or pickling; Meat can only be reliably disinfected by heat treatment, for example, boiling for half an hour.

(Ursus maritimus): The polar bear is the most large predator animal world. Body length is 1.6-3.3 m, weight of males is 400-500 kg (sometimes up to 750), females - up to 380 kg. The bear swims and dives excellently, and swims tens of kilometers into the open sea. Moves quickly on ice. Leads a solitary lifestyle, but sometimes groups of 2-5 animals are found; Several bears may gather near large carrion.

Habitat: In Russia, the polar bear constantly lives in the space from Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya to Chukotka. On floating ice it sometimes reaches Kamchatka. Distances deep into the continent have been noted (up to 500 km along the Yenisei River). The southern border of the habitat coincides with the edge of drifting ice. When ice melts and breaks up, bears move to northern border Arctic basin. With the beginning of stable ice formation, animals begin their reverse migration to the south.

Behavior and lifestyle: Polar bears hunt pinnipeds, mainly ringed seals, bearded seals and harp seals. They come onto the land of coastal zones of islands and the mainland, hunt walrus cubs, and also eat sea waste, carrion, fish, birds and their eggs, and less often rodents, berries, mosses and lichens. Pregnant females lie down in dens, which they build on land from October to March-April. In broods there are usually 1-3, more often 1-2 cubs. They stay with the female bear until they are two years old. The maximum lifespan of a polar bear is 25-30 years, rarely more.

The polar bear has incomparable resistance to cold. Its thick, long fur consists of hairs that are hollow in the middle and contain air. Many mammals have similar protective hollow hairs - an effective means of insulation - but those of the bear have their own characteristics. Polar bear fur retains heat so well that it cannot be detected by aerial infrared photography. Excellent thermal insulation is also provided by the subcutaneous layer of fat, which reaches 10 cm in thickness with the onset of winter. Without it, the bears would hardly be able to swim 80 km in icy Arctic water.

In July, many of the polar bears that traveled with drifting ice move to the coasts of continents and islands. On land they become vegetarians. They feast on cereals, sedges, lichens, mosses and berries. When there are a lot of berries, the bear does not eat any other food for weeks, gorging on them to the point that his face and butt turn blue with blueberries. However, the longer the bears starve, forced to prematurely move to land from the melting ice as a result of warming, the more often they go in search of food to people who have been actively exploring the Arctic in recent decades.

The question of whether an encounter with a polar bear is dangerous for a person is difficult to answer unequivocally. Sometimes bears attacked people out of curiosity, quickly realizing that they were easy prey. But most often, tragic incidents occur at campsites, where bears are attracted by the smell of food. Usually the bear goes straight to the smell, crushing everything in its path. The situation is complicated by the fact that the animal, in search of food, tears into pieces and tastes everything it comes across, including people who turn up by chance.

It should be noted that bears, unlike wolves, tigers and others dangerous predators, there is practically no facial muscles. They never warn of impending aggression. By the way, circus trainers claim that because of this feature, it is most dangerous to work with bears - it is almost impossible to predict what to expect from them in the next moment.

Now, thanks to the efforts of Greenpeace, they try not to kill bears that wander into the city in search of food, resorting to temporarily tranquilizing shots from a special gun. The sleeping animal is weighed, measured and recorded. A colored tattoo is applied to the inside of the lip - a number that remains for the entire bear life. Females, in addition, receive a collar with a miniature radio beacon as a gift from zoologists. The euthanized bears are then transported by helicopter back to the ice so that they can continue living a full life in natural environment habitat. Moreover, females with cubs are transported first.

Females produce offspring every three years. Thanks to natural selection, the process of pregnancy was amazingly synchronized with the period hibernation. In October or November, pregnant bears leave sea ​​ice and head to the nearest land in search of a den where they raise their young during the long polar night. Having reached land, the bear searches for a suitable place for a long time until she chooses a depression or cave in a snowdrift of old snow. Gradually, snowstorms sweep the den and leave traces that reveal its location. After a few months, tiny bear cubs no larger than a rat appear inside the snow den. Newborn bears, burrowing into their mother's fur, immediately look for nipples and begin to suck. A baby bear's claws are curved and sharp - this helps him hold on to the soft fur on the mother bear's belly.

