Bear Definition 1

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Jessie Nguyen

English 363

Bear
A bear is a large, four-legged, wild mammal

with a long snout, short tail, non retractable

claws, shaggy fur, and rounded ears. They

belong to the Ursidae family and there are eight

species of bears found throughout North

America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

Usually, they are solitary, with the exception of

a mother bear and her young. Bears are skillful at running, climbing, swimming, and using their

sense of smell. This excellent sense of smell is used to inspect the world around them and to

communicate with others in a variety of ways. They bite and rub on their surroundings and leave

scat or urine marks, which leave scent trails for other bears to pick up on.

Origin

The term “bear” is derived from the Old English word ​bera​, which comes from the

Proto-Germantic word “beron,” meaning “the brown one.” The Latin term for bear is ​ursus,​

which is where the taxonomic term for bears, “Ursidae,” derives from [9].
Physical Characteristics and Description

Throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, eight species of bears can be

found. This consists of the North American black bear, brown bear, polar bear, Asian black bear,

Andean bear, giant panda, sloth bear, and sun bear.

The North American black bear has the largest population size and is the only species to have its

population increasing in number [1]. Their fur color ranges from white, due to a genetic

difference, to red-brown, to dark brown or black, which is most common. An adult male black

bear is typically smaller than a brown bear, is around six feet in length, and can weigh from 130

to 660 pounds, depending on what food sources are available [2].

Brown bears, also called grizzly bears, have fur color that can range from a light cream shade to

black, but are usually dark brown. They can be identified by a distinctive “bump” around their

shoulders and have long claws on the front paws. Adult males can weigh from 300 to 860

pounds, while females are usually smaller [3].

The polar bear is the largest species of bear and the largest meat-eating mammal on the planet.

An adult male is able to weigh more than 1,700 pounds and can be seven to eight feet in length.

Their population size is decreasing and they are listed as an endangered species [2].

The Asian black bear has black fur with a light colored muzzle and a unique white patch on the

chest in a “V” shape. An adult male can range around four to six feet in length and 220 to 440

pounds in weight, being much smaller than a polar bear [3].


The Andean bear has a decreasing population and is vulnerable to extinction. They can be seen

with coat colors ranging from black to red-brown with lighter spots around the chest, muzzle,

and eyes, which gives them the more common name “spectacled bear.” An adult male Andean

bear can grow up to six feet in length and are around 339 pounds in weight [4].

The giant panda species is labeled as “vulnerable” to extinction, but has population numbers that

are increasing. They have distinct black patches of fur around the eyes, ears, muzzle, legs, and

shoulders, with the rest of their bodies being white. They are around the size of an Asian black

bear, measuring between four and six feet in length [4].

Sloth bears have long, black coats mixed with brown and gray hairs and a distinct yellow-white

patch on the chest, in a “V” shape. Due to the fact that they are missing their top incisors, they

are able to easily suck up and eat these termites. Sloth bears are around five to six feet in length

and can weigh around 200 to 300 pounds [5].

Sun bears have a distinct “bib-shaped” golden patch on their chests and a coarse black coat,

however, not all have this golden patch. They are the smallest species of bear, ranging from four

to five feet in length and about 59 to 143 pounds in weight [6].

Habitat

Bears are found mostly in the Northern hemisphere, except for Andean bears who are located in

South America in the Andean cloud forests. Here, they can be found up to 14,000 feet in the

trees. Different species of bears’ habitat environment can range from forests to mountains to
tundra to grasslands and even desert. Brown bears have the

widest location range of all the species, which include Europe,

Asia, and North America [8]. The North American black bear

resides in North America, mostly in Canada and the United

States. Polar bears can be found in the Arctic Circle to the North

Pole, mostly on sea ice. The rest of the species of bears are found

in Asia. The Asian black bear is found in forested areas in hills

and mountains around Eastern Asia. The giant pandas are found

in mountainous areas of Central China, usually at heights around

5,000 to 10,000 feet up trees. Sloth bears are mostly found in India and Sri Lanka and sun bears

in dense tropical forests of southern China to eastern India and even further south around

Indonesia.

Diet

Most species of bears have an omnivorous diet. At the extremes are polar bears who are

carnivorous, eating mostly ringed, bearded, and other varieties of seals. On the other side, giant

pandas have diets consisting of 99% bamboo. The Asian black bear and Andean bear are mostly

herbivores and eat mainly vegetation, while sloth and sun bears mainly eat bugs, such as ants and

termites, and fruits. Black bears are able to eat a variety of items including young mammals,

vegetation, berries, fish and even human garbage. Based on what kind of food is available, the

amount and quality of a bear’s diet can determine their size, as bears have a wide range of

lengths and weights they can be. Depending on availability, some bears, such as the North

American black bear, also enjoy eating honey [7].


