"American Black Bear - A Description and Identification",2,0,c,ablakber.avi
\B\I(Ursus americanus)\b\i
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear that is native only to the continent of North America. These bears are forest animals and live in a highly varied habitat throughout most of Canada, the United States and occasionally Mexico. The official name for the American black bear is \IUrsus americanus.\i \IUrsus\i is the Latin word meaning "bear" while \Iamericanus\i simply means American, the location where the bear is found in the wild. Native Americans viewed the American black bear with respect and reverence and included the bear in many of their religious customs. Some of the names they used included "phantom of the woods" and "spirit of the forest." Today, for most people who live in North America, it is the one bear many people can count on seeing in the wild at least once in their lifetime. It is estimated that there are between 400,000 and 750,000 American black bears throughout North America. This is a very small number of bears when one considers that there are more American black bears than all other bears in the world put together.
\BDescription:\b American black bears are native to North America and have heavy bodies and strong muscular legs.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"American Black Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics",3,01630045.bmp,c,0
The American black bear is a large mammal whose size and weight are extremely variable depending on the ready availability of food and the existing climatic conditions.
The height of an adult male American black bear measured from the ground to the highest point of the shoulder averages from 75 to 90 centimeters (approximately 2.5 to 3 feet). Measured from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, the length of an adult male American black bear averages from 137 to 183 centimeters (approximately 4.5 to 6 feet).
The weight of an American black bear, which is highly variable, ranges from 55 to 270 kilograms (approximately 125 to 600 pounds) with adult males within a geographic region averaging about a third larger than adult females. The largest American black bear recorded to date was found in Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba, Canada, weighing in at 365 kilograms (803 pounds). All American black bears have a heavy body with strong muscular legs. They have a broad head with a Roman or convex face. The ears of the black bear are small, rounded and set well back on the head. The eyes are small in relation to the size of the head. The tail is short and stubby at 10 to 13 centimeters (4 to 5 inches). Black bears lack the distinct shoulder hump of the brown bear.
\BDescription:\b American black bears are not always black - only 70% of the species have black fur. The fur of an American black bear can be brown or blond with some bears having a white throat or chest patch.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"American Black Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics - (2)",4,01630078.bmp,d,0
American black bears move in a manner similar to most other bears. They amble or pace with both legs on one side of their body moving together. The front feet of the black bear are turned-in (pigeon-toed). When galloping, black bears have been clocked at 25 to 30 miles per hour over a short distance. Black bears are also strong and skillful swimmers. They will swim for pleasure as well as to gather food. American black bears are outstanding tree climbers. They climb to feed and also to avoid their enemies. Black bears have relatively flat feet with five toes. Their non-retractable claws are much shorter than that of a brown bear. The claws are round and taper to a sharp point. The hind and front claws are about the same length but the front claws are more sharply curved. From a distance, the front claws of a black bear are not as visible as they are on a brown bear. The most common colors of the claws are black or grayish brown.
While once long ago, American black bears may have primarily been meat eaters, today they are, in fact, \Pomnivores\p. To accommodate this, both their teeth and digestive tracts have undergone major changes so that they can extract sufficient nutrients from vegetable matter to maintain their large body mass.
American black bears are covered with a soft \Pdense\p underfur which serves as insulation to keep them warm. They also have a covering of long, thick guard hairs. Black bears shed their fur \Pannually\p. The name, the American black bear, is actually a \Pmisnomer\p, given the many color phases of this bear. Only about 70 per cent of black bears are truly black in color. Researchers have determined that in the eastern areas where the climate is wetter, "black" bears \Ppredominate\p, while in the drier inland areas to the west, brown and blond bears are more common. Many American black bears also show a white throat or chest patch.
\BDescription:\b American black bears are known to live for over 30 years in the wild.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"American Black Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics - (3)",5,01630057.bmp,c,0
There is also an American black bear which has beautiful cream-colored fur. This bear, called the Kermode bear, is often referred to as the "ghost bear." It is found only on three small, isolated islands off the western coast of British Columbia in Canada. The brown eyes and black nose of these bears eliminate any possibility that the Kermode bears are an albino race. A female Kermode bear may give birth to both black and white-phased cubs within the same litter. Black bears have good eyesight. They have \Pbinocular\p vision as do most predators, including humans. This gives them good depth perception. It is thought that most bears may be somewhat nearsighted due to feeding close to the ground. Despite this, black bears are still able to detect moving \Pprey\p from far away. They also appear to have color vision. Bears demonstrate excellent hearing.
No animal has a better sense of smell than a bear. It has been said that a bear uses its nose to learn about its world in the same way that we use our eyes. An old Native American saying sums it up best: "A pine needle fell in the forest. The eagle saw it. The dear heard it. The bear smelled it." Because their sense of smell is so important, bears will often rise to a standing position or move to a higher elevation, to better "sniff the air."
In the wild, American black bears have been known to live for over 30 years. The age of a bear is normally determined by taking a small \Ppremolar\p tooth. The tooth is then cross-sectioned and the age is determined by the number of rings. This is similar to how the age of a tree is determined. Surviving into adulthood is very difficult for black bears. Many hazards await a small cub, including \Pstarvation\p, disease, accidents and predation by other animals including male bears. Mother bears or sows are very protective but the dangers are great.
\BDescription:\b Kermode bears are not albino as they have brown noses and brown eyes. These bears are found on isolated islands off the western coast of British Columbia in Canada.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"American Black Bear - Behavior",6,34690069.bmp,c,0
American black bears are known to be extremely intelligent and clever. Another defining characteristic of this species is their intense curiosity in everything around them. Their \Pinquisitive\p nature and willingness to play either alone or with other members of a family unit (i.e., mother and siblings) has entertained many a wildlife observer. But it should also be remembered that they are also highly unpredictable. They are easily conditioned to human garbage and then become problem bears.
Lacking the ability to vary their facial expressions, bears are nonetheless very expressive and communicative animals. In addition to \Pposturing\p and scenting, bears use many different \Pvocalizations\p to express themselves both to other bears and to other animals. American black bears, like many other bears, roar when they are very angry. A few of the other sounds they make include bawling to express pain; squalling when they are disappointed; and chomping when they are annoyed. Most adult male bears live a very \Psolitary\p life except for periodic mating with a receptive female. Females on the other hand, spend almost all of their lives in a family unit either as a cub growing into adulthood or as a mother raising her cubs. Even \Pjuvenile\p bears who have been driven off by their mother just before she mates once more, will live together as litter mates for several months to more than a year. This has led us to study the importance of the family unit as a basic construct for understanding bears' behavior.
American black bear cubs usually spend the first sixteen to eighteen months of life at the side of their mother and in the company of one or more siblings. They are then driven off, sometimes very fiercely, by their mother. With females coming into \Pestrus\p, mating, conceiving and giving birth and then raising cubs in a repeating cycle, females live the majority of their lives within a family unit. Adult bears, usually as a mating pair, may also live together for a short period during the \Pbreeding\p season.
\BDescription:\b Young American black bears usually spend around 18 months with their mothers before they are chased off so the mother can mate again.
\BPhoto:\b Walt Enders - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"American Black Bear - Behavior - (2)",7,34690074.bmp,d,0
In the world of the bear, bigger means stronger and more \Pdominant\p. For the most part, bears have learned to avoid serious fights which might critically injure both \Pcombatants\p. The older adult males are usually the biggest and the most \Pdominant\p bears. Next come the adult females and below them are the \Pjuvenile\p bears. This dominance hierarchy works most of the time, but a female with cubs will often fight to the death to protect her young cubs. Also, large males of almost equal size will sometimes fight over a dead animal or some other food source that they both happen to discover at the same time.
Female American black bears normally become sexually mature between their third to fifth year with some waiting up to seven years for their first mating. Copulation normally takes place in a manner similar to members of the (canine) dog family. In warmer climates, mating may take place as early as May or June while in more northern (and therefore colder) locations, mating may be delayed until July or early August. Females will normally mate with several males over the two to three weeks of the \Pbreeding\p season. Females will normally breed every other year.
Through a process called delayed implantation, the fertilized \Povum\p divides a few times and then floats free within the uterus for about six months with its development arrested. Sometime around the \Pdenning\p period, the \Pembryo\p will attach itself to the uterine wall and after a period of rapid growth lasting about eight weeks (in January or February), the cubs will be born while the mother is still in hibernation. If the mother has not put on enough fat reserves to last her through the winter, the \Pembryo\p stops growing and is simply \Preabsorbed\p.
The number of cubs born normally ranges from one to four with two to three cubs being average. As a rule, a first-time mother will have only one cub. The number of cubs a female will have increases as she gets older.
\BDescription:\b Female American black bears are sexually mature between their 3rd to 5th year and will normally breed every other year.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"American Black Bear - Behavior - (3)",8,34690085.bmp,c,0
At birth, the cubs are blind, toothless, covered with fine gray hair and very tiny. They weigh from 240 to 330 grams (approximately 8.5 to 11.5 ounces). Virtually helpless, they are, however, able to move sufficiently to \Psuckle\p on their mother who remains asleep. Her milk is calorically very rich containing over 20 per cent fat. In contrast, human milk only contains about 4 per cent fat. The cubs eyes open between 28 and 40 days after they are born. The cubs are able to walk by about five weeks. At this time, they have grown to about five pounds. Over the next several months, the cubs will develop rapidly such that they weigh between 40 and 60 pounds by the time they are six months of age.
Living in the wild is very dangerous for bear cubs. Of all American black bear cubs born, only 50 per cent will live to see their third birthday. Starvation and disease claim a number of cubs. Also, wolves, bobcats, eagles, mountain lions and, in more urban areas, dog packs have been known to kill young cubs who become separated from their mother's side.
Infanticide is also a factor. Predation of cubs by adult male black bears is common. Three reasons have been suggested to account for \Pinfanticide\p: to provide food; to create a \Pbreeding\p opportunity for an adult male bear; and to reduce competition for common territory. While the mother is \Pforaging,\p the cubs are often placed under the shelter of a \Pthicket\p or in a nearby tree. In the event of danger, the cubs will stay in the tree while their mother either takes guard on the forest ground below, or climbs the tree after them.
The cubs will stay with their mother for the entire first year. They are generally \Pweaned\p between July and September of their first year and stay with their mother through the first full winter. Their survival is totally dependent on the skill of the mother in both protecting them and teaching them the basics of what to eat, where and how to get food, where to den, and how to cope with danger.
As adolescents, young American black bears are still in extreme danger. Normally they are driven off by their mother as she prepares to breed once more during their second summer. The \Pjuvenile\p bears must now become rapidly self sufficient if they are to stay alive and find enough food to build up their fat reserves to last over the long winter. Occasionally, young bears will spend a period of time together after they have been driven off by their mothers.
\BDescription:\b American black bears normally have one to four cubs with the average being two. The cubs are born blind, toothless and covered in very fine gray hair. They open their eyes between 28 and 40 days and can walk around 5 weeks after birth.
\BPhoto:\b Walt Enders - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"American Black Bear - Description and Identification - (2)",9,01630048.bmp,c,0
The American black bear appears to be the bear species which has the greatest ability to live in close \Pproximity\p to humans. By far the most widely distributed bear in North America, its range extends from the northern tree limit of the Arctic, to the south through most of Canada and the United States. It is found as far south as the Sierra Madre Mountains which are located in north-west Mexico. The preferred habitat of the American black bear includes forests with occasional open areas such as meadows. This includes the \Phardwood\p forests along the eastern side of North America as well as the \Pconiferous\p forests found in the more central and western parts of the continent. The only habitat from which black bears are absent are those areas where heavy de-forestation has occurred.
The American black bear is currently known to be present in 32 of the 48 continental American states. California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington are estimated to have black bear populations numbering over 10,000. However, Alaska, with an estimated population of 100,000 black bears, is clearly the heart of black bear country. In many areas, the bear numbers are relatively stable. In a few states, the number of black bears is very low due to habitat reduction. Hawaii has never had bears. In Canada, American black bears are present in healthy numbers in 9 of the 10 provinces and both of the northern territories. British Columbia is estimated to have over 100,000 bears while Ontario is estimated to have 70,000 bears. Canada's smallest province, Prince Edward Island, no longer has a resident black bear population. While American black bears are certainly not numerous in Mexico, it is thought that some bears may be present in several Mexican states, particularly in the northwest areas of the country. This is a more isolated area with mountain habitat possibly providing large enough ranges for black bears to have survived.
\BDescription:\b American black bears are covered with long thick hairs and a soft \Pdense\p underfur which serves to keep them warm.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"American Black Bear - Diet and Habitat",10,01630053.bmp,c,0
American black bears, like all wild creatures, seek foods which will give them the highest amount of food energy for the least amount of work. They are primarily wanderers and foragers. They are constantly moving to take advantage of seasonal food sources and scavenge whatever they may unexpectedly find in their travels.
Eating hundreds of different types of plants, researchers have determined that more than 75 per cent of a black bear's diet consists of vegetable matter including berries; flowers; grasses and sedges; herbs; tubers and roots; and nuts of all kinds. For the remaining portion of their diet, animal matter such as decaying animal \Pcarcasses,\p fish, small marine animals, ants and other insects, honey, elk and moose calves and a variety of other small mammals (e.g., ground squirrels, \Pmarmots,\p etc.) are consumed.
American black bears like to feed in the cool of the evening or in the early morning. During the heat of the day, they will often seek shade in the \Pdense\p underbrush.
\BDescription:\b American black bears are true foragers and eat hundreds of different types of plants with their diet consisting of around 75% vegetation.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"American Black Bear - Diet and Habitat - (2)",11,0,b,abbfish.avi
Bears have home ranges, but are not territorial in that they don't normally fight to keep other bears out of an area. The home range is the land a bear usually travels as it lives its life. The size of the home range of an individual black bear will vary with the concentration of high quality food sources. The richer the food sources and the closer together they are, the smaller the range a bear needs. In different parts of North America, the home ranges of adult female black bears may vary from 6.5 square kilometers (approximately 2.5 square miles) to 26 square kilometers (10 square miles). In the far north, the size of a bear's home ranges is often far larger. Adult males will normally have a home range which is about four times larger than the females at 26 to 124 square kilometers (approximately 10 to 40 square miles). The home range of a mature male bear will often overlap the home range of several female bears.