Meanwhile, the female is starving and her weight drops by almost half. But she will only be able to go hunting when her children grow up and gain strength. Cubs need time to get used to arctic temperatures after several months of living in a den warm from their mother's body. After 2-3 months, the weight of the cubs increases 4-5 times, and the family begins to take short walks in the immediate vicinity of the home. The mother bear introduces the cubs to something new to them. environment, teaches hunting skills and shows amazing patience with the frisky games and curiosity of the cubs. The mother bear's care for the cubs does not stop until they become independent.

Fathers, as often happens in nature, do not take the slightest part in the fate of their offspring, shifting all worries about feeding the cubs onto the shoulders of the bear. However, food is not the only problem facing a female with cubs. The real threat comes from adult males who compete with each other for the possession of a female. If the chance comes, big male can easily kill her cubs. Then the female will go into heat again and he can mate with her to ensure that the next generation inherits his genes. Therefore, females are very vigilant and do not let their cubs go far from them.

The population of polar bears, which was on the verge of extinction in the 60s, is gradually recovering thanks to the work of nature conservation societies. And now about 20,000 polar bears roam the polar region, the true masters of snow fields and Arctic ice.

Menacing brown bears are majestic guardians of forests. This beautiful animal is considered a symbol of Russia, although numerous habitats can be found in all corners of our planet. Since the brown bear is in danger of complete extinction, it is listed in the Red Book. This animal mainly lives in Russia, the USA and Canada. Small quantity bears survived in Europe and Asia.

The lifestyle of this important “master of the taiga” is very interesting. How long does a brown bear live? What weight can it reach? We will tell you the most interesting facts about the life of the brown clubfoot in this article.

Brown bear: description of appearance

This animal is very strong. The powerful body is covered with thick hair, and the withers are clearly visible on the back. It contains a large number of muscles that allow the bear to deliver crushing blows with its paws, fell trees or dig the ground.

His head is very large, with small ears and small, deep-set eyes. The bears' tail is short - about 2 cm, barely noticeable under the layer of fur. The paws are very strong, with large curved claws reaching a length of 10 cm. When walking, the bear evenly transfers the weight of the body on the entire sole, like a person, and therefore it belongs to the species of plantigrade animals.

The fur of the famous “master of the taiga” is very beautiful - thick, evenly colored. Brown bears have a tendency to shed - in spring and autumn they renew their fur coat. The first coat change occurs immediately after hibernation and is very intense. Its manifestations are especially noticeable during the rutting period. Autumn molting proceeds slowly and continues until hibernation.

How long does a brown bear live?

The lifespan of a clubfoot depends on its habitat. In the wild, a brown bear can reach an age of 20 to 35 years. If the animal is kept in a zoo, this figure almost doubles. In captivity, a bear can live about 50 years. The onset of puberty occurs between the ages of 6 and 11 years.

Dimensions and weight of the animal

The standard body length of a clubfoot predator ranges from one to two meters. The largest bears live in Alaska, Kamchatka and the Far East. These are grizzlies, true giants, whose height reaches three meters when standing on their hind legs.

The maximum weight of a bear (brown) can be 600 kg. These are real heavyweight giants. Average weight an adult male weighs 140-400 kg, and a female weighs 90-210 kg. The largest male was discovered on Kodiak Island. His body weight was enormous - 1134 kg. However, animals living in middle lane Russia, weigh much less - about 100 kg.

By autumn, this animal accumulates a large fat reserve for the upcoming hibernation, and therefore the weight of the bear (brown) increases by 20%.

Habitats

Bears mainly live in dense forests and swampy areas. They can often be seen in the tundra or alpine forests. In Russia, this animal occupies remote northern regions. Brown bears are very common in Siberia. The calm forests of the taiga allow the clubfoot to feel spacious and free, and here nothing interferes with their existence.

In the USA, bears live mainly in open areas - on the coasts, alpine meadows. In Europe they mainly live in dense mountain forests.

Brown bear populations can also be found in Asia. Their range occupies small areas of Palestine, Iran, northern China and the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

What do bears eat?

Omnivorousness and endurance are the main qualities that help the animal survive in difficult conditions. In the diet of a brown bear, 75% is plant food. The clubfoot can eat tubers, nuts, berries, grass stems, roots and acorns. If this is not enough, the bear can go to the crops of oats or corn, or feed in the cedar forests.

Large individuals have remarkable strength and hunt small young animals. With just one blow of a huge paw, a bear can break the spine of an elk or deer. He hunts roe deer, wild boar, fallow deer, and mountain goats. Without problems, brown bears can feed on rodents, larvae, ants, frogs, worms and lizards.

