In the wild, these amazing animals are far from what we know them as bear stuffed toys. However, there is still more to them than what has been truly conveyed to us by fictional shows. They have clever ways of using tools when looking for food, and they are known to be one of the smartest land animals to have ever existed.
Bears are known to be very adaptive and have varying species throughout the globe, where they develop distinct traits based on their natural environment. In this article, we will be giving you more knowledge about these amazing creatures with our bear facts.
Usual Physical Characteristics
Whatever species of bear it is, every bear evolves with stocky limbs and huge bodies. Bears are known for having thick coats of fur and small rounded ears. Unlike humans who have arched feet, bears have and walk with flat-feet. Each bear also possesses bushy tails, and five claws fixed on each paw. So, what do you think about our first of many bear facts?
Bear Diet
Typically, a bear’s diet mainly consists of younger plants such as nuts, shoots, seeds, and saplings. They are not fond of and have difficulty digesting older plants. Thus they choose younger plants that give them more nutrition.
On the other hand, sloth bears also eat a lot of insects. Though not confused with a sloth, sloth bears are very active when it comes to hunting insects such as termites, burrowing insects, and ants. They use their sticky tongues just like an anteater. Other than these insects that we have mentioned, their diet also consists of bees and wasps, and they have built a resistance to stings for them to reach larvae and honey inside the hives.
Fluctuating Weights
Bears located in places with arctic and temperate climates usually have fluctuating weights throughout the year. When going through the winter, bears are known for hibernating that they use for nutrition, and they require to store up fat.
As winter approaches, the bear’s weight significantly increases, and when winter comes to an end, all the fat that they have stored gets exhausted, which causes their bodies to drop a lot of weight during the spring and summer. However, bears located in the tropics do not experience this type of weight fluctuation.
Heightened Sense of Smell
When they told you that dogs possess a greater sense of smell, it’s not factually correct. The sense of smell of bears is usually superior to dogs. Other than using their sense of smell to hunt and locate their prey, they also use their sense of smell to locate other bears and use it to give one another signals. These signals are usually warnings to their rivals that they are setting foot into their area.
Anti-Social Animals
Regardless of what popular fiction advocates, bears choose to be alone most of the time, and because of this, bears are very territorial. They immediately attack anything or anyone who enters their territory. The only irregularity to this type of behavior is when their mate gives birth to cubs.
Territorial Marks
One of the most ordinary ways of marking their territories is by rubbing their bodies on plant lives such as trees and leaving their smell behind. Other ways of marking their territories are clawing and biting a tree bark or urinating. Panda Bears even have special glands located near their anus for them to leave unique scents.
Longevity
Bears live for an average of 25 years, though this may be short when compared to a human’s lifespan of 80 years. But when compared to other mammals, their lifespan is quite long. Bears can reproduce at a very young age between 3 and 6 years old.
Takeaway
Now that you have known some facts about bears, are you willing to go near them? Well, we don’t think so after you have read that they prefer to be alone most of the time, right? So, it’s always a good idea to have a safe distance between you and any wild animal that isn’t trained.