Within the home range of a black bear, not all of the land is suitable habitat. Rather, most home ranges are composed of several smaller food source areas connected by travel lanes. Open areas are usually avoided by black bears as they prefer wooded cover. Stream and creek beds are often used as travel lanes because of the thick undergrowth and a barrier-free escape route. This is particularly true in areas where there is heavy urban build-up.
\BDescription:\b American black bears like to feed in the morning or afternoon to miss the midday heat. They prefer wooded covered areas to open plains and often use streams and rivers as travel lanes between feeding areas.
\BPhoto:\b Walt Enders - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"American Black Bear - Hibernation",12,34690082.bmp,c,0
During late summer and early fall, all bears from the cold northern climates must, in order to survive, gain as much weight as possible. By \Pgorging\p on locally available nut crops, berries, etc., American black bears are able to make very large weight gains. Such gains may be as much as 14 kilograms (30 pounds) per week. At such times, \Pforaging\p may occur both day and night with rest periods very infrequent.
Most American black bears, including all who live in areas with severe weather climates, will \Phibernate\p for between four and seven months. Where the weather is much more \Ptemperate\p and the period without food available is quite short, black bears may either not \Phibernate\p or they may simply nest in a \Pthicket\p or other sheltered area for brief periods of time. In northern areas, the body of a bear undergoes many remarkable changes as bears prepare to survive the long, very cold winter.
Hibernation is an energy-saving process bears have developed to allow them to survive for long periods when there is insufficient food available to maintain their body mass. It is a different type of hibernation than that experienced by bats, \Pmarmots\p and a number of other small rodents. As they stop eating and become increasingly \Psluggish\p, the bear will enter a cave; dig out a den; or hole up in a \Pdense\p brush pile, hollow log or tree cavity. While hibernating, a bear's heart rate drops from between forty to seventy beats per minute to only eight to twelve beats per minute and its \Pmetabolism\p slows down by half. Unlike other hibernators, the bear's body temperature undergoes only a minor reduction of 3 to 7 degrees Centigrade (5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit). During the entire period of hibernation, the black bear will neither pass \Purea\p or solid fecal waste. While \Purea\p poisoning causing death would occur in all other animals, bears have developed a unique process of recycling the \Purea\p into usable proteins.
\BDescription:\b Most American black bears will \Phibernate\p for between 4 to 7 months depending on the climate. In more \Ptemperate\p areas the American black bear will have shorter periods of hibernation with some simply having short rests in \Pthicket\p or scrub, depending on the availability of food.
\BPhoto:\b Walt Enders - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"American Black Bear - Hibernation - (2)",13,34690080.bmp,c,0
Most black bears vacate their winter dens over a one to two month period commencing in April or May. Both the climatic conditions (snow cover and temperature) and \Pphysiological\p factors such as the bear's age, their health and their remaining fat reserves, affect the exact time that they leave their den. Adult males usually emerge first while females with newborn cubs are usually the last to leave their dens.
During the hibernation period, all bears lose a great deal of weight. Adult males and adolescent bears lose between 15 per cent and 30 per cent of their weight while it is not uncommon for a female cub with newborn cubs to have lost as much as 40% of her weight. The black bear will then resume its normal \Pforaging\p pattern as it completes the cycle of life.
\BDescription:\b Female American black bears and cubs are usually the last to leave a \Pden\p after a period of hibernation.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Asiatic Black Bear - A Description and Identification",14,01630049.bmp,c,0
\B\I(Ursus thibetanus)\i\b
The Asiatic black bear is a medium-sized bear that is native only to Asia. These bears are forest animals and occupy the \Ptemperate\p habitat which lies between the brown bears of the north and the sun and sloth bears who live in the south. The official name for the Asiatic black bear is \IUrsus thibetanus.\i \IUrsus\i is the Latin word meaning "bear" while \Ithibetanus\i simply refers to Tibet, one of the early locations where the bear was originally known to exist in the wild. The Asiatic black bear is most commonly referred to as the moon bear of Tibet, the Tibetan black bear or the Himalayan black bear. The moon refers to the moon-shaped white patch these bears have on their chest. Because of the great deal of time Asiatic black bears spend in trees, they have also been given the colorful Malayan name "Bagindo nan tinggih" which translates into "he who sits high up in a tree."
Paleontologists believe that Asiatic black bears and American black bears may have shared a common ancestor as recently as 3 to 4 million years ago.
The Asiatic black bear lives across much of southern Asia. Its preferred habitat is forested hills and mountains and the tropical moist forest below alpine elevations. This area includes the countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan, eastward into northern India, China and finally across southeast Asia. Separate populations are also known to be present in eastern Russia, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan. In parts of their range, they share the habitat with brown bears.
At present, we do not have any reliable estimates of how many Asiatic black bears still exist in the wild. Reasonable bear populations are felt to still exist in parts of China and Russia although no figures are available. Researchers believe, however, based on many sources, that the numbers are declining rapidly. Throughout most of their range, \Pconservation\p efforts on behalf of Asiatic black bears are almost nonexistent and where there is supposedly legal protection, it is rarely enforced.
\BDescription:\b Asiatic black bears are only found in Asia, and are commonly referred to as the moon of Tibet because of the moon-shaped crest on their chests.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Asiatic Black Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics",15,01630046.bmp,c,0
The Asiatic black bear is a large mammal whose size and weight show a high degree of variance depending on the amount of available food and climatic conditions.
The height of an adult male Asiatic black bear measured from the ground to the highest point of the shoulder averages from 75 to 100 centimeters (approximately 2.5 to 3.25 feet). Measured from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, the length of an adult male Asiatic black bear averages from 150 to 210 centimeters (approximately 5 to 7 feet).
The weight of an Asiatic black bear, which is highly variable, ranges from 90 to 115 kilograms (200 to 255 pounds). A very large adult male Asiatic black bear may weigh over 180 kilograms (400 pounds) prior to hibernation when it has its full fat resources. Males are generally slightly larger than females within a specific geographic area.
\BDescription:\b Asiatic black bears are excellent tree climbers.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Asiatic Black Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics - (2)",16,01630052.bmp,c,0
Asiatic black bears have a strong muscular body with more developed front shoulders and shorter legs than do brown bears and American black bears. The large, round head has a convex or Roman profile similar to an American black bear. The ears are large, shaped like a bell and stick out to the side of the head. The eyes are small in relation to the size of the head. They have a short stubby tail about 10 centimeters (4 inches) long. Asiatic black bears move in a manner similar to most other bears. They walk in a \Pplantigrade\p manner similar to other bears (i.e., both heel and toe make contact with the ground when walking in a manner similar to humans). When they amble or pace, both legs on one side of their body move together. The front feet are turned - in (pigeon-toed). Asiatic black bears are able to gallop very quickly. They are also strong and skillful swimmers. Asiatic black bears are outstanding tree climbers. They climb to feed, rest, sun themselves, avoid their enemies and also to \Phibernate\p. They have relatively flat feet with five toes. The heel pads of the front paws are larger than most bears while the rear paws are narrow and taper towards the rear. Their short non-retractable claws are 4 to 5 centimeters (1 to 2 inches) in length. The claws are sharply curved and taper to a sharp point to assist them when climbing. They are whitish in color.
While long ago Asiatic black bears may have primarily been meat eaters, today they are, in fact, \Pomnivores\p. To accommodate this, both their teeth and digestive tracts have undergone major changes so that they can extract sufficient nutrients from vegetable matter to maintain their large body mass.
Asiatic black bears are covered with a soft \Pdense\p underfur which serves as insulation to keep them warm. They also have a covering of long, thick guard hairs. Asiatic black bears shed their fur each year. During the \Pmolt\p, the bears will rub against trees and rocks to help remove clumps of old fur. A complete new coat is generally in place by fall.
\BDescription:\b Asiatic black bears have a large head similar to that of an American black bear - it is believed they share a common ancestor. The ears are large, shaped like a bell and stick out of the side of the head.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Asiatic Black Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics - (3)",17,01630036.bmp,c,0
The Asiatic black bear has very \Pdense\p jet black fur. A very pronounced thick \Pmane\p, often as long as 15 centimeters (6 inches), also surrounds the head. In the area of the chest, the bear has a crescent moon-shaped patch of cream-colored or yellowish-white markings. As well, the Asiatic black bear has cream-colored or white fur along its lower lip and chin.
Asiatic black bears have good eyesight. They have \Pbinocular\p vision which also gives them excellent depth perception. This is necessary in order to detect and follow moving \Pprey\p. Most bears are thought to be somewhat nearsighted due to feeding close to the ground. They also appear to have color vision. Bears demonstrate excellent hearing.
Bears have the keenest sense of smell of all animals. It has been said that a bear uses its nose to learn about its world in the same way that we use our eyes. Because their sense of smell is so important, bears will often rise to a standing position or move to a higher elevation to better "sniff the air."
In the wild, Asiatic black bears may live for 25 years or more. The age of a bear can be determined by pulling a small \Ppremolar\p tooth from a sedated bear and later cross-sectioning and counting the number of rings. Each ring indicates one year that the bear has lived. This is similar to how the age of a tree is determined. Surviving into adulthood is very difficult for Asiatic black bears. Many cubs do not survive due to \Pstarvation\p, disease, accidents and predation by other animals including male bears. Brown bears and tigers, who share different parts of their habitat, will also attack Asiatic black bears. Mother bears or sows are very protective but there are many \Pformidable\p problems in trying to raise bear cubs.
\BDescription:\b The size of the Asiatic black bear varies considerably in relation to climate and food availability. The average size of an adult male from the tip of nose to the tip of tail is around 150 to 210 centimeters (5 to 7 feet).
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Asiatic Black Bear - Behavior",18,12340017.bmp,c,0
Asiatic black bears are known to be extremely intelligent and clever. They seem to learn very quickly. They are also described as being easily annoyed by intrusions of other animals including humans. Their habit of attacking local livestock often brings them into conflict with rural landowners.
Regarding the communicative patterns of the Asiatic black bear, \Pposturing,\p scenting and a number of different \Pvocalizations\p are used in interactions both with other bears and other animals. Asiatic black bears, like all bears, roar when they are very angry.
Asiatic black bears make more use of trees than any other bear. They use trees as regular locations to rest during the day as well as using them for food gathering and to avoid their enemies.
While most adult male bears live \Psolitary\p lives, Asiatic black bear males appear to have more contact with other bears. Family groupings including a male, female, and cubs have been observed on a number of occasions.
Asiatic black bear cubs usually spend the first two to three years of life with their mother and one or more siblings. As a rule, the cubs are then driven off by the mother although there are reports of sows being seen with cubs from two litters.
Normally, bears are shy and try to avoid trouble. In the natural process of determining who will win in situations such as which of two bears will occupy a particular range, which male will breed with a particular female and other possible \Pconfrontations,\p the smaller bear will usually give way to the bigger, more \Pdominant\p bear. Asiatic black bears appear to be quite tolerant of each other and less likely to engage in major battles, even between two bears of relatively equal dominance. Female Asiatic black bears normally become sexually mature in their third year. Copulation takes place in a manner similar to members of the (canine) dog family.
Mating normally takes place over a one to two day period in late April to early June. Reports indicate, however, that mating has been observed as early as March and as late as December. Females will normally breed every two to three years.
In Asiatic black bears, the growth of the \Pembryo,\p which is formed immediately after a successful mating stops growing for a period of several months. This process is called delayed implantation. Sometime around the \Pdenning\p period, the free-floating \Pembryo\p attaches itself to the uterine wall and then continues to grow. After a period of rapid growth lasting about eight weeks, the cubs will be born while the mother is still in hibernation. If the mother has not put on enough fat reserves to last her through the winter, the \Pembryo\p aborts and is absorbed by her body.
The female usually enters a rock cavity or hollow tree during winter or early spring. Normally, two cubs are born with four cubs being the maximum number of cubs observed. The health of the mother and the available food supply are important in determining how many cubs a sow will have. The cubs weigh approximately 370 grams (13 ounces).
The cubs' eyes open approximately one week after they are born. The cubs are able to walk within four to five weeks. Over the next several weeks, the cubs develop rapidly on the rich milk provided by the mother. They will then be able to follow her when she leaves the \Pden\p to \Pforage.\p
It is estimated that for every two Asiatic black bear cubs born, only one will survive to become a \Pbreeding\p adult bear. There are many dangers including predation by other bears, \Pdomestic\p dogs, tigers and wolves. Starvation, disease and accidents also claim the lives of many cubs.
The survival of the bear cubs is totally dependent on the skill of the mother. She must teach them to how to find, catch and eat specific foods; how to avoid danger; and many other skills.
Juvenile Asiatic black bears are still in extreme danger. Once they have been driven off by their mother, they must become rapidly self sufficient if they are to stay alive and find sufficient food to build up their fat reserves to last over the long winter. Occasionally, young bears will spend a period of time together after they have been driven off by their mothers.
\BDescription:\b It is estimated that for every two Asiatic black bear cubs born, only one will survive to become a \Pbreeding\p adult bear.
\BPhoto:\b Keith Highley
#
"Asiatic Black Bear - Diet and Habitat",19,12340018.bmp,c,0
The Asiatic black bear still remains an active \Pcarnivore\p even though it has now adapted so that it eats both meat and plant material. They are opportunistic foragers who spend the majority of their time wandering in semi-predictable patterns to obtain food.
Asiatic black bears, like most wild creatures, seek foods which will return the highest nutritional value for the least expenditure of energy. They will readily kill other mammals both large and small. They are hated by farmers for the killing of local livestock. Where other mammals are not available to the bear, such as in Japan, they are able to subsist on a more plant-based diet. They will carry out their activities during both daylight and at night. However, where they are increasingly coming in contact with humans, they have developed into primarily \Pnocturnal\p creatures or animals of the night.
Seasonal availability and geographic location are the biggest factors determining the supplementary food sources of the bears. Eating virtually anything edible, their diet also consists of \Ptermites,\p beetles, larvae, honey, fruits, nuts and berries.
The size of the home range of an individual Asiatic black bear will vary with the concentration of high energy food sources. Thus, the more concentrated the food sources, the smaller the range necessary to maintain an animal.
While information on the specific territorial habits of these bears is just coming to light, it is presumed that it will be similar in nature to that of the American black bear.