Skilled fishermen and maskers

Bears often feed on carrion. The clubfoot skillfully covers the found remains of animals with brushwood and tries to stay nearby until it completely eats its “find.” If the bear has recently eaten, it may wait a few days. After some time, the meat of the killed animal will become softer, and he will enjoy it with pleasure.

The most amazing activity of bears is fishing. They go to the Far Eastern spawning rivers, where salmon accumulate en masse. Bears and their offspring especially often hunt here. The mother skillfully catches salmon and takes it to her cubs.

Up to 30 bears can be seen on the river at the same time, and they often engage in battle for prey.

Behavior

The bear has very developed sense of smell. He clearly feels the smell of decomposed meat, even being 3 km away from it. His hearing is also very well developed. Sometimes the bear stands on its hind legs to listen to a sound or sense the direction of the smell of food.

How does a bear behave in nature? The brown “master of the taiga” begins to walk around his property at dusk or early in the morning. In bad weather or during rainy periods, he can wander through the forest all day in search of food.

Speed ​​and agility are the distinctive qualities of the beast

At first glance, this huge animal seems very clumsy and slow. But that's not true. The big brown bear is very agile and easy to move. In pursuit of a victim, it can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h. The bear is also an excellent swimmer. He can easily cover a distance of 6-10 km on water and enjoys swimming on hot summer days.

Young bears quickly climb trees. With age, this ability dulls a little, but does not disappear. However, deep snow is for them ordeal, since the bear moves along it with great difficulty.

Breeding period

Having regained strength after a long sleep, brown bears are ready to mate. The rut begins in the spring, in May, and lasts about a month. Females signal their readiness to mate with a special secretion that has a strong odor. Using these marks, males find their chosen ones and protect them from rivals.

Sometimes fierce battles arise between two bears for the female, in which the fate, and sometimes the life, of one of them is decided. If one of the males dies, the winner may even eat him.

During the mating season, bears are very dangerous. They make a wild roar and can attack a person.

Reproduction

Exactly after 6-8 months, cubs are born in the den. Usually the female brings 2-4 cubs, completely bald, with underdeveloped organs of hearing and vision. However, after a month, the cubs’ eyes open and the ability to catch sounds appears. Immediately after birth, the cubs weigh about 500 g and their length reaches 25 cm. By 3 months, all baby teeth have erupted in the cubs.

For the first 6 months of their lives, babies feed on mother's milk. Then berries, insects, and greens are added to their diet. Later, the mother brings them fish or her catch. For about 2 years, babies live with their mother, learn habits, the intricacies of hunting, and hibernate with her. The independent life of a young bear begins at the age of 3-4 years. The father bear never takes part in raising his offspring.

Lifestyle

The brown bear is a fickle animal. It feeds in one place, sleeps in another, and can move several kilometers away from its usual habitat to mate. A young bear wanders around the area until it starts a family.

The brown owner marks his possessions. Only he can hunt here. He marks boundaries in a special way, tearing off the bark from trees. In areas without plantings, a bear can peel off objects that are in its field of vision - stones, slopes.

In summer, he can rest carelessly in open meadows, lying directly on the ground. The main thing is that this place is secluded and safe for the bear.

Why connecting rod?

Before hibernating for the winter, the bear must gain the required amount of fat reserves. If it is not enough, the animal has to wander further in search of food. This is where the name comes from - connecting rod.

Moving during the cold season, the bear is doomed to death from frost, hunger or a hunter's gun. However, in winter you can find not only connecting rods. Often a bear's sleep can simply be disturbed by people. Then this well-fed animal is forced to look for a new shelter in order to plunge into hibernation again.

Finding a den

The bear chooses this winter refuge with special care. For dens, reliable, quiet places are chosen, located on the borders of swamps, in windbreaks, on river banks, in secluded caves. The shelter should be dry, warm, spacious and safe.

The bear arranges its den with moss, laying out soft bedding from it. The shelter is camouflaged and insulated with tree branches. Very often a bear uses a good den for several years.

The life of brown bears consists of searching for food, especially before hibernation. Before falling asleep, the animal diligently confuses its tracks: it walks through swamps, meanders and even walks backwards.

Quiet and relaxing holiday

In a cozy den, bears sleep throughout the frosty weather. long winter. Old males leave their shelter first. The female bear and her offspring stay in the den longer than others. Hibernation of brown bears lasts 5-6 months. It usually starts in October and ends in April.