\BDescription:\b The Asiatic black bear is primarily a \Pcarnivore\p although it is known to eat plant material.
\BPhoto:\b Keith Highley
#
"Asiatic Black Bear - Hibernation",20,12340019.bmp,c,0
In the northern parts of their range, Asiatic black bears \Phibernate\p as do all bears from the northern \Phemisphere.\p Normally, they will enter their dens in November and leave them in late March or early April. Prior to \Pdenning,\p Asiatic black bears try to gain as much weight as possible in order to survive hibernation.
As colder weather arrives, bears undergo many remarkable \Pphysiological\p changes in preparation for hibernation. Hibernation is an energy-saving process bears have developed to allow them to survive long periods when there is insufficient food available to maintain their body mass. It is a different type of hibernation than that experienced by bats, \Pmarmots\p and a number of other small rodents. As they stop eating and become increasingly \Plethargic,\p the bears will enter a cave; dig out a den; or hole up in a \Pdense\p brush pile, hollow log or tree cavity.
While hibernating, a bear's heart rate drops from between forty to seventy beats per minute to only eight to twelve beats per minute and its \Pmetabolism\p slows down by half. Unlike many other animals who \Phibernate,\p its body temperature only undergoes a minor reduction of 3 to 7 degrees centigrade (5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit).
\BDescription:\b Prior to \Pdenning,\p Asiatic black bears try to gain as much weight as possible in order to survive hibernation.
\BPhoto:\b Keith Highley
#
"Asiatic Black Bear - Hibernation - (2)",21,12340020.bmp,c,0
During the entire period of hibernation, the Asiatic black bear will neither pass \Purea\p or solid fecal waste. While \Purea\p poisoning causing death would occur in all other animals, bears have developed a unique process of recycling the \Purea\p into usable proteins.
During the hibernation period, all bears lose a great deal of weight. Adult males and adolescent bears lose between 15 per cent and 30 per cent of their weight while it is not uncommon for a female cub with newborn cubs to have lost as much as 40 per cent of her weight.
The Asiatic black bear will then resume its normal \Pforaging\p pattern as it completes the cycle of life.
Asiatic black bears living in more southern parts of their range may sleep only for short periods or simply descend from higher elevations to warmer valleys where they are able to continue feeding uninterrupted.
\BDescription:\b During the hibernation period, all bears lose a great deal of weight.
\BPhoto:\b Keith Highley
#
"Brown Bear - A Description and Identification",22,0,c,brwnbear.avi
\B\I(Ursus arctos)\b\i
The brown bear, along with its close relative the polar bear, is the largest bear in the world. Brown bears live throughout most of the northern \Phemisphere\p including North America, Europe and Asia. In fact, brown bears are found in more countries in the world than any other bear. The official scientific name for the brown bear is \IUrsus arctos.\i \IUrsus\i is the Latin word meaning "bear" while \Iarctos\i is the Greek word meaning "bear."
Today, most people refer to brown bears using only a few common names. In North America, bears which live in the inland parts of the continent are called grizzlies. The name "grizzly" comes from the silver tipped grizzled hairs that these brown bears develop as they get older.
Along the northwest coasts of North America, brown bears who live close to the Pacific Ocean are called coastal brown bears and when they live on Kodiak Island, Afognak Island and Shuyak Island which are just off the mainland of Alaska, they are called Kodiak brown bears. Coastal brown bears get much larger than grizzlies because they are able to feed for part of the year on salmon, a fish which they are able to catch as they swim in the rivers of this area.
The large brown bears which live on the Kamchatka Peninsula of western Russia are often called Kamchatka bears. These bears live in an area very similar to the coastal brown bears of North America. They grow very large feeding on the rich salmon which spawn in the streams of the Peninsula.
The preferred habitat of brown bears includes mountain forests, open meadows and large river valleys. Before the large increase in the world's human population during the past several hundred years, brown bears had expanded from their original development in what we now call Europe, to most suitable forested areas of the northern \Phemisphere\p.
#
"Brown Bear - A Description and Identification - (2)",23,01630098.bmp,c,0
The range of the brown bear originally went from the northern \Parctic\p seacoasts, southward over the \Ptundra\p-covered mountains and throughout the boreal forests of the northern \Phemisphere\p. On the North American continent, brown bears roamed as far south as Mexico. In Europe, the bears lived in abundance as far south as Spain and Italy while in Asia, brown bears extended their range as far south as Iran. There was also a large resident brown bear population on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. The southern limits of the range of brown bears coincided with the end of travel corridors of preferred
mountain forest habitat.
It is estimated that there are currently somewhere between 125,000 and 200,000 brown bears throughout the world. In all but the more isolated and undeveloped regions of the northern \Phemisphere\p, brown bears have been eliminated from much of their former range.
The \Pconiferous\p forests of northern Asia (primarily located in Russia) are still believed to be the stronghold of the brown bear. It is estimated that approximately 100,000 brown bears still live in these areas. Several countries of Europe and Asia have what can only be referred to as \Premnant\p brown bear populations.
In North America, the brown bear population has declined drastically. Estimates from the early 1800s indicate that approximately 100,000 brown bears roamed the central and western regions of the continent. Today, it is estimated that there are only between 40,000 and 60,000 brown bears on the continent.
Brown bears have been virtually eliminated from the lower forty-eight states of the United States with less than 1,000 bears occupying less than 1% of their original range.
The remaining bears in North America are distributed between the western and northern regions of Canada (particularly the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, and the territories of the Yukon and the North West Territories) and Alaska.
\BDescription:\b Coastal brown bears feed largely on salmon that spawn in the shallows of rivers and streams.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Brown Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics",24,01630012.bmp,c,0
The brown bear is a large mammal whose size and weight are extremely variable depending on the ready availability of food and the existing climatic conditions.
The height of an adult male brown bear measured from the ground to the highest point of the shoulder averages approximately 100 centimeters (3.5 feet) with some bears having been measured up to 152 centimeters (5 feet).
Measured from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, adult male brown bears average just over 200 centimeters (6.5 to 7 feet) with some bears having a length of up to 305 centimeters (10 feet).
The weight of brown bears varies a great deal. Coastal brown bears, because of the nutritious vegetation and access to salmon, often weigh twice as much as inland grizzlies and brown bears. Also, adult males normally weigh 35 to 50 per cent more than adult females within the same geographic region.
Adult male brown bears weigh anywhere from 150 to 375 kilograms (330 to 825 pounds). Adult male brown bears that have access to rich coastal areas often weigh 500 kilograms (1100 pounds) with some animals weighing in excess of 680 kilograms (1500 pounds). This is twice as heavy as large American male black bears and more than ten times heavier than sun bears.
\BDescription:\b A brown bear's size and weight varies greatly depending on climate, food availability and the time of year.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Brown Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics - (2)",25,34700022.bmp,c,0
All brown bears have a heavy \Pstout\p body with strong muscular legs. They have a large broad head with a dished-in or \Pconcave\p face and a high brow. The ears of the brown bear are small, rounded and located forward on the head. The eyes are quite small in proportion to the size of the head. The tail is short and stubby.
Brown bears have a large hump of muscle and fat located over their shoulder area. This allows these powerful bears to be excellent diggers and to have tremendous striking power in their \Pforelegs\p.
Brown bears move in a manner similar to most other bears. They amble or pace with both legs on one side of their body moving together. The front feet of the brown bear are turned-in (pigeon-toed). When galloping, brown bears have been clocked at 35 to 40 miles per hour over a short distance.
Brown bears are strong and skillful swimmers. While cubs are capable of climbing trees, adult bears are capable of climbing only by using low branches as steps.
Brown bears have relatively flat feet with five toes. The hind paws are larger than the \Pforepaws\p. The claws of brown bears are very large, slightly curved and non-retractable. The length of the front claws are often 9 centimeters (3 inches) long with claws measuring over 12 centimeters (4.75 inches) not uncommon. The claws are highly adapted to digging for food (e.g., tubers, rodents, etc.). The most common colors of the claws are brown or black.
While belonging to the order \PCarnivora\p, brown bears have evolved primarily into vegetarians with accompanying changes in their dental structure. Along with all other bear species, except sloth bears, brown bears have forty-two teeth.
\BDescription:\b Brown bears are very strong swimmers and often cool off in rivers on hot days.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Brown Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics - (3)",26,01630003.bmp,c,0
Brown bears are covered with a heavy shaggy fur with a moderately long \Pmane\p at the back of the neck. The fur consists of two types of hair strands, the guard hairs and the underfur. Brown bears shed their fur \Pannually\p.
The color of brown bears is quite variable between regions, between bears in a region and even for a particular bear during the different seasons of the year. There are many color phases including black, dark brown, rust, ash, cinnamon, red, blond or a mixture of these colors. The color of a brown bear cannot be reliably used for purposes of identification.
Regarding their sensory equipment, brown bears have excellent eyesight. Their eyes are set relatively close together and face forward. This provides them with excellent depth perception and the ability to track moving \Pprey\p. Researchers have observed that bears are capable of detecting very small movements from several hundred yards away. Bears also demonstrate excellent hearing.
Brown bears have a sense of smell which is legendary and is often said to be comparable to that of a bloodhound. Because it is so good, bears will often rise to a standing position or move to a higher elevation, to better "sniff the air."
The lifespan of brown bears in the wild can be 25 years or more. The most \Pvulnerable\p period for a bear is during its first year with upwards of 40 per cent of brown bear cubs dying due to \Pstarvation\p, disease, accidents and predation by other animals including male bears.
\BDescription:\b Brown bears have excellent eyesight and sense of smell. Brown bears are often seen rising up on their hind legs to sniff the air.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Brown Bear - Behavior",27,01630008.bmp,c,0
Bears are known to be extremely intelligent, very curious, independent, cautious and suspicious. They are also known to be highly \Pindividualistic\p and unpredictable. In addition, brown bears are also described as dignified, deliberate, generally peaceful, fearless and terrifyingly \Pferocious\p when provoked.
Brown bears are also very communicative animals. Because of their limited ability to vary their facial expressions, bears have developed many expressive signals such as body language and \Pposturing\p; marking and scenting their environment; and a variety of \Pvocalizations\p to communicate and express their mood to other bears and animals.
For many years, our beliefs about how bears live were based on a view that all bears were extremely \Psolitary\p creatures. With modern field research, this has now given way to new understandings of the importance of the family unit as a basic construct of understanding bears and their behavior.
Young brown bears usually spend the first two to three years of life at the side of their mother and in the company of one or more siblings. With females coming into \Pestrus\p, mating, conceiving and giving birth and then raising cubs in a repeating cycle, females live the majority of their lives within a family unit.
We have also come to learn that even after being \Pweaned\p and separated from their mother, siblings may live, feed and travel together for a number of years before separating.
\BDescription:\b Brown bears communicate with each other using body language, a variety of growls and noises and marking and scenting their environment.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Brown Bear - Behavior - (2)",28,01630020.bmp,d,0
Adult bears, usually as a mating pair, may live together for two to three weeks during the \Pbreeding\p season. Also, abundant food sources such as large \Pcarcasses\p and fish-spawning streams may result in bears living and feeding in close \Pproximity\p for periods of time.
A dominance hierarchy is a survival mechanism which bears have developed to prevent violent encounters that could lead to serious injury of one or both bears of the same species. With bears, the bigger the bear usually means the more \Pdominant\p the bear. Males are \Pdominant\p over females, except females with cubs. With cubs at her side, a female will, if necessary, fight to the death with a normally \Pdominant\p male. Juvenile bears are even more \Psubordinate\p.
Female brown bears normally become sexually mature in their fifth year with some waiting even later for their first mating. Copulation normally takes place in a manner similar to members of the canine (dog) family.
Mating in brown bears normally occurs between late May and early July. Females will normally mate with a number of males over the approximate three weeks of the \Pbreeding\p season. Females will not come into \Pestrus\p when they are nursing cubs.
Through a remarkable process referred to as delayed implantation, the fertilized \Povum\p divides a few times and then floats free within the uterus for about six months with its development arrested. Sometime around the \Pdenning\p period, the \Pembryo\p will attach itself to the uterine wall and after a period of eight weeks (in January or February), the cubs will be born while the mother is still in hibernation.
Delayed implantation clearly serves an important survival need for the mother. Should she not have enough fat reserves to carry her through the winter, the \Pembryo\p will not implant and it is simply \Preabsorbed\p by her body.
The number of cubs born normally ranges from one to four with two to three cubs being average. As a rule, the number of cubs a female will have increases as she gets older. Again, climate and food supply are important determinants of the size of the litter.
\BDescription:\b The bigger the bear, the higher it is in the bear hierarchy structure, which prevents fighting among the same species.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Brown Bear - Behavior - (3)",29,01630071.bmp,d,0
At birth, the cubs are blind, toothless, hairless and very tiny. They weigh 600 to 700 grams (21 to 25 ounces). This is roughly the size of a chipmunk or squirrel. Virtually helpless, they are still able to move sufficiently to \Psuckle\p on their mother who remains asleep. Her milk is calorically very rich containing over 20 per cent fat. In contrast, human milk only contains about 4 per cent fat.
Over the next several weeks, the cubs will develop rapidly on this rich diet such that they are able to travel with their mother when she leaves the \Pden\p.
The survival of bear cubs is extremely \Ptenuous\p. Up to 40 per cent of brown bears cubs will die during their first year of life. Starvation and disease will claim a number of cubs. Wolves, bobcats, eagles and mountain lions are also known to kill young cubs who become separated from their mother's side.
Infanticide is also a factor. Predation of cubs by adult male brown bears is quite common. Three reasons have been \Ppostulated\p to account for \Pinfanticide\p: to provide food; to create a \Pbreeding\p opportunity for a male bear; and to reduce competition for common territory.
The cubs will normally stay with the mother for the first two and a half years. Occasionally, they will remain for an extra year. The cubs are generally \Pweaned\p between July and September of their first year and stay with the mother through their first full two winters.
The survival of brown bear cubs is totally dependent on the skill of the mother in both protecting them and teaching them the basics of what to eat, where and how to get it, where to den, and how to cope with danger. As adolescents, the young bears are still in extreme danger. Normally they are driven off by their mother as she prepares to breed once more. They must now become rapidly self-sufficient if they are to stay alive and find sufficient food to build up their fat reserves to last over the long winter. Occasionally, young bears will spend a period of time together after they have been driven off by their mothers.
\BDescription:\b Young bears must rapidly become self sufficient after leaving their mother to ensure survival.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Brown Bear - Diet and Habitat",30,01630007.bmp,d,0
Brown bears have developed over many thousands of years from a \Pcarnivore\p (an exclusive meat eater) into the largest omnivore on the planet. They will consume many varieties of plants and animals. As a general rule, brown bears, as with all animals, seek food sources which will return the highest nutritional value for the least expenditure of energy.
Brown bears must constantly be on the move to find food. Having learned the basics of finding food from their mothers, adult bears develop their own particular habits and routines. Because of their high level of intelligence, they quickly learn what to eat, where and when a particular food is available and where to find it. Brown bears have learned to survive on a boom and bust food cycle. When food is available, they gorge themselves and when food is not readily available or poor in quality, they will \Pscrounge\p in order to survive.
Brown bears appear to have preferences as to what foods they will eat and during which season of the year they prefer to eat them. Researchers have determined that more than 75 per cent of a brown bear's diet consists of vegetable matter including berries, flowers, grasses and sedges, herbs, tubers, corms and roots, and nuts of all kinds.
For the remaining portion of their diet, animal matter such as decaying animal \Pcarcasses\p, fish, small marine animals, ants and other insects, honey, elk and moose calves and a variety of other small mammals (e.g., ground squirrels, \Pmarmots\p, etc.) are eaten.
Because of their large size, brown bears require a very high caloric intake of food. In order to achieve this, brown bears will eat 36 to 41 kilograms (80 to 90 pounds) of food per day during the summer to early fall peak feeding period if it is available to them. During this eating binge, brown bears are able to gain 1.25 to 2 .75 kilograms (3 to 6 pounds) of fat each day.
\BDescription:\b Brown bears are always on the lookout for food and their diet depends on location and the time of year. They eat a variety of vegetation, berries, grasses, roots etc. as well as animals such as fish, small mammals, and elk and moose.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Brown Bear - Diet and Habitat - (2)",31,01630004.bmp,c,0
The home range is the area an animal travels in its normal activities of gathering food, mating and caring for its young. The size of the home range of an individual brown bear will vary with the concentration of high energy food sources. Thus, the more concentrated the food sources, the smaller the range necessary to maintain the animal. The size of the home range is extremely dynamic and varies from one geographic region to another and also from one year to another.
Researchers have shown that adult male brown bears living in the relatively poor habitat such as found in the Brooks Range in Alaska have an average home range of approximately 1350 square kilometers (521 square miles). On the other hand, brown bears living in salmon-rich ocean coastal areas require only about 27 square kilometers (1.5 square miles). The difference is access to adequate food resources.
In general, males have a home range which is four to six times larger than females. The home range of a mature male bear will normally overlap the home range of at least two or three females and possibly many more. Characteristically, a home range does not constitute one large area but rather is composed of many food source areas connected by travel lanes. The home range must also include rest areas and more remote areas for shelter, protection and \Pdenning\p.
Brown bears do not normally defend their home ranges from other bears and thus it is normal for the home ranges of individual bears to overlap each other.
\BDescription:\b A bear will travel as far as necessary to get enough food. If food is highly abundant in an area then it will not travel far.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Brown Bear - Hibernation",32,01630059.bmp,d,0
During late summer and early fall, all bears that must \Phibernate\p to survive try to gain as much weight as possible. Through the harvesting of all available food, brown bears make very large weight gains. Such gains may be as much as 18 kilograms (40 pounds) per week. At such times, \Pforaging\p may occur around the clock with only short rest periods.
As the cold weather and/or snow arrives, bears undergo a remarkable \Pmetabolic\p transformation. Hibernation is an energy-saving process bears have developed to allow them to survive long periods when there is insufficient food available to maintain their body mass. It is a different type of hibernation than that experienced by bats, \Pmarmots\p and a number of other small rodents. As they stop eating and become increasingly \Plethargic\p, the bear will enter a rock cave; dig out a den; hole up in a \Pdense\p brush pile, hollow log or tree cavity.
While hibernating, a bear's heart rate drops and its \Pmetabolism\p slows down by half. During the entire period of hibernation, the brown bear will neither pass \Purea\p or solid fecal waste. While \Purea\p poisoning causing death would occur in all other animals within a week, bears have developed a unique process of recycling the \Purea\p into usable proteins.
Most brown bears leave their winter dens over a one to two month period during April or May. Both the climatic conditions (snow cover and temperature) and \Pphysiological\p factors such as the bear's age, the status of its health, and its remaining fat reserves, affect the exact timing of \Pemergence\p from its den. Normally, adult males emerge first. Females with newborn cubs are usually the last to leave their dens.
During the hibernation period, brown bears may lose between 15 per cent and 40 per cent of their weight. The brown bear is very slow moving after leaving the \Pden\p. It then resumes its normal \Pforaging\p pattern as it completes the cycle of life.
\BDescription:\b The length of time a brown bear hibernates depends on a variety of factors including climate, age and health of the bear.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Giant Panda - A Description and Identification",33,34690061.bmp,c,0
\I\B(Ailuropoda melanoleuca)\b\i
The giant panda is an animal whose ancestry had been mired in controversy for many years. Today, there is clear scientific evidence to include it as a member of the \I"Ursidae"\i or bear family.
\I"\PXiongmao\p,"\i the Chinese name for the giant panda, means "giant cat bear." Chinese books, written over 3,000 years ago, talk of the giant panda. Even then, it was believed to be endowed with mystical powers capable of warding off natural disasters and evil spirits. For many centuries, the giant panda bear was considered to be very special. Individual animals were kept in captivity as the pet of ancient Chinese emperors. The scientific name for giant pandas is \IAiluropoda melanoleuca.\i \Iailuropoda\i means black and white foot while \Imelano\i means black and \Ileuca\i means white.
The giant panda is a very different kind of bear. This uniqueness includes its reliance almost exclusively on a diet of bamboo leaves and shoots; paws which are different than all of the other bear species; the decidedly unbearlike sounds it is able to make; and its unique color pattern. For most of this century, scientists classed it as belonging to the animal family which includes raccoons and lesser pandas. However, beginning in the 1980s, advanced scientific methods including genetic testing procedures, clearly established that the giant panda is far more bear than raccoon or lesser panda. The giant panda bear only exists today in six small areas located on the eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau in China. The habitat, suitable for the bamboo on which it survives, is a cold, damp \Pconiferous\p forest. The elevation ranges from 1,200 to 3,400 meters (4,000 to 11,000 feet) high. In most of the wild areas in which they still roam, giant pandas must compete with farmers who farm the river valleys and the lower slopes of the mountains.
It is estimated that there are somewhere between 700 and 1,000 giant pandas still alive in the wild. Because of their reliance on bamboo as their primary food, they will remain in significant danger unless their present habitat is expanded. The differing varieties of bamboo go through periodic die-offs as part of their renewal cycle. Without the ability to move to new areas which have not been affected, \Pstarvation\p and death will certainly occur for the giant panda. Such die-offs of the bamboo also put the giant pandas in more direct contact with farmers and poachers as the bears try to find new areas in which to feed.
\BDescription:\b It is estimated that there are only between 700 to 1000 giant pandas left in the wild.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Giant Panda - Anatomy - (2)",34,34690066.bmp,c,0
In general, home ranges vary from 3.8 to 6.5 square kilometers (1.5 to 2.5 square miles). The range of an individual giant panda is shared with other bears. Females, however, appear to have small areas of 30 to 40 hectares (75 to 100 acres) from which they exclude other bears of the same sex. Giant panda males have larger home ranges which overlap the home ranges of several females.
As giant pandas spend almost all of their life trying to consume enough bamboo to survive, the home range of an individual bear must consist of interconnected bamboo thickets or thickets which are at least in close \Pproximity\p. Living on the sides of mountains, the bears move up to higher elevations in summer and down towards the valleys in winter. This allows them to feed on the most nutritious bamboo leaves and stems.
Giant pandas are active at any time of the day. Most of the time, they are in the shade of the \Pdense\p bamboo thickets sitting, eating and occasionally resting.
\BDescription:\b Giant pandas cannot walk on their hind legs like some of the other bear species.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Giant Panda - Anatomy and Characteristics",35,34690062.bmp,c,0
The giant panda is a large mammal which, overall, has the same general size and shape as an American or Asiatic black bear. It is sometimes described as having a stocky, barrel-like body shape. The height of an adult male giant panda measured from the ground to the highest point of the shoulder averages between 70 centimeters (2.3 feet) and 80 centimeters (2.6 feet).
Measured from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, adult male giant pandas average between 160 centimeters (5.25 feet) and 180 centimeters (6 feet). Adult male giant pandas weigh on average 100 kilograms (220 pounds). The normal weight range may be as low as 80 kilograms (176 pounds) or up to 125 kilograms (275 pounds). Also, adult males normally weigh 10 to 20 percent more than adult females.
All giant pandas have a massive head, heavy muscular body and relatively short, \Pstout\p legs. The round-shaped head of the giant panda is very large and wide and has a short \Pmuzzle\p. Giant pandas have powerful thick muscles which extend from the top of its head and connect to the jaws. This gives the giant panda the capacity to crush the tough plant material on which it feeds. The shape of the eyes has a vertical orientation. All other bear species have their eyes in a horizontal orientation. The giant panda has large round ears set to the rear of the head. The stubby tail averages 10 to 15 centimeters (4 to 6 inches) in length.
Giant pandas do not appear as \Pagile\p in their movements as do other bears. They are quite \Psedentary\p, usually staying in a selected feeding area eating large amounts of bamboo. When necessary, they move in a slow, determined manner to a new feeding area. When they travel, they use a rolling \Pgait\p with a long stride. The front feet of the giant panda are turned - in (i.e., pigeon-toed). The head is kept in a lowered position and the body position is slightly diagonal to the direction of travel.
\BDescription:\b A giant panda's diet consists almost exclusively of bamboo leaves and shoots.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Giant Panda - Anatomy and Characteristics - (2)",36,34690063.bmp,c,0
Giant pandas, along with spectacled bears, are not able to walk in a \Pbipedal\p fashion on their hind legs. When startled, giant pandas will break into a trot but appear unable to gallop. They are unable to sustain even a trot for a very long distance as they tire quickly.
Giant pandas do not like water. They do not voluntarily enter the water but will cross a stream or swim to avoid an enemy. Giant pandas are poor tree climbers. They have been known to climb for defensive purposes such as avoiding their enemies. Giant pandas have relatively flat feet with six toes, one more than the other seven bear species. Through a long process of evolution, the wrist bone (the radial \Psesamoid\p) has become enlarged and now works in the manner of an opposable thumb. This highly functional adaptation allows the giant panda to manipulate their primary food source, bamboo stems and leaves, with remarkable \Pdexterity\p and precision.
The hind feet of the giant panda lack the heel pad found in the other bear species. The claws on the giant panda are short and sharply curved.
While belonging to the order \PCarnivora\p, giant pandas have evolved essentially into herbivores with major changes to their dental structure. Their teeth are very large and have become specifically adapted to crush and grind fibrous plant material. Giant pandas have retained the 42 teeth of most of the bear species.
\BDescription:\b An average adult male giant panda measures around 160 centimeters (5.25 feet) from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tale.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Giant Panda - Anatomy and Characteristics - (3)",37,34690064.bmp,c,0
Giant pandas have a short and very inefficient digestive tract considering that they are almost exclusively herbivores. As a result, they are only able to remove one-fifth to one-quarter of the available nutrients from the fibrous bamboo on which they feed.
The throat of the giant panda has also undergone significant evolution as the \Pesophagus\p has a tough, horny lining to protect the bear from injury due to bamboo splinters. The stomach is similarly protected with its thick muscular wall linings.
The basic fur color of the giant panda is white with black eye patches, ears, legs, feet, chest, and shoulders. Within its natural environment (the deep forest and, at upper elevations, snow and rock), its mottled coloring provides \Pcamouflage\p. There is also speculation that its striking color pattern may be a clear message to other pandas to stay away as the giant panda is an extremely \Psolitary\p animal.
The fur of the giant panda is thick and coarse. It consists of a rough outer layer and a very \Pdense\p, woolly-like underfur. To the touch, the fur feels oily. This oily protective coating helps protects pandas from the cool and damp climate in which the bear lives.
Giant pandas, like all bears, have good eyesight. Their vision is \Pbinocular\p as their eyes are set relatively close together and facing forward. As a result, giant pandas have excellent depth perception. It is thought that most bears may be somewhat nearsighted due to feeding close to the ground. Giant pandas also appear to have color vision. Bears demonstrate excellent hearing.
Olfactory awareness or the sense of smell is highly developed in giant pandas as it is in all bears. This most important sense is used to detect mates, avoid enemies and to identify possible food sources.
With few natural enemies other than humans, the lifespan of giant pandas in the wild can be 25 years or more. The most \Pvulnerable\p period for a giant panda cub is during its first year with many not surviving.
\BDescription:\b Giant pandas have a massive head, heavy muscular body, and relatively short, \Pstout\p legs.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Giant Panda - Behavior",38,34690060.bmp,c,0
Giant pandas are intelligent and clever animals. They are, however, very difficult to study in the wild due to their secretive nature. Most of what we know about their behavior has been gained only within the last ten to fifteen years. Although these bears look cuddly, it must be remembered that giant pandas are predators. They can be as unpredictable as any bear and, when provoked are capable of inflicting serious injury.
Giant pandas try to avoid each other except during the brief time when the female is in \Pestrus\p and adult males try to mate with her. As with all bears, giant pandas use \Pposturing\p, scenting and \Pvocalizations\p to communicate with other bears and animals. They are active markers of their range, spreading excretions from an anal gland mixed with urine on travel routes to tell other bears, of their home range. They also strip bark from trees and claw tree trunks. Giant pandas are capable of making sounds which are quite distinct and not made by other bears including what are described as bleats, yips and chirps.