Bears do not fall into deep sleep. They remain sensitive and vital and are easily disturbed. A bear's body temperature during sleep is between 29-34 degrees. During hibernation, little energy is consumed, and the clubfoot only needs the fat reserve acquired during active time. During winter holiday the bear loses about 80 kg of its weight.

Features of wintering

All winter the bear sleeps on its side, curled up comfortably. Poses on the back or sitting with the head down are less common. Breathing and heart rate slow down during hibernation.

Surprisingly, this animal does not defecate during winter sleep. All waste products in the bear's body are reprocessed and converted into valuable proteins necessary for its existence. The rectum is closed by a dense plug consisting of pine needles, compressed grass and wool. It is removed after the animal leaves the den.

Does a bear suck its paw?

Many naively believe that during hibernation, the clubfoot extracts valuable vitamins from its limbs. But that's not true. The fact is that in January the skin on the bear's paw pads is renewed. The old dry skin bursts and causes severe discomfort. To somehow moderate this itching, the bear licks its paw, moistening and softening it with its saliva.

Dangerous and strong animal

A bear is first and foremost a predator, powerful and terrible. A chance meeting with this angry beast will not bring anything good.

Spring rut, winter search for a new shelter - during these periods the brown bear is most dangerous. Descriptions or photographs of animals that live in nurseries and are kind to people should not deceive you - they grew up there under completely different conditions. In nature, a seemingly calm animal can show cruelty and easily blow your head off. Especially if you wandered into his territory.

Females with offspring should also be avoided. The mother is driven by instincts and aggression, so it is better not to get in her way.

Of course, the behavior of a clubfoot depends on the situation and time of year. Bears often run away on their own when they see a person in the distance. But don’t think that since this animal can eat berries and honey, this is its favorite food. The best food for a bear is meat, and he will never miss an opportunity to get it.

Why clubfoot?

This nickname is firmly attached to the bear. And all because when walking he steps alternately on his right and left paws. Therefore, from the outside it seems that the bear is clubbing.

But this slowness and clumsiness is deceptive. Whenever dangerous situation this beast instantly starts galloping and easily overtakes a person. The peculiarity of the structure of the front and hind legs allows him to show unprecedented agility when climbing uphill. He conquers peaks much faster than he descends from them.

It took more than one millennium for such a complex system habitat and life of this amazing animal. As a result, brown bears have gained the ability to survive in areas with harsh climatic conditions. Nature is amazing, and one can only admire its wisdom and immutable laws that put everything in its place.

The formidable animal, the largest of the land predators, has become a symbol of the taiga depths and dense forests. The powerful nature of the bear has always aroused the admiration and respect of people.

It is no coincidence that the image mighty master The taiga has entered the cultural heritage of many peoples. Brown bear is familiar to residents of mountainous regions of many countries, but is best known in Russia.

Description and features

The appearance of the bear is striking in its size and features of a real predator. The mass of a forest dweller reaches 350-400 kg, the body length is on average about 2 meters. Three-meter giants are found in the Far East. Kamchatsky brown bear weighs more than 500 kg.

The record heavyweight at the Berlin Zoo weighed 780 kg. In the middle zone, a typical representative of the bear family is slightly smaller than its relatives - weighing up to 120-150 kg. Males are approximately one and a half times larger than females.

The barrel-shaped body with pronounced withers is supported by high five-toed paws with non-retractable claws up to 12 cm. The five-toed feet are wide. There is practically no tail, its length is so small in relation to the body, only 20 cm. Small ears and eyes are located on the massive head. High forehead. The muzzle is elongated.

The color of the thick coat varies depending on the habitat: from a fawn shade to a blue-black tone. Brown bears are considered the most common. Brown-red bears live in Syria. A grayish coating is found among the Himalayan inhabitants. Molting lasts from spring to autumn, until they go into the den. Sometimes the period is divided into two stages:

• early - intense, during the rut;
• late - slow, during cold weather.

An important period in the life of a predator is wintering. How long does a brown bear spend in hibernation?– depends on external factors. Winter sleep lasts from 2 to 6 months, but in warm regions with rich harvests of nuts and berries, bears do not sleep at all.

The bear has been preparing for the harsh taiga winter since the summer - looking for a place, settling in, accumulating subcutaneous fat. Shelters are most often located in holes between the roots of cedars and spruce trees, in places where trees have been turned upside down, and under logs.