As indicated, male giant pandas are very \Psolitary\p creatures and take great effort in avoiding contact with other adults except for purposes of mating. Females, however, spend much of their life either as a cub or as an adult with a cub at their side. Researchers have recently made great progress in learning more about the maternal nature of giant pandas. Giant panda females normally have either one or two cubs but only one is raised. This is due to the extreme difficulty of the female trying to hold, \Psuckle\p and carry two totally helpless cubs for the first four to five months of their life. The cub usually spends the first 18 to 24 months with the mother.
With females coming into \Pestrus\p, mating, conceiving and giving birth, and then raising cubs in a repeating cycle, females live the majority of their lives within a family unit. Adult bears, usually as a mating pair, may also be together for a short period during the \Pbreeding\p season.
\BDescription:\b Giant pandas will stay in the same area and won't move around much - as long as there is ample bamboo.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Giant Panda - Behavior - (2)",39,34740062.bmp,c,0
Female giant panda bears do not normally mature until they are five to seven years of age. Copulation normally takes place in a manner similar to members of the canine (dog) family.
Mating begins in late - March and continues on into May. Similar to other bear species, the female stays in heat for only a short time, normally two to seven days. Unlike any other bear, males will often roar to announce their presence to receptive females. Females may mate with several males during the \Pbreeding\p season.
Through a remarkable process referred to as delayed implantation, the fertilized \Povum\p divides a few times and then floats free within the uterus for a few months with its development arrested. Sometime around June or July, the \Pembryo\p will attach itself to the uterine wall and after a \Pgestation\p period of eight weeks (August or September), the giant panda female will enter a rock cavity or hollow tree to deliver one or two cubs.
\BDescription:\b Giant pandas will use a maternity \Pden\p for four to six weeks after birth.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Giant Panda - Behavior - (3)",40,34740068.bmp,c,0
When born, giant panda cubs are blind, very tiny and extremely helpless. They weigh from 90 to 130 grams (3 to 4.5 ounces) and are about 15 centimeters (6 inches) long. The newborn cubs have yellowish pink skin and are covered with fine white fur. They remain helpless and \Pvulnerable\p longer than any other bear cubs. Their eyes do not open until approximately 40 to 48 days and they are unable to walk for the first three months. The maternity \Pden\p is used for four to six weeks after the birth. Cradling the newborn cub in her front paws, the mother will hold the cub to her chest so that it is able to \Psuckle\p similar to a human mother nursing her child. When the female travels, she initially carries the newborn in her mouth and as it grows larger, she will cradle it to her chest using a forepaw.
Giant panda cubs start eating bamboo at six months of age and are fully \Pweaned\p by the time they are nine months of age. After 12 months, giant panda cubs normally weigh about 35 kilograms (75 pounds).
The survival of a giant panda cub is totally dependent on the skill of the mother in both protecting them; teaching them the basics of what to eat; where and how to get the foods they require; how to cope with danger; and all the other skills of living in their native environment.
\B
\BDescription:\b Panda cubs start eating bamboo at six months of age.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Giant Panda - Diet and Habitat",41,34690065.bmp,c,0
Giant pandas, at some point in their distant past, were much more of an omnivore than they are at present. Their short digestive system is still that of an animal who eats more meat than we see in the modern giant panda. In fact, when the opportunity arises, giant pandas still hunt and eat a number of small rodents that live in the native forests. They have also been observed feeding on \Pcarrion\p.
For the most part, the few remaining giant pandas in the wild have developed into primarily herbivores or plant eaters. Although they have been observed eating a large variety of plants, over 99 percent of their diet consists of bamboo leaves, stems and shoots. Over fifteen different varieties of bamboo grow in the forests.
Because of the giant pandas poor digestive system, they must eat very large amounts of bamboo each day in order to get sufficient nutrition to survive. Feeding for 12 to 16 hours each day, giant pandas will consume 10 to 18 kilograms (22 to 40 pounds) of bamboo leaves and stems. When consuming fresh bamboo shoots, the necessary intake rises to approximately 38 kilograms (84 pounds) each day.
The home range is the amount of land an animal needs to support its normal activities of hunting, finding mates, raising young and finding enough food at all times of the year. For the giant panda, the size of the home range is quite small when compared to other bear species.
\BDescription:\b Giant pandas use their highly developed sense of smell to avoid enemies and to locate a mate.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Giant Panda - Hibernation",42,34740069.bmp,c,0
Giant pandas are one of the four bear species who do not \Phibernate\p. The reasons for this are twofold. First, bamboo, the primary food source of giant pandas, is not sufficiently high in calories and protein to allow them to put on sufficient fat resources to last a lengthy period of hibernation. Second, they live in a habitat zone where food is available on a year round basis. As cold weather comes to the higher elevations, the bears simply retreat down the mountain slopes.
\BDescription:\b Giant pandas do not \Phibernate\p as they live in a habitat that has bamboo supplies all year round.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Polar Bear - A Description and Identification",43,0,c,polarbea.avi
\B\I(Ursus maritimus)\b\i
The polar bear, along with its closest relative, the brown bear, is the largest bear in the world. The polar bear is found in all of the polar regions of the entire Northern Hemisphere. This includes the countries of Russia, Norway, Greenland, the United States and Canada. The official scientific name for the polar bear is \IUrsus maritimus.\i \Iursus\i is the Latin word for "bear" while \Imaritimus\i refers to their location on or near the sea.
The polar bear is believed to be a descendant of the brown bear and is the "youngest" of the eight bear species. Scientists believe that during the mid-Pleistocene period (roughly 100,000 to 250,000 years ago), a number of brown bears became isolated by glaciers near the area we now call Siberia. Instead of perishing on the ice, they began a rapid series of evolutionary changes in order to survive. Today, polar bears are totally adapted to their harsh northern environment.
Polar bears are truly creatures of mystery and wonder. The native peoples of the Arctic regions immortalized them as nanook, which means "the ever-wandering one" and atertak which translates to "one who goes to sea." Today, the "sea bear" is a major tourist attraction. Each fall, many visitors travel to the city of Churchill in Manitoba, Canada to observe and photograph polar bears as they wait along the coastline for freeze-up to occur.
The present number of polar bears in the world is estimated to be somewhere between 20,000 and 40,000. Canada has the largest population with approximately 15,000 bears living in the Canadian Arctic archipelago and the Hudson Bay-James Bay regions. Russia is estimated to have approximately 3000 to 5,000 bears; Norway 4000 to 5,000 bears and the United States (i.e., Alaska) approximately 2,000 bears. Greenland also has a significant polar bear population. The number of polar bears had been sharply declining for many years due to severe overhunting by all the northern nations. However, in 1967, the five "polar bear" nations, of Norway, Russia, Greenland, the United States and Canada, agreed on a \Pconservation\p treaty in order to save the bears. Today, the population is relatively stable.
\BDescription:\b Polar bears have black skin under their coats and it is believed that this contributes to the polar bear's amazing ability to retain heat.
#
"Polar Bear - A Description and Identification - (2)",44,27040015.bmp,c,0
The preferred habitat of the polar bear is in the area where the northern seas meet the shoreline. In this area, there is a constant freezing and thawing of the ice. This zone is continually crisscrossed with fingerlets of open water called leads. It is also the preferred habitat of their favorite \Pprey\p, the seal. It is now known that there are approximately seven distinct polar bear populations as follows: central Siberia; Svalbard-Franz Josef Land; Greenland; the Canadian Arctic archipelago; northern Alaska; western Alaska and Wrangel Island; and the Hudson Bay-James Bay populations. These population groupings have developed as a result of separate ice movement patterns. Researchers are now trying to discover the movement of bears from one distinct population group to another.
\BDescription:\b Polar bears like to roam frozen ice packs in search of food.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Polar Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics",45,27040032.bmp,c,0
The polar bear is a large mammal and, among all the bear species, is considered the most potentially dangerous of all the bears on earth. It challenges the brown bear, its close cousin, for the title as the largest member of the bear family.
The height of an adult male polar bear measured from the ground to the highest point of the shoulder averages 100 centimeters (approximately 3.25 feet) with some very large bears having been measured up to 150 centimeters (approximately 5 feet). Measured from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, the length of an adult male polar bear normally averages from 250 to 350 centimeters (approximately 8.25 to 11.5 feet).
Polar bears grow very large. Males normally weigh from 25 per cent to 45 per cent more than females. Females typically weigh on average about 300 kilograms (660 pounds). Males are larger and usually weigh 500 to 600 kilograms (1100 to 1320 pounds). Males can grow even larger, however. In fact, there is a record of an adult male polar bear weighing over 1000 kilograms (2200 pounds). Polar bears have a heavy but \Pelongated\p body shape. Compared to brown bears, the head of a polar bear is proportionally smaller and has a Roman profile. They have well-developed front shoulders which are set low, a very muscular back and strong hind legs. The necks of polar bears are longer than their nearest kin, the brown bear. This adaptation makes it easier for them to keep their heads above water when swimming.
\BDescription:\b Polar bears have excellent hearing and sense of smell.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Polar Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics - (2)",46,27040028.bmp,c,0
Polar bears have developed very large stomachs with a capacity of more than 70 kilograms (approximately 150 pounds) of food. This allows them to survive a boom or bust type of eating \Pregimen\p. Their digestive system, like true carnivores, is also more adapted for processing meat than plant material. Also, in keeping with their \Pcarnivorous\p nature, the \Pcarnassial\p teeth of polar bears have re-evolved changing back from a flatter crushing surface to a sharper-edged surface suitable for shearing off bite-sized chunks of meat from their \Pprey\p. Also, the canine teeth, used for seizing and holding \Pprey\p, are longer, sharper and spaced wider apart than in brown bears.
Polar bears are covered with a \Pdense\p heavy fur. The color varies from pure white to more of a creamy, yellowish hue. The individual hair strands are actually hollow, transparent tubes. They are able to carry most of the ultraviolet rays of the sun down to the surface of the skin where they are converted into heat energy. The white fur also serves as excellent \Pcamouflage\p for the bears as they hunt their \Pprey\p out on the ice pack. The coat consists of two layers - an undercoat of short fine hair and the heavier outer guard hairs. The individual guard hairs are oily to preserve body heat while out of the water. The hollow hair strands also help to make the polar bear more \Pbuoyant\p while swimming. The actual color of the skin of the polar bear is black. It is thought that this is an adaptation for better heat retention.
The eyes of a polar bear are different than other bears. They have large human-size eyes with an extra eyelid to shade the glare of the sun's rays reflecting off the snow and ice. They also have \Pnictating\p membranes which protect the eye while the bear is swimming underwater. The vision of polar bears is superior to all other bears. Polar bears have excellent hearing. The small ears of a polar bear are set low and close to the head. They have fur on the inside as well as the outside. Polar bears are able to close their ear canals while swimming underwater. The fur-covered tail is very short at 7 to 11 centimeters (2.75 to 4.5 inches).
\BDescription:\b The polar bear's white fur serves as a \Pcamouflage\p as they hunt for \Pprey\p on the white ice of the Arctic regions.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Polar Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics - (3)",47,34690026.bmp,c,0
The sense of smell is possibly more highly developed in polar bears than in any other animal. They are reported to be able to smell a seal up to several miles away. They use this keen sense of smell to discover seals under the snow pack as they wander over the ice. The \Pforepaws\p on a polar bear are very large. With a diameter approaching 30 centimeters (12 inches) and partial \Pwebbing\p between their toes, polar bears are able to use their front feet much like paddles to propel them rapidly through the water. The hind feet are slightly smaller. On both the front and hind feet, the black soles are covered with \Pdense\p fur which affords better traction when moving on ice. The thick claws are black, 5 to 8 centimeters (2 to 3 inches) long and designed for climbing ice and hunting. Polar bears do not climb trees.
On land, polar bears are not as quick as brown bears and appear to have traded off speed for their extremely massive \Pforelegs\p which they use to break through seal dens or flip a large seal out of the water. They walk in a \Pplantigrade\p manner (i.e., in a manner similar to humans with both heel and toe making contact with the ground when walking). Over short distances, they are able to attain speeds of 40 kilometers per hour (25 miles per hour). As \IUrsus maritimus\i literally means "sea bear," it is important to understand how well adapted polar bears are to a life near and in the water. They are most at home out on the ice following the leads of temporary open water or hunting near the polynyas, which are larger bodies of water which stay ice free throughout the winter. Polar bears appear to be able to swim all day without pausing to rest. They have been spotted over a 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the nearest land or ice floe. Using their front paws for \Ppropulsion\p and their rear paws as \Prudders\p, they can maintain an average swimming speed of approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles) per hour.
Polar bears are also excellent divers, being able to remain submerged for up to two minutes and attain a depth of 4 .5 meters (15 feet). While underwater, they are able to close their nostrils and flatten their ears. Their eyes remain open so that they can see possible \Pprey\p. Polar bears have also been observed leaping out of the water up to 2.25 meters (7 to 8 feet) from a swimming start as they surprise a seal resting on an ice floe. The lifespan of polar bears in the wild can be 30 years or more.
\BDescription:\b The partial \Pwebbing\p between the toes of the polar bear enables it to swim with great ease. Polar bears are able to swim for great distances and have been seen up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the nearest land or ice.
\BPhoto:\b Walt Enders - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Polar Bear - Behavior",48,0,c,polarcub.avi
Polar bears are extremely intelligent, independent, cautious and suspicious. They are also known to be highly \Pindividualistic\p and unpredictable. In addition, polar bears have gained a reputation as cunning and \Pferocious\p fighters. There are many stories recounted in the native cultures of the north where polar bears have stalked humans. Polar bears are very communicative animals despite their limited ability to vary their facial expressions. Instead bears have developed alternate ways of expressing themselves, including the use body language and \Pposturing\p; marking and scenting their environment; and a variety of \Pvocalizations\p to communicate and express their mood to other bears and animals. Polar bear researchers have described some of their sounds which clearly communicate a mood state as chuffs, woofs, grunts, snarls, roars, whimpers, and more.
For many years, we were taught that all bears were extremely \Psolitary\p creatures who lived their lives apart from all other animals. Today, we know that studying the family unit is important if we are to truly understand bears and their behavior.
Young polar bears usually spend the first two to three years of life at the side of their mother and in the company of one or more siblings. With females coming into \Pestrus\p, mating, conceiving and giving birth and then raising cubs in a repeating cycle, females live the majority of their lives within a family unit.
We have also come to learn that even after being \Pweaned\p and separated from their mothers, siblings may live, feed and travel together for a number of years before separating. Adult bears, usually as a mating pair, may live together for two to three weeks during the \Pbreeding\p season. Also, abundant food sources such as large \Pcarcasses\p of a whale, may result in polar bears living and feeding in close \Pproximity\p for periods of time.
\BDescription:\b Polar bears have a reputation for being \Pferocious\p fighters.\b
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Polar Bear - Behavior - (2)",49,34690007.bmp,c,0
A dominance hierarchy is a survival mechanism which bears have developed to prevent violent encounters that could lead to serious injury of one or both bears of the same species. With bears, the bigger the bear, usually the more \Pdominant\p the bear. Males are \Pdominant\p over females, except females with cubs. With cubs at her side, a female will, if necessary, fight to the death with a normally \Pdominant\p male. Juvenile bears are even more \Psubordinate\p.
Female polar bears normally become sexually mature in their fifth or sixth year, males in their eighth year. Copulation takes place in a manner similar to members of the canine (dog) family.
Mating normally occurs out on the pack ice between late March and mid-July. Females will mate with a number of males over the approximate three weeks of the \Pbreeding\p season. Females do not come into \Pestrus\p when they are nursing cubs.
Through a remarkable process, called delayed implantation, the fertilized \Povum\p divides a few times and then floats free within the uterus for about six months with its development arrested. Sometime around September, the \Pembryo\p will attach itself to the uterine wall and resume its development. The mother will enter the \Pden\p in October or November with the cubs being born sometime in December or January while the mother is still hibernating. Delayed implantation clearly serves an important survival need for the mother. Should the female not have put on enough fat reserves before the time to \Pden\p arrives, the \Pembryo\p will not implant and it is simply \Preabsorbed\p by her body. She will then continue her winter hunting out on the pack ice.
\BDescription:\b In the past it was always believed that polar bears were essentially \Psolitary\p animals, however researchers are now realizing the importance of the family unit to the polar bear. Young siblings have been seen to hunt together for years after leaving their mother.
\BPhoto:\b Walt Enders - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Polar Bear - Behavior - (3)",50,34690021.bmp,c,0
The number of cubs born normally ranges from one to four with two cubs being average. At birth, the cubs are blind, toothless, pink skin covered with fine hair and very tiny. They weigh approximately 600 to 700 grams (21 to 25 ounces). This is roughly the size of a house cat. Virtually helpless, they are, however, able to move sufficiently to \Psuckle\p on their mother who remains asleep. Her milk is thick and calorically very rich containing over 40 per cent fat. In contrast, human milk only contains about 4 per cent fat. Within the next several weeks, the cubs will develop rapidly on this rich diet such that they will be able to follow their mother when she leaves the \Pden\p in late March or early April. By this time, they will weigh between 10 and 15 kilograms ( 22 and 33 pounds).
The survival of bear cubs is extremely \Ptenuous\p. Many polar bears cubs will die during their first few years of life. Starvation, disease and injury will claim a number of cubs. The cubs will normally stay with their mother for the first two and a half years. Occasionally, they will remain for an extra year. The cubs are generally \Pweaned\p between July and September of their first year. The survival of polar bear cubs is totally dependent on the skill of the mother in both protecting them and teaching them the basics of what to eat, where and how to catch it, where to den in the case of females, and how to cope with the many dangers out on the ice. As adolescents, the young bears are still in extreme danger. Normally they are driven off by their mother as she prepares to breed once more. They must now become rapidly self-sufficient if they are to stay alive and find enough food to maintain their fat reserves to last over the long winter and through the period when the ice is out. Occasionally, \Pjuvenile\p sibling bears will spend a period of time together after they have been driven off by their mothers.
\BDescription:\b Polar bears have an average of two cubs. These two polar bear cubs wait patiently for their mother to return from hunting.
\BPhoto:\b Walt Enders - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Polar Bear - Diet and Habitat",51,0,c,pbkill.avi
Polar bears are the most \Pcarnivorous\p of all bears. While out on the ice, their diet consists mostly of marine mammals such as the ringed seals, bearded seals and occasionally a walrus pup. If available, they will kill a seal every few days. They can, however, go weeks between meals. Their large stomach capacity is designed to allow them to take advantage of unexpected large meals which will serve to tide them over during leaner times. When the ice has melted during the summer and early fall, polar bears are stranded on land. During this period of limited food sources, the bears will try to minimize their weight loss by scavenging the shoreline and a short distance inland for washed up dead animals, bird eggs, rodents, berries and anything else that is edible.
Polar bears have enormous home ranges. These bears are great \Proamers\p as they cover very long distances in their constant search for seals. It has been estimated that an individual polar bear may potentially cover an area equal to 259,000 square kilometers (100,000 square miles) during its lifetime. No other animal travels so far in its lifetime. The size of a polar bear's home range is extremely dynamic and constantly in flux. Ice conditions and the location of the seal populations in a given year are the major factors determining how far a particular bear will have to roam in order to survive. Polar bears do not defend their home ranges from other bears and thus it is normal for the home ranges of individual bears to overlap each other.
\BDescription:\b Polar bears travel vast amounts of land and ice in their search for food.\b
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Polar Bear - Hibernation",52,34690031.bmp,c,0
Pregnant females are the only polar bears who will enter a winter \Pden\p and \Phibernate\p for any length of time. Other bears will occasionally build a temporary shelter to overcome an extremely severe winter storm or to avoid summer heat and insects. As with other bears, the pregnant female will try to put on as much reserve fat as possible in order to have the resources to \Phibernate\p, bring her embryos to term and then nurse the newborn cubs until she leaves the \Pden\p and is once more able to eat. The pregnant polar bear will usually dig a maternity \Pden\p into a south-facing slope a short distance inland from the coast. The \Pden\p is usually an oval chamber 2 to 3 meters (6.5 to 10 feet) connected to the surface by a long entrance tunnel. Within the \Pdenning\p chamber, the temperature may rise above freezing due to the heat given off by the mother and the excellent insulating qualities of snow.
While hibernating, a bear's heart rate drops from between forty to seventy beats per minute to only eight to twelve beats per minute and its \Pmetabolism\p slows down by half. Unlike many other animals who \Phibernate\p, its body temperature only undergoes a minor reduction of 3 to 7 degrees Centigrade (5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit). During the period of hibernation, the polar bear will neither pass \Purea\p or solid fecal waste. While \Purea\p poisoning causing death would occur in all other animals within a week, bears have developed a unique process of recycling the \Purea\p into usable proteins. During the hibernation period, all bears lose a great deal of weight. It is not uncommon for a female polar bear with newborn cubs to lose as much as 40 per cent of her weight. The female polar bear will be \Plethargic\p during her initial \Pemergence\p from the \Pden\p. After a short period, she will return to the ice with her cubs in tow to resume hunting.
\BDescription:\b A mother polar bear can loose up to 40% of her weight during hibernation. When she emerges with her cubs she will be very \Plethargic\p but it is only a couple of days before she will resume hunting.
\BPhoto:\b Walt Enders - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Sloth Bear - A Description and Identification",53,01630088.bmp,c,0
\I\B(Melursus ursinus)\b\i
The sloth bear is a medium-sized bear that is native only to southern Asia. These bears are forest animals and occupy a \Psubtropical\p or \Pmonsoonal\p habitat. The official name for the sloth bear is \IMelursus ursinus.\i \IMelursus\i means "dark honey bear" while, in Latin, \Iursinus\i means "like a bear."
The sloth bear was originally thought to be a bear-like sloth due to its sloth-like looks and behavior. As more information was received, the classification error was noted and it came to be recognized as a true bear. In India, it is most commonly referred to as "bhalu." Another name it has acquired is the "lip bear" in recognition of the characteristic sounds it makes with its lips as it sucks up \Ptermites\p.
The sloth bear lives in the forests of India, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh as well as the island of Sri Lanka. This area is south of the Himalayan mountain range. The habitat includes a wide variety of forests types ranging from the thorn forests of northern India to the wet tropical forest further south. The optimal habitat of the sloth bear appears to be the tropical dry \Pdeciduous\p forests of central India. Widespread land clearing and \Pdeforestation\p continue to reduce its available habitat.
The estimated number of bears still living in the wild is believed to be somewhere between 7,000 and 10,000. While it is difficult to be certain, there is strong evidence to believe that the number of sloth bears is steadily declining. Throughout most of their range, \Pconservation\p efforts on behalf of sloth bears are almost nonexistent and where there is supposedly legal protection, it is rarely enforced.
\BDescription:\b Sloth bears have very large paws in relation to their body size. They are good tree climbers, however they won't climb trees to avoid enemies, as their main threats are leopards and tigers who are also excellent climbers.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Sloth Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics",54,01630089.bmp,c,0
The sloth bear is a large mammal whose size and weight show a high degree of variance depending on the amount of available food and climatic conditions.
The height of an adult male sloth bear measured from the ground to the highest point of the shoulder averages from 60 to 90 centimeters (2 to 3 feet). Measured from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, the length of an adult male sloth bear averages from 150 to 180 centimeters (approximately 5 to 6 feet).
The weight of a sloth bear is about 100 kilograms (220 pounds). A large adult male sloth bear may weigh up to 135 kilograms (300 pounds). Female sloth bears are slightly smaller than males within a given geographic area.
Sloth bears have a strong muscular body. The head is thick with a long \Pmuzzle\p and small jaws. It has ears which are large and floppy. The eyes are small in relation to the size of the head. Sloth bears have longer tails than other bear species at 15 to 18 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) in length.
The sloth bear's head and dental structure have undergone major evolutionary adaptations. The head is thick with a long \Pmuzzle\p, small jaws and large lips. The protrusible lower lip is \Pelongated\p such that it can be extended past the nose. The nose is bulb-like with widely spaced nostrils which can be voluntarily closed by the bear. There are no front incisor teeth and the bony palate within the upper interior of the mouth is hollowed out. The tongue is very long and flat. The combination of all these changes has produced a bear which can form a very efficient vacuum tube effect with its lips and mouth to suck up its major food source, namely \Ptermites\p.
\BDescription:\b The sloth bear is covered in a long shaggy black coat.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Sloth Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics - (2)",55,01630090.bmp,c,0
Sloth bears move in a manner similar to most other bears. They walk in a \Pplantigrade\p manner (i.e., both heel and toe make contact with the ground when walking in a manner similar to humans). When they amble or pace, both legs on one side of their body move together. The front feet are turned-in (pigeon-toed). Their \Pgait\p is a slow, shuffling-type walk but when alarmed, they can gallop faster than a human being. They are good swimmers and appear to like to play in the water.
Sloth bears are outstanding tree climbers. They primarily climb to feed and rest. Sloth bears are often observed hanging upside down up in the upper branches of trees. They do not climb trees to avoid enemies as their primary enemies, the leopard and tiger, are also excellent climbers. Rather, they fight or flee when an enemy approaches.
Sloth bears have very large paws in relation to their body size. The feet are relatively flat with five toes. Between the toes, there is a hairless web of skin. The non-retractable claws are long at 7 to 10 centimeters (3 to 4 inches) in length. They are deeply curved, making the sloth bear a good digger as well as an efficient tree climber. They are ivory or white in color. Bears are covered with a soft \Pdense\p underfur which serves as insulation to keep them warm. They also have a covering of long, thick guard hairs. Bears shed their fur each year. During the \Pmolt\p, the bears will rub against trees and rocks to help remove clumps of old fur. A complete new coat is generally in place by fall.
\BDescription:\b Sloth bears use their lips and facial expressions to communicate with each other. It has been observed among the sloth species that some bears choose to live in a family group which is unusual among the bear species.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Sloth Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics - (3)",56,01630086.bmp,c,0
The sloth bear is covered by a long, shaggy, dull black coat. The extreme length of the fur on the back of the neck and shoulders tends to give the bear the appearance of having a \Pmane\p. There is very little fur on the inside of the legs, the underbelly and on the \Pmuzzle\p. The sloth bear sometimes has a distinctive white, yellowish or rusty-colored \Pchevron\p (v-shaped) marking on its chest. The fur is often matted and generally appears unkempt. Sloth bears have good eyesight, probably comparable to human eyesight. With their eyes set close together and facing forward, they have \Pbinocular\p vision and excellent depth perception. They also have night vision which is superior to that of humans. Most bears are thought to be somewhat nearsighted due to feeding close to the ground. They also appear to have color vision. Bears demonstrate excellent hearing.
Bears have a sense of smell which is extremely highly developed. Bears use their sense of smell to assist them in discovering food sources and detecting enemies. It has been said that a bear uses its nose to learn about its world in the same way that we use our eyes. Sloth bears are able to smell a termite grub up to three feet underground.
In the wild, sloth bears may live for 25 years or more. The age of a bear can be determined by pulling a small \Ppremolar\p tooth from a sedated bear and later cross-sectioning and counting the number of rings. Each ring indicates one year that the bear has lived. This is similar to how the age of a tree is determined.
Surviving into adulthood is very difficult for sloth bears. Many cubs do not survive due to \Pstarvation\p, disease, accidents and predation by other animals including tigers, leopards and wild boars who share the habitat with the sloth bear. Mother bears or sows are very protective but there are many dangers and difficulties in trying to successfully raise bear cubs to adulthood.
\BDescription:\b Sloth bear cubs usually stay with their mother for around two to three years.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Sloth Bear - Behavior",57,01630090.bmp,c,0
Sloth bears are known to be extremely intelligent and clever. In addition, sloth bears have been described as bad tempered and easily annoyed. They have also been described as bears who exhibit a great deal of what is seemingly play behavior.
Regarding the communicative patterns of the sloth bear, \Pposturing,\p scenting and a number of different \Pvocalizations\p are used in interactions both with other bears and other animals. Sloth bears are able to use facial expressions to communicate much more than other bears due to the adaptations in their lips and mouth structure. A diverse variety of sounds characterized as roars, howls, squeals, yelps, huffs, rattles and gurgles have all been observed.
While most adult male bears live \Psolitary\p lives, sloth bears, more than any of the other bear species, appear to like the company of other bears within their territory. Family groupings including a male, female and cubs have been observed on a number of occasions.
Sloth bear cubs usually spend the first 24 to 36 months of life at the side of their mother and in the company of one or more siblings. They are then driven off by their mother. With females coming into \Pestrus,\p mating, conceiving and giving birth and then raising cubs in a repeating cycle, females live the majority of their lives within a family unit.