The most reliable dens of predators are ground ones, going deep into the ground. Hunters recognize such places by the yellowish coating on the trees and bushes around the den. The bear's hot breath settles like frost on the branches.

The dens inside are reinforced with vertically located branches. Animals block the entrance with them, closing themselves off from the outside world until spring. Before the final hiding, the tracks are carefully obfuscated.

Brown bear in the taiga hibernates curled up. The hind legs are tucked to the belly, and the front legs cover the muzzle. Pregnant mother bears hibernate with cubs in their second year of life.

Every year, predators tend to change their hibernation place, but in cases of a shortage of “apartments” they return to the dens of previous years. They spend the winter mostly alone. But brown bears of the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin can unite in one den.

The animal's weak sleep is disturbed, thaws disturb predators and force them to leave their dens. Some animals cannot lie down in a den in the fall due to lack of food.

Connecting bears are extremely aggressive in winter - hunger makes the animal ferocious. Meetings with him are very dangerous. The connecting rod has little chance of surviving until spring. The animal's physical weakness, lack of food supply and cold make the animal vulnerable.

Species

The modern systematization of brown bears did not come immediately due to many population differences. Today, there is one species and twenty geographical races (subspecies), differing in color, size, and distribution area.

The most famous brown bears include the following large subspecies:

European brown bear(Eurasian or common). Many peoples cultivated the mighty ruler into a deity. The inhabitant of coniferous and deciduous forests settles as far as the tundra swamps in the north and climbs mountains up to 3000 meters in the south in search of coolness.

Active day and night, when there is an abundance of berries and fruits in nature. A lover of plundering honeycombs. The color varies from light brown to black-brown.

California bear(grizzly). The subspecies, which became extinct with the arrival of white people, is depicted on the California flag. It was an important component of the region's ecosystem. The subspecies was exterminated by hunters. Remains a symbol of the state.

Siberian brown bear. It is this subspecies that is called the owner of the Russian. Characterized by a dark brown color with a thicker coat of hair on the legs. Ruler of the Eastern part of Siberia, found in Mongolia, Kazakhstan.

Atlas bear. Extinct subspecies. Lived in territories near the Atlas Mountains, from Morocco to Libya. The bear had a reddish tint to its fur. It ate plant roots, acorns, and nuts.

Gobi bear(mazalay). A rare inhabitant of the desert mountains of Mongolia. The fur color is light brown, there is always a slightly bleached stripe along the chest, shoulders and throat. Brown bear in the photo elegant and recognizable.

Mexican(grizzly). A rare animal in danger of extinction. Dimensions of a brown bear large. A predator with a pronounced hump in the area of ​​the shoulder blades. It lives at the foot of the hills, in mountain forests at an altitude of up to 3000 meters. The last reliable record of grizzly bears was in 1960.

Tien Shan brown bear. A rare subspecies that lives in the mountain ranges of the Himalayas, Pamirs, and Tien Shan. Main feature– light claws of the front paws. Protected by nature reserves in Kazakhstan.

Ussuri (Himalayan) bear. The animal is small in size compared to its relatives. Weight does not exceed 150 kg, length is approximately 180 cm. The color is dark, on the chest there is a triangular spot of white or yellowish tint.

Inhabitant of the forests of Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories, Japanese Islands, Pakistan, Iran, Korea, China, Afghanistan. Excellent climbs trees and swims.

Kodiak. One of the largest predators on land. The average mass of giants is half a ton. An abundance of food and a short winter are characteristic of their habitats - the islands of the Kodiak archipelago. A keen sense of smell and keen hearing help the predator in the hunt. The beast is omnivorous. In addition to fish and meat, you won’t mind eating berries, nuts, and juicy fruits.

Tibetan bear(food eater). It got its name from the way it feeds on grasses and pikas on the Tibetan Plateau. A very rare subspecies, described in the 19th century. It is possible that the subspecies can be preserved high in the mountains. Prototype of the yeti. The piece of fur found as confirmation of the legend belonged to a brown bear.

Lifestyle and habitat

The forest dweller prefers areas with windbreaks, dense growth of grasses and shrubs in burnt areas. Mountain regions, tundra, and coastlines are also developed by the predator. Once upon a time, a wide distribution of the brown bear was recorded from England to.

But changes in inhabited territories and the extermination of the beast led to a significant compression of the range. Forest areas western Canada, Alaska, Far East Russia is the main territory of its habitat.