Normally, bears are shy and try to avoid trouble. In the natural process of determining who will win in situations such as which of two bears will occupy a particular range, which male will breed with a particular female and other possible \Pconfrontations,\p the smaller bear will usually give way to the bigger, more \Pdominant\p bear. Sloth bears appear to be quite tolerant of each other and less likely to engage in major battles, even between two bears of relatively equal dominance.
In Sri Lanka, sloth bears have been observed mating at all times of the year while in India, mating usually takes place between June and July. Breeding takes place in a manner similar to members of the canine (dog) family. It is described as a \Pboisterous\p occasion with the bears engaging in hugging-like behavior and mock fighting. Females will normally breed every two to three years. The cubs are usually born sometime between late December and early January to coincide with the dry season.
In sloth bears, the growth of the \Pembryo,\p which is formed immediately after a successful mating, stops growing for a period of several months. This process is called delayed implantation. Sometime later, the free-floating \Pembryo\p will then attach itself to the uterine wall and after a period of probably about eight weeks, the cubs will be born to the mother who retires to a rock cavity or shelter dug under some rocks or tree roots.
Should there be insufficient food resources available to the female sloth bear in a particular year, it is presumed that the \Pembryo\p will not implant and it is simply \Preabsorbed\p by her body. The number of cubs born is usually two and occasionally one or three. Again, the health of the mother and the available food supply will be important in determining the size of the litter.
At birth, the cubs are blind and very tiny. They weigh from 300 to 500 grams (11 to 18 ounces). Helpless at birth, the cubs develop quickly and within a month or shortly thereafter, they are able to leave the \Pden\p or cave and \Pforage\p with their mother.
Sloth bear mothers, as they \Pforage,\p can often be seen carrying the young cubs on their backs. If there is more than one cub, they will establish permanent riding positions such that one cub will always take a position on the shoulders while the other will ride near the rump. This behavior has been observed until the cubs are quite large, approximating a third of their mother's size.
Adult male sloth bears also appear to be allowed around young cubs. The males appear to be quite gentle and don't display the predatory instincts toward cubs seen in other bear species.
The cubs usually stay with their mothers for two to three years. The survival of cubs is extremely \Ptenuous\p as it is for most bear species. The exact details of the \Pmortality\p rate for the cubs of the sloth bear during the first year and subsequent years is not available because of the lack of ongoing research.
The survival of sloth bear cubs in the wild is undoubtedly dependent on the skill of their mother initially protecting them and then teaching them the basics of what to eat; where and how to get it; and how to cope with the dangers of their environment. The fact that the cubs will stay with the mother for two to three years plus the non-predatory nature of the adult male sloth bear suggests that infant \Pmortality\p may be less than in other bear species.
\BDescription:\b Sloth bears have been described as bad tempered and easily annoyed.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Sloth Bear - Diet, Habitat and Hibernation",58,01630089.bmp,c,0
The sloth bear still remains an active \Pcarnivore\p even though it has now adapted so that it eats both meat and plant material. They are opportunistic foragers who spend the majority of their time wandering to obtain food.
Within the tropics, termite and ant colonies are abundant and stable food sources. Sloth bears have adapted to become specialized termite hunters. The bears will dig into the hard tall pillars where the \Ptermites\p live. They then insert their \Pmuzzle\p to suck up the \Ptermites\p and their larvae. The noise made by this activity is very loud and can be heard up to 180 meters (200 yards) away.
Sloth bears will also climb and shake fruit trees to obtain food. Honey is also a source of nutrition for the bears, as are ants; berries; cultivated sugarcane, corn and yams; and the fleshy flowers of the Mohwa tree.
While not known to be very predatory in nature, sloth bears will eat virtually any \Pcarrion\p which they may discover. Sloth bears prefer to feed during the night but will feed at any time of the day as necessary.
The size of the home range of an individual sloth bear will vary with the concentration of high energy food sources. Thus, the more concentrated the food sources, the smaller the range necessary to maintain an animal. To date, there is no definitive research which details the exact nature of the home range of the sloth bear. Studies involving placing radio-equipped collars on selected bears are currently underway. It is hoped that information will be forthcoming in the near future to assist in establishing the size of the \Pconservation\p areas that will be needed in order to ensure the survival of these bears in the wild.
There is no recorded observations of sloth bears hibernating due to the normal availability of food sources throughout the year. The sloth bear does appear to enter a period of time late in the year when it is somewhat \Plethargic.\p
\BDescription:\b Sloth bears do not hibernate because their food is available year round.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Spectacled Bear - A Description and Identification",59,0,c,specbear.avi
\I\B(Tremarctos ornatus)\i\b
The spectacled bear is a medium-sized bear that is native only to the continent of South America. It is the only bear found in South America where it is the largest \Pcarnivore\p and the second largest land mammal next to the \Ptapir\p. Spectacled bears are forest animals and live in highly varied habitats extending along the range of the Andes Mountains. The official scientific name for the spectacled bear is \ITremarctos ornatus.\i \ITremarctos\i is the Latin word meaning "tremendous bear" while \I"ornatus"\i translates as ornate in reference to the light fur coloring on the face and around the eyes of the spectacled bear.
The spectacled bear is an animal of the \Pequatorial\p forest and is quite rare. It is directly descended from the extinct short-faced "bulldog" bear \I(Arctodus simus)\i which roamed North and South America as the largest predator during the last Ice Age. Locally it is called the \I"ucumari"\i or Andean bear. It received its common name, the spectacled bear, because it appears to be wearing glasses.
\BDescription:\b The spectacled bear is found on the South American continent.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Spectacled Bear - A Description and Identification - (2)",60,35280002.bmp,c,0
The variety of habitats in which the spectacled bear is found include coastal and inland deserts, dry forests, rain forests and cloud forests. Its preferred habitat is the moist tropical forest which exists between the desert scrub present at lower elevations and the alpine meadows at the higher elevations within the Andes. It is possible that there are less than 2,000 spectacled bears still left in the wild. In all of these areas, the land suitable for the spectacled bear is rapidly disappearing. Most of the land is undergoing ever increasing \Pdeforestation\p to support subsistence agricultural activities.
The habitat range of the spectacled bear extends along the slopes of the Andes Mountains in Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Small pockets of a few spectacled bears may also live in southern Panama and northern Argentina on the respective northern and southern limits of the Andean Mountain range. So far, the areas where there is the largest growth of new agricultural settlements include both Ecuador and Bolivia. The most intact habitat at present occurs on the eastern slopes of the Oriental Mountain range in Ecuador, Peru and northern Bolivia.
\BDescription:\b Spectacled bears got their name from the markings around their eyes which give the illusion of spectacles.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Spectacled Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics",61,35280003.bmp,d,0
The spectacled bear is a large mammal whose size and weight are extremely variable depending on the ready availability of food and the existing climatic conditions.
The height of an adult male spectacled bear measured from the ground to the highest point of the shoulder averages from 76 to 91 centimeters (2.3 to 3 feet). Measured from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, the length of an adult male spectacled bear averages from 130 to 190 centimeters (4.25 to 6.25 feet).
The weight of a spectacled bear may range between 80 and 125 kilograms (175 to 275 pounds) with some adult males topping the scales in excess of 175 kilograms (385 pounds). Females are generally about two-thirds the size of males.
All spectacled bears have a heavy body with strong muscular legs. They have a wide broad head with a short \Pmuzzle.\p The head is comparatively large in relation to the body size. The lower jaw is shorter than the upper jaw giving the spectacled bear an \Poverbite.\p Spectacled bears are unique among bears in that they have thirteen pairs of ribs, one less than all the other bear species. The ears of the spectacled bear are small, rounded and set far apart on the head. The eyes are small in relation to the size of the head. The tail is short and stubby at approximately 7 centimeters (2.8 inches).
Spectacled bears move in a manner similar to most other bears. The front feet are turned-in (i.e., pigeon-toed). As with other bears, they walk in a \Pplantigrade\p manner with their entire foot making contact with the ground in a manner similar to humans. When they amble or pace, both legs on one side of their body move together. Their \Pgait\p is a slow, shuffling-type walk but when alarmed, they can run faster than a human being. Spectacled bears are good swimmers.
\BDescription:\b A spectacled bear's head is large in relation to its body size.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Spectacled Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics - (2)",62,35280004.bmp,c,0
Spectacled bears are exceptional tree climbers. They climb to feed, sleep, rest and also to escape their enemies. Spectacled bears often make nests high in the trees. They tend to spend more time in the trees than most other bear species.
Spectacled bears have relatively flat feet with five toes. There is no hair on the soles of the feet which assists in getting a better grip when climbing trees. The non-retractable claws are very large and curve to a sharp point. They are normally a whitish color.
While once long ago, spectacled bears and their extinct ancestor, the bulldog bear, may have primarily been meat eaters, today they are, in fact, \Pomnivores\p. To accommodate this, both their teeth and digestive tracts have undergone major changes so that they can extract sufficient nutrients from vegetable matter to maintain their large body mass.
Spectacled bears are covered with a soft \Pdense\p underfur which serves as insulation to keep them warm when necessary and cool when it is very hot. They also have a covering of long, thick guard hairs. Spectacled bears, as do all bears, shed their fur \Pannually\p. The shaggy fur coat of the spectacled bear is jet black in color. However, they have distinctive white or light tawny markings around the eyes which have been said to make these bears look like they are wearing glasses. The white or tawny patterning is unique for each animal and can often extend down onto the chest.
\BDescription:\b An adult male spectacled bear can reach up to 190 centimeters (6.25 feet) in size from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tale.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Spectacled Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics - (3)",63,34700010.bmp,c,0
Spectacled bears have good eyesight which is believed comparable to that of humans. They have \Pbinocular\p vision common to most predators. This affords them excellent depth perception and the ability to detect moving \Pprey\p. Their night vision is very good which assists them in seeing in the gloom and darkness created by the tree \Pcanopy\p of the tropical forest. Most bears are thought to be somewhat nearsighted due to feeding close to the ground. They also appear to have color vision. Bears demonstrate excellent hearing.
Bears have a sense of smell which is said to be better than that of a bloodhound. They use their sense of smell to assist them in discovering food sources and detecting enemies. They also uses their sense of smell to learn about the world in the same way that we use our eyes. Bears that rise up on their feet or move downwind are often doing so to get a better position to smell an approaching enemy or a possible food source.
In the wild, spectacled bears may live for over 25 years. Surviving into adulthood is very difficult for spectacled bears. Many cubs do not survive due to \Pstarvation\p, disease, accidents and predation by other animals. Humans and domesticated dogs are the most common enemies. Mother bears or sows are very protective but there are many dangers and difficulties in trying to successfully raise bear cubs to adulthood.
\BDescription:\b Spectacled bears move in a similar manner to most other bears and like other bears have slightly pigeon-toed front feet.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Spectacled Bear - Behavior",64,34700013.bmp,c,0
Spectacled bears are extremely intelligent and clever animals. They are a bear which readily avoids any contact with humans and because of this, very few observations are made even by people who live in the Andes Mountains. They are largely non-aggressive and will normally attack only if cornered. However, as with any bear, individual spectacled bears can be unpredictable and are an extremely \Pformidable\p animal when provoked.
Spectacled bears communicate with other bears and animals using a combination of \Pposturing\p, scenting and a number of different \Pvocalizations\p. When alarmed, spectacled bears have been observed to utter an owl-like screech.
While most adult male bears live \Psolitary\p lives, spectacled bear males have been observed occasionally as part of an apparent family grouping including a female with cubs. Spectacled bear cubs stay at the side of their mother in the company of one or more siblings only for the first six to eight months. They are then driven off by their mother. With females coming into \Pestrus\p, mating, conceiving and giving birth and then raising cubs in a repeating cycle, females live the majority of their lives within a family unit.
Normally, bears are shy and try to avoid trouble. In the natural process of determining who will win in situations such as which of two bears will occupy a particular range, which male will breed with a particular female, and other possible \Pconfrontations\p, the smaller bear will usually give way to the bigger, more \Pdominant\p bear.
\BDescription:\b Spectacled bears have no hair on the soles of their feet which makes it easier for them to climb trees.
Female spectacled bears mate for the first time during their fourth year. Mating normally takes place in a manner similar to members of the canine (dog) family. Mating usually takes place between April and June. It appears that the female is in \Pestrus\p for a short period of between one and five days. The cubs are usually born sometime between November and February.
The \Pgestation\p period in female spectacled bears has been observed to be between five and a half and eight months. This is consistent with other bears who use the \Pphysiological\p process of delayed implantation to determine the time of year when cubs will be born. The actual timing of the birth of the cubs appears to be approximately six weeks before the peak of the fruit season.
Through the process of delayed implantation, the fertilized \Povum\p divides a few times and then floats free within the uterus for several months with its development arrested. The \Pembryo\p will then attach itself to the uterine wall and after a period of probably about six to ten weeks, the cubs will be born to the mother who retires to a nest under some rocks or tree roots.
Delayed implantation clearly serves an important survival need for the mother and the cubs. By having the cubs born several weeks before the peak of the fruit season and thus able to leave the nest with their mother as she forages, there is a greater opportunity of sufficient food resources being available for the mother and also to allow her to produce sufficient milk to \Psuckle\p her young.
\BDescription:\b Spectacled bears primarily eat vegetation with only a small percentage of their diet made up of small rodents and birds.
Should there not be sufficient food resources available to the female spectacled bear in a particular year, it is presumed that the \Pembryo\p will not implant and it is simply \Preabsorbed\p by her body.
Normally, either one or two cubs are born. Three cubs have been born in captivity but this is probably not the rule in the wild. Again, climate and food supply will be important determinants to the size of the litter.
At birth, the cubs are blind and very tiny. They weigh from 300 to 500 grams (11 to 18 ounces). Helpless at birth, the cubs develop quickly and within four weeks or shortly thereafter, they are able to \Pforage\p with their mother. If the mother must travel quickly to escape danger, the cubs will ride on her back or she has been observed to hold one against her chest while she runs on three legs.
The survival of bear cubs is extremely \Ptenuous\p for most bear species. The exact details for the cubs of the spectacled bear are not available because of the lack of ongoing research with these bears.