Every bear has separate territory, ranging in size from 70 to 140 km², marked by odors and noticeable scratches on the trees. The male's area is 7 times larger than that of the female. The territory is defended from strangers. The separated young animals, in search of a partner, can actively wander beyond the boundaries of the site.

The predator is active during daylight hours, often in the early morning and evening. In search of food, the sedentary animal sometimes makes seasonal movements, following to areas where berries and nuts ripen.

Despite the large size of the animal and its clumsy appearance, the predator runs quickly. Average brown bear speed is 50-60 km/h. Physical activity and the animal’s plasticity is manifested in the ability to climb trees, swim across rivers, and cover significant distances.

The bear has the ability to approach prey silently and with light movements. With a strong blow paws are capable of breaking the back of a deer, .

The sense of smell allows the animal to smell the decomposition of meat 3 km away. Hearing is acute. The bear often stands up on its hind legs and listens to its surroundings, catching smells. A difficult obstacle for a bear is deep snow cover.

The life of a predator has a seasonal cycle. In the summer, well-fed bears rest on the ground, among herbs, bask in the sun, and take care of their offspring. In the fall we are busy searching winter shelter, its arrangement, accumulation subcutaneous fat.

In winter, a deep sleep occurs, which lasts from one month to six, depending on many factors. It is interesting that the physiological parameters of the animal (pulse, temperature, etc.) practically do not change, unlike other mammals.

Spring awakens weakened animals. Weight loss over the winter can be quite significant - up to 80 kg. The accumulation of strength for the new begins life cycle.

Nutrition

Animals are omnivores, but two-thirds of their diet is based on plant foods, which they consume in different seasons. brown bear. Animal eats acorns, roots, plant stems. Berries and nuts are delicacies. In times of famine, crops of corn and oats become food sources. All kinds of insects, lizards, frogs, and forest rodents are eaten.

Large predators hunt artiodactyl animals - wild boars, moose, roe deer, deer. In early spring, after hibernation, the bear gives preference to animal food, since it needs to gain strength, and there is little plant food. The animal is especially active when hunting.

The brown bear does not eat large prey immediately; it hides it under brushwood and guards it until its supply runs out. Hunts for carrion, can take prey from more small predators- wolves, . There are known cases of attacks on domestic animals and grazing livestock.

Near bodies of water, bears become excellent fishermen, especially during salmon spawning. The abundance of fish leads to the fact that the bear eats only the fattest parts of the carcasses, leaving other pieces.

Bears have good memory. Foraging areas with an abundance of berries, mushrooms, nuts, and fruit-bearing trees will be visited more than once by a predator with the hope of feasting on them.

Reproduction and lifespan

The mating season of brown bears begins in May and lasts a couple of months. Males fight for females; fights between competitors are fierce and can result in the death of the animal. During the rutting season, bears are very dangerous due to their aggressiveness. A wild roar signals the determination of the opponents.

The offspring appears in the den after 6-8 months. 2-4 babies are born completely helpless - bald, blind and deaf. The weight of newborns is only 500 g, length is approximately 25 cm. After a month, the cubs open their eyes and begin to catch sounds. By 3 months, baby teeth grow in.

In spring, kids are ready to find berries and insects on their own. But they feed on milk for another six months. The mother feeds the cubs with the prey she brought. The young are always close to their mother, learning to hunt and preparing for their first winter.

The father does not take care of the children. The independent life of bear cubs begins at 3-4 years of age, but the growth period continues up to 10 years.

The lifespan of brown bears is approximately 20-30 years. IN harsh conditions nature, many individuals die, becoming victims of hunting, climate change. Human activities affect the reduction of the predator's range. In nature reserves, the life of bears increases to 50 years.

Big brown bear It has long been included in the Red Book, and fishing for it is prohibited. Conservationists are making efforts to save the endangered subspecies. The future of brown bears is under state protection.

Brown bears are large mammalian predators that impress with their power and strength. Despite the fact that animals live on different continents, they are usually associated with Russia. After all, the brown bear with the balalaika became national symbol our country. In this material we will tell you everything about these magnificent predators: where they live, what they eat, how they differ from each other.

Types of brown bears

Total in wildlife there are about twenty species of these animals living in different corners globe. But the most numerous populations belong to the following species:

• Apennine;
• Siberian;
• Gobi;
• Tien Shan;
• Grizzly;
• Kodiak.

Where does the brown bear live?

Over the last century, the range of these predators has changed significantly. If previously it was possible to meet a brown bear throughout almost the entire territory of the northern continents, as well as in Africa, now this species lives only in a few places. The reasons for this decline are hunting for predators and deforestation. Main habitats:

• Canada.
• Forest zone of Russia.
• Alaska.
• Alps, Pyrenees, Apennines.
• Hokkaido Island (Japan).
• Palestine.
• Central Europe.
• Iran, Iraq.
• China.
• Carpathians.
• Northwestern states of America.
• Scandinavia and Finland.

Appearance and features

The brown bear is a large predator covered with thick brown fur, the darkness of which depends on the subspecies. The animal has a large head, small eyes, long, sharp fangs, rounded ears, and a small depression on the bridge of the nose. It moves on four paws, each of them has five fingers with large sickle-shaped claws reaching 10 cm in length. Such characteristics have included these forest inhabitants in the list of the most dangerous animals on the planet. And this is really justified, because a meeting with a wild predator can end very tragically. The environment and subspecies of the animal affect its size.

• The largest individuals live in Alaska and Kamchatka. The length of their body reaches 2.5 meters with a height at the withers of 1.3 m, and if the animal stands on its hind legs, then its height can reach three meters. Females are much smaller than males.
• The average weight of Kamchatka predators is 300–450 kg. But this figure increases significantly as winter approaches, and before hibernation, adult males can reach a mass of 700 kg.
• The inhabitants of Alaska are much larger, and their usual weight ranges from 700 kg to one ton. The largest animal caught weighed 1130 kg.
• The smallest representatives of this species are European bears. In most cases, their body weight does not exceed 400 kg, and their length reaches 1.2–1.5 m.

Behavior

Brown bears “settle” in dense forests near water bodies. At the same time, the predator leaves its “wilds” in extreme cases, only when it is tormented by hunger. If the bear's territory runs out of food, it can wander. For example, the alpine mountain subspecies lives in valleys in the spring, then moves to meadows, and by the end of summer it moves into the forest.

By nature, these predators are solitary animals. Males live separately from females with cubs. Moreover, each individual has its own territory, which can reach from 70 to 400 square meters. The space occupied by the female is up to seven times less than that of the male. Animals delimit their “allotments” with the help of scratches and a specific smell that remains on the bark of trees.

Seasonal features

The activity of this mammal depends on seasonal cycles. In the summer they fatten up, build dens in the fall, and hibernate in the winter. For their wintering, the animals choose a place overland in the very depths of the forest. These can be holes under windbreaks, rock crevices, small caves. In some cases, bears dig their own dens. Just before hibernation, the animal “creates comfort” in its home, namely, it lays the surface of the den with leaves and dry branches. Females and males sleep separately from each other. If a mother bear has cubs, they go to bed with their mother.

Hibernation is a period of shallow sleep for animals. It begins in the fall and continues until the arrival of spring. Moreover, the duration of this phenomenon depends on the climate of the area and other natural factors, and can reach from 70 to 200 days.

Animals wake up at the moment when their subcutaneous reserves are completely depleted. This usually happens in early spring. If the animal did not have time to gain enough fat over the summer-autumn, then it can come out of hibernation in the winter. Such an animal is called a “connecting rod”. An awakened bear poses a huge danger, because at this moment it can attack anyone due to hunger.

Nutrition

Bears are omnivores, and most of their menu consists of various roots, berries, nuts, and insects. If possible, it can also feast on small animals, amphibians and reptiles. Bears love honey, so they often break hives of wild bees or destroy farm apiaries. They are excellent fishermen, and fish plays a significant role in their diet.

Brown bears very rarely hunt large mammals. But if the animal does not have enough food, then this can happen. Hunting is carried out for roe deer, deer, fallow deer and other artiodactyls. In rare cases, they can “pick up” wolves or bears of other species.

For all their external clumsiness, these animals are excellent hunters and can reach speeds of up to 50 km per hour. Bears can sneak up and kill large moose with one blow.

Reproduction

The mating season for predators begins in May. At this moment, animals are especially aggressive and it is better to avoid meeting them. Pregnancy of female bears lasts seven months, after which 2-3 cubs are born. The weight of newborn cubs does not exceed half a kilogram, and the babies are born absolutely helpless. They hibernate with their mother. The she-bear feeds the cubs with milk, but at the same time teaches them the basics of hunting. Cubs that reach three or four years old begin an independent life. At the age of six years, bears become sexually mature. Average duration The lifespan of these animals is 20 years. In captivity, this period can double.