Spectacled bear cubs stay with their mother for six to eight months before they are on their own. Their survival is dependent on the skill of the mother in initially protecting them and then teaching them the basics of what to eat, where and how to get it, and how to cope with the dangers of their environment.
\BDescription:\b Deep in tropical forests, spectacled bears may be active at all times of day and night. In open areas spectacled bears are more active at night.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Spectacled Bear - Diet and Habitat",67,34700012.bmp,c,0
Spectacled bears, as with all bears, seek foods which will return the highest nutritional value for the least expenditure of energy. Seasonal availability and geographic location are the biggest factors determining the primary food sources of bears.
From what we know at present, the spectacled bear is primarily a plant eater. Researchers have reported that while these bears will catch and eat small rodents, birds, \Pcarrion\p and insects, these foods account for less than five per cent of their normal diet.
Fruit, sugarcane and corn are often regular parts of a spectacled bear's diet. In addition, tough plant items such as unopened palm leaves, palm nuts, orchid pseudobulbs and bromeliad hearts will also be eaten when necessary.
Being \Pagile\p climbers, spectacled bears readily take to the trees for food gathering. They have been observed up to 15 meters (49 feet) above the ground gathering fruit from trees. When fruit is ripening, spectacled bears have been observed staying in the trees far above the forest floor for several days.
Within the deep tropical forests, spectacled bears may be active at all hours of the day. Where the habitat is more open, they are primarily active during the hours of darkness.
The size of the home range needed by an individual spectacled bear will vary with the concentration of high energy food sources throughout different parts of the Andes Mountain range. Thus, the more concentrated the food sources, the smaller the range necessary to maintain an animal. To date, there is no definitive research which details the exact nature of the home range of the spectacled bear. Because of the extremely \Pdense\p jungle, to date, no studies involving placing radio-equipped collars on selected bears has been done. It is hoped that this information will be forthcoming in the near future to assist in establishing the size of the \Pconservation\p areas that will be needed in order to ensure the survival of these bears in the wild.
\BDescription:\b Spectacled bears are excellent tree climbers and often make nests high up in trees.
There is no recorded observations of spectacled bears hibernating due to the normal availability of food sources throughout the year.
\BDescription:\b Spectacled bear cubs usually stay with their mother from six to eight months before they are driven off by the mother so she can mate again.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Sun Bear - A Description and Identification",69,02810073.bmp,d,0
\I\B(Helarctos malayanus)\b\i
The sun bear is the smallest of all eight bear species in the world. Sun bears live in the tropical forests along the equator in southeast Asia. The official name for the sun bear is \IHelarctos malayanus.\i \IHelarctos,\i in Latin, means "sun bear" while \Imalayanus\i simply refers to Malaysia, one of the early locations where the bear was originally known to exist in the wild. The sun bear is an animal of the deep \Pequatorial\p forest and is extremely rare. It came to be known as the sun bear due to the presence of a sun-shaped patch on the chest of many of these bears. Other names given to the sun bear include the Malay bear, the honey bear and the dog bear.
While it is difficult to be certain, there is strong evidence to believe that the number of sun bears is steadily declining. Each year, several thousand square kilometers of lowland forest are being converted into plantations for crops such as coffee, oil palms and rubber. In addition to the reduction in habitat, these new agricultural areas are settled by rural people who are known to kill bears for food and for the trade in bear parts. Throughout most of their range, \Pconservation\p efforts on behalf of sun bears are almost nonexistent and where there is supposedly legal protection, it is rarely enforced. Originally, sun bears inhabited the lowland forests of southeast Asia from Malaysia and Indonesia as far west as India. They are now believed to be extinct in India and possibly Bangladesh. The state of the sun bear populations in Burma, southern China, Thailand, Laos, Kampuchea and Vietnam are also believed to be in considerable difficulty. A number of sun bears are thought to exist on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo but even there, \Pdeforestation\p is occurring at an ever increasing rate and the long-term prospects are unclear.
\BDescription:\b Sun bears feed on fruit, small rodents and other insects.
\BPhoto:\b Webster Publishing
#
"Sun Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics",70,34700001.bmp,d,0
The sun bear is a large mammal whose size and weight show a considerable degree of variability depending on the amount of available food and climatic conditions. Of the eight bear species, the sun bear is by far the smallest at less than half the average size of the American black bear.
The height of an adult male sun bear measured from the ground to the highest point of the shoulder averages approximately 70 centimeters (2.3 feet). Measured from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, the length of an adult male sun bear ranges from 100 to 140 centimeters (3.25 to 4.5 feet).
The weight of a adult male sun bear is normally between 27 and 50 kilograms (60 and 110 pounds) with the average sun bear weighing 45 kilograms (100 pounds). One extremely large male sun bear was found to weigh 65 kilograms (143 pounds). Female sun bears are ten to 45 percent smaller than males within a given geographic area.
Sun bears have the lightest body type of all the bear species. They appear very solid and sleek with powerful but short bowed legs. The head is wide and flat with small rounded ears. The \Pmuzzle\p is short and very flexible. The tongue of the sun bear is extremely long and thin. The eyes are very small in relation to the size of the head. The tail is very short and stubby at 4 to 7 centimeters (1.25 to 2.75 inches).
\BDescription:\b An adult male sun bear measures between 100 to 140 cm (3.25 to 4.5 feet) from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tale.
\BPhoto:\b Gerry Ellis - Ellis Nature Photography
#
"Sun Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics - (2)",71,01630084.bmp,c,0
The head of the sun bear has undergone some major evolutionary adaptations to assist it in feeding within the \Pequatorial\p forest. The head has taken on a flattened shape and the \Pmuzzle\p is very flexible like that of a sloth bear. While it has retained the incisor teeth, its tongue is very long and thin. These changes allow the sun bear to more easily suck up insects such as \Ptermites\p and to successfully invade the hives of bees in search of honey.
Sun bears move in a manner similar to most other bears. The front feet are extremely turned-in (i.e., pigeon-toed) such that the front paws often cross one another. As with other bears, they walk in a \Pplantigrade\p manner with both the toe and heel making contact with the ground in a manner similar to humans. When they amble or pace, both legs on one side of their body move together. Their \Pgait\p is a slow, shuffling-type walk but when alarmed, they can run faster than a human being. Sun bears are good swimmers.
Sun bears are very exceptional tree climbers. They climb to feed and rest. Sun bears often make day nests high in the trees . This may assist them in keeping hidden and safe from the many predators on the forest floor.
The heel pads of the front paws on sun bears are relatively larger than most bears while the rear paws are narrow and taper towards the rear. There is no hair on the soles of the feet which assists in getting a better grip when climbing trees. Sun bears have deeply curved non-retractable claws. The front claws may be up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) in length and are tapered to a very sharp point to assist in climbing. They are ivory or white in color.
\BDescription:\b Sun bears have extremely long and thin tongues which is an advantage when \Pforaging\p for food such as honey.
\BPhoto:\b Todtri Productions Limited
#
"Sun Bear - Anatomy and Characteristics - (3)",72,02810037.bmp,c,0
Bears are covered with a soft \Pdense\p short underfur which serves as insulation to keep them warm. They also have a covering of longer and thicker guard hairs. Bears shed their fur each year. During the \Pmolt\p, the bears will rub against trees and rocks to help remove clumps of old fur. A complete new coat is generally in place by fall.
The sun bear is covered by very short, \Pdense\p, black fur which is very efficient at repelling moisture. Most sun bears have a large yellowish-white or orange v-shaped blaze on their chest. The \Pmuzzle\p is grayish in color. The paws may also be grayish in color on some bears.
Sun bears have good eyesight which is believed comparable to that of humans. They have \Pbinocular\p vision common to most predators. This affords them excellent depth perception and the ability to detect moving \Pprey\p. Their night vision is very good which assists them in seeing in the gloom and darkness created by the tree \Pcanopy\p of the \Pequatorial\p forest. Most bears are thought to be somewhat nearsighted due to feeding close to the ground. They also appear to have color vision. Bears demonstrate excellent hearing.
Bears have a sense of smell which is extremely highly developed. Bears use their sense of smell to assist them in discovering food sources and detecting enemies. It has been said that a bear uses its nose to learn about its world in the same way that we use our eyes. Sun bears are able to smell many of the foods on which they live from great distances away.
In the wild, it is believed that sun bears may live for 25 years or more but to date, this has not been substantiated.
Surviving into adulthood is very difficult for sun bears. Many cubs do not survive due to \Pstarvation\p, disease, accidents and predation by other animals including tigers, clouded leopards and wild dogs who share habitat with the sun bear. Mother bears or sows are very protective but there are many dangers and difficulties in trying to successfully raise bear cubs to adulthood.
\BDescription:\b Sun bears have a large yellowish-white or orange v-shaped blaze on their chest and a grayish colored \Pmuzzle\p.
\BPhoto:\b Webster Publishing
#
"Sun Bear - Behavior",73,02810030.bmp,b,0
Sun bears are known to be extremely intelligent and clever. In addition, they are described as being good-natured except for older bears who often become bad tempered. As with any bear, sun bears can be unpredictable and despite their relatively small size, are a \Pformidable\p animal when provoked.
Regarding the communicative patterns of the sun bear, \Pposturing\p, scenting and a number of different \Pvocalizations\p are used in interactions both with other bears and other animals. When angry, sun bears have been observed to bark, grunt or roar to indicate their level of displeasure.
While most adult male bears live \Psolitary\p lives, sun bear males are often observed in the company of other bears. Apparent family groupings including a male, female and cubs have also been observed on a number of occasions.
Sun bear cubs usually stay at the side of their mother in the company of one or more siblings until they are nearly fully grown. They are then driven off by their mother. With females coming into \Pestrus\p, mating, conceiving and giving birth and then raising cubs in a repeating cycle, females live the majority of their lives within a family unit.
Normally, bears are shy and try to avoid trouble. In the natural process of determining who will win in situations such as which of two bears will occupy a particular range, which male will breed with a particular female and other possible \Pconfrontations\p, the smaller bear will usually give way to the bigger, more \Pdominant\p bear.
\BDescription:\b Sun bears, unlike other species of bears, do not leave \Psolitary\p lives and prefer the company of other sun bears.
\BPhoto:\b Webster Publishing
#
"Sun Bear - Behavior - (2)",74,02810072.bmp,c,0
Female sun bears mate for the first time during their third year. Sun bears have been observed \Pbreeding\p at all times of the year. The mating period lasts anywhere from two to seven days. It is described as a \Pboisterous\p occasion, similar to sloth bears, with the bears engaging in hugging-like behavior, mock fighting, head bobbing, head nuzzling and barking. Mating takes place in a manner similar to members of the canine (dog) family.
Sun bears are the one bear species which does not use the \Pphysiological\p mechanism of delayed implantation to control when the cubs are born. Thus, cubs may be born at any time of the year. The \Pgestation\p period generally lasts about 100 days with normally two cubs being born while the mother sun bear nests deep in the forest undergrowth or in a hollow log. The maximum number of cubs born is reported to be three. The physical health of the mother and the availability of a good food supply will be important in determining the number of cubs born.
At birth, the cubs are blind, hairless and very tiny. They weigh approximately 225 grams (7 ounces). Their skin is virtually transparent. Helpless at birth, the cubs develop quickly and are able to walk within two weeks. Within several weeks, the cubs are able to \Pforage\p with their mother. They will continue to be nursed by their mother for the first four to five months. Adult male sun bears appear to be allowed around young cubs. The males do not appear to display the predatory instincts toward cubs seen in most other bear species. Similar behavior by males has also been observed in sloth bears.
\BDescription:\b Sun bears have deeply curved non-retractable claws.
\BPhoto:\b Webster Publishing
\BPic2:\b 02810035.bmp
\BDescription2:\b The front claws may be up to 10 centimeters in length.
\BPhoto2:\b Webster Publishing
#
"Sun Bear - Behavior - (3)",75,02810033.bmp,c,0
The cubs usually stay with their mothers until nearly full grown. The survival of cubs is extremely \Ptenuous\p as it is for most bear species. The exact details of the \Pmortality\p rate for sun bear cubs awaits further research.
The survival of sun bear cubs in the wild is dependent on the skill of their mother initially protecting them and then teaching them the basics of what to eat; where and how to get it; and how to cope with the dangers of their environment. The fact that the cubs will stay with the mother until nearly full grown in combination with the non-predatory nature of the adult male sun bear suggests that infant \Pmortality\p may be less than in most other bear species.
\BDescription:\b Sun bears have an extremely highly developed sense of smell.
\BPhoto:\b Webster Publishing
#
"Sun Bear - Diet and Habitat",76,0,c,sunbear.avi
The sun bear still remains an active \Pcarnivore\p even though it has now adapted so that it eats both meat and plant material. Sun bears are opportunistic foragers who spend the majority of their time wandering within the \Pequatorial\p forest to obtain food.
Sun bears, like most wild creatures, seek foods which will return the highest energy value for the least amount of work. Seasonal availability and geographic location are the biggest factors determining the primary food sources of sun bears.
Primarily \Pnocturnal\p animals, sun bears feed on fruit, small rodents, lizards, birds, ants, \Ptermites\p, earthworms and insects. They readily climb trees to get honey from the hives of wild bees. Another food which they seek out is the palm heart of the cultivated coconut palm tree. This kills the tree and has led to sun bears being shot in large numbers by local plantation owners.
The size of the home range needed by an individual sun bear will vary with the concentration of high energy food sources. Thus, the more concentrated the food sources, the smaller the range necessary to maintain an animal. To date, there is no definitive research which details the exact nature of the home range of the sun bear. No studies involving placing radio-equipped collars on selected sun bears has been done. It is hoped that this information will be forthcoming in the near future to assist in establishing the size of the \Pconservation\p areas that will be needed in order to ensure the survival of these bears in the wild.
\BDescription:\b Sun bears have no hairs on their paws which means they can get a better grip when climbing trees. The front claws are usually white or yellow and can be as long as 10 centimeters (4 inches).
\BPhoto:\b Webster Publishing
#
"Sun Bear - Hibernation",77,02810036.bmp,b,0
There are no recorded observations of sun bears hibernating due to the normal availability of food sources throughout the year.
\BDescription:\b Sun bear cubs usually stay with their mothers until fully grown.