Video

Greetings, dear readers of the site “I and the World”! Today you will learn about the largest bears in the world: their habits and habitat, which specimens are very dangerous and which are quite harmless. But, in any case, it is undesirable to meet with them; the outcome of this meeting is unlikely to be in your favor.

From Russian fairy tales we know about bears as clumsy and stupid animals. Because of their weight, they really seem slow, but this is not so, they can reach such speed that it is difficult to escape from them even on a bicycle. You should get to know them better in order to know what to expect from them if you meet them by chance while traveling around the world, as well as: what they look like, how much they weigh, where they live, etc.

And our rating opens with “Black Bear” or Baribal

His black coat glistens in the sun of the USA and Canada. Less common in northern Mexico. It is in these countries that this animal lives and weighs from 300 to 360 kg.

The largest male is 363 kg. It was killed in Canada - this is the largest Baribal ever caught by man. The animals are quite harmless. They do not attack people or domestic animals and live quietly and peacefully, eating plant foods and fish.

Very rarely, when there is not enough food, Baribal can drag off livestock. With a height of up to two meters, Baribal cubs are born so small that their weight ranges from 200 to 400 grams.

In captivity: in zoos and circuses they can live up to 30 years, but in nature only 10. Now there are about 600,000 individuals.

In 4th place - American Grizzly

Among brown bears, he is the strongest, but not so big. The grizzly bear is very resilient and if there is a fight with another large animal, the animal has an instant grip, which leads to victory. It is considered friendly, but if there is not enough food or feels aggression, the kind nature disappears. The Grizzly's rather strong sense of smell allows it to sense prey at a great distance. It feeds on plant foods, loves fish, and like any predator, does not refuse animal food.

It lives in Alaska and western Canada and reaches 450 kg.

Grizzly in translation means “terrible”, but it does not try to attack people just like that, but only when it is hungry or very angry. In such rare cases, Grizzly was said to be a cannibal. During the rest of the time when it is rich in prey, it is not dangerous.

Brown Siberian bear takes third place

The dimensions of the Russian Siberian reach: weight up to 800 kg, and height up to 2.5 meters. This is a big fish lover, living near the Anadyr, Kolyma and Yenisei rivers. Sometimes found in Chinese provinces.

Although the warm season in these places is short, there is a lot of plant and animal food and allows you to gain heavy weight.

Siberians are loners and hibernate during the winter. They fish very interestingly: when salmon jump out of the water, the bears try to catch them in the air.

2nd place – one of the brown specimens – Kodiak

They live on the shores of Alaska on Kodiak Island. The brown beast got its name from this island. Most big bear in the world among brown species. Muscular animal with long paws The Kodiak easily obtains abundant food.

They grow 2.6 meters long and gain up to 1000 kg. The height of an adult predator can be up to 2.8 meters.

There was a time when animals could completely disappear, and therefore they were prohibited from being shot. Now their number is increasing, but so far only 3000.

They do not attack people, and therefore do not pose a danger to tourists. But for the animals themselves, these encounters are quite unpleasant. Animals, frightened by strangers, stop eating normally and gain too little fat before hibernation. And an animal caught for the sake of keeping it in a zoo may simply not survive in captivity.

And finally, first place - Polar Bear

Wikipedia believes that the white bear is the world's largest bear, living in the Arctic and reaching a mass of 1 ton or even more. This predatory animal reaches 3 meters in length - how huge!

This is a real record in weight among all species. Can you imagine such a huge beast, like a white steamer, slowly moving among the snow. There is also fur on the paws, so they move easily on the ice and do not freeze in the most severe frosts.

On the island of Spitsbergen there are even more polar bears than people living there. Long neck with a flat head allows you to stretch out and see far.

It is clear that living among the snow on drifting ice, it feeds on animal food: sea ​​hare, fish, walruses, arctic foxes. Just like brown ones, they live alone and until about 30 years old. Only females hibernate when they are pregnant, in order to gain strength to raise the next generation.

There are 28,000 polar bears throughout the world and about 6,000 in Russia alone. And although hunting them is strictly prohibited, poachers kill up to 200 bears every year.

In the photo you saw the largest bears on earth. They are all listed in the Red Book, but poachers do not think about this, destroying animals for the sake of a beautiful skin. Over the entire history of mankind, so many of these animals have been destroyed that many populations are difficult to increase again.

We say goodbye to you until our next meetings on the pages of our website. If you liked the article, share it with your friends, they will also be interested in it.