Hibernation

Hibernation is an adaptation to food shortages and cold temperatures in the winter months, which

can lower the amount of energy that a mammal uses [10]. During this process, bears do not need

to defecate, urinate, or require food and water. If food is available, hibernation is not done,

therefore, not all species of bears will hibernate. Only the North American black bear and most

brown bears will hibernate [11]. To prepare, bears will usually feed from summer to the end of

autumn; not all bears will start this process at the same time, depending on their environment.

During this stage, they will intake up to 20,000 calories in a day, adding four to five inches of

body fat for added insulation. When entering the hibernation process, a bear’s heart rate, body

temperature, and respiratory rate declines. Using an internal clock, weather patterns, and noticing

a decrease in food availability, a bear will know when it is time to enter its den. As breeding

season is before hibernation, a mother bear will give birth during this period [12].

Relationship with Humans

Although bears are dangerous to humans, bear attacks are rare. Bears will usually avoid humans

and will only attack when startled or threatened. [13]

Humans have been hunting bears for many centuries. Native American tribes hunted bears for

clothing and food and gave their respects by performing ceremonies. European settlers

aggressively killed bears to clear land for farming, which greatly decreased the bear population

in North America. [14] In Asia, bears are illegally traded and hunted for their meat, organs, skin,

and claws, which are used in traditional medicines, sold in restaurants, and even sold as

souvenirs. [15]
Bears have also been used for entertainment around the world,

such as in circuses, movies, and zoos. They are also popular

subjects for children’s stories, illustrations, films, and toys.

These characters include Winnie the Pooh, The Care Bears,

Little Bear, and Yogi Bear. One of the most popular toys

worldwide include the “Teddy Bear,” a stuffed toy in the shape

of a bear first made in 1902 and named after Theodore

Roosevelt by Morris Michtom, a candy shop owner. The name

originated from a bear hunting trip where Roosevelt chose not to shoot a black bear tied to a tree.

[16]
References

[1] Wyatt, N., Ingram, E., & Polacek, K. (2012). North American Mammals and the American
Black Bear, Ursus Americanus. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 51(3), 215-222.
https://web-a-ebscohost-com.lib-proxy.fullerton.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=128
1ec1b-5e6c-43c6-8272-46c0c1a482b8%40sessionmgr4007

[2] “Black Bear.” National Wildlife Federation,


www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/black-bear​.

[3] Brown Bear. (2017, December 14). International Association for Bear Research and
Management. ​https://www.bearbiology.org/bear-species/brown-bear/

[4] Andean (spectacled) bear. (n.d.). Bear Conservation.


http://www.bearconservation.org.uk/andean-spectacled-bear/

[5] Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. (2020, September 16). Sloth
bear. Smithsonian’s National Zoo. ​https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/sloth-bear

[6] Bies, L., & Dewey, T. (2007). “Helarctos malayanus” (sun bear). Animal Diversity Web.
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Helarctos_malayanus/

[7] dfg.webmaster@alaska.gov. (2008, May). ASK A WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST, Do Bears


Really Eat Honey. Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=371#:%7E:
text=Bears%20do%20love%20honey%20and,black%20bears%20will%20raid%20beehives​.

[8] Servheen, C., Herrero, S., Peyton, B., Pelletier, K., Moll, J., & IUCN/SSC Polar Bear
Specialist Group. (1999). Bears. IUCN. pp. 1-4.

[9] bear | Origin and meaning of bear by Online Etymology Dictionary. (n.d.). Online Etymology
Dictionary. ​https://www.etymonline.com/word/bear

[10] Heldmaier, G. (2011). Life on Low Flame in Hibernation. Science, 331(6019), 866–867.
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1203192

[11] Denning and Hibernation Behavior - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park
Service). (2006, March). National Park Service.
https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/denning.htm
[12] Black Bear Hibernation. (n.d.). Denali Education Center, Alaska.
https://www.denali.org/denalis-natural-history/black-bear-hibernation/

[13] Herrero, S. (2002). Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance (revised edition) (First ed.).
Lyons Press.

[14] The Wildlife Research Institute. (2010, August 7). The History of Killing Bears.
https://www.bearstudy.org/website/updates/daily-updates/996-the-history-of-killing-bears-.html

[15] Monitor, & Shepherd, C. (2020, April 23). Unbearable: The Illegal Trade in Asian Bear
Species. Monitor.
https://mcrsociety.org/2019/09/08/unbearable-the-illegal-trade-in-asian-bear-species/

[16] The Story of the Teddy Bear - Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site (U.S.
National Park Service). (2019). National Park Service.
https://www.nps.gov/thrb/learn/historyculture/storyofteddybear.htm

Image Citations

Camacho, T. C. (2016, June 30). Juvenile Panda Climbing A Tree [Photograph]. Fine Art
America.
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/juvenile-panda-climbing-a-tree-tony-camacho.html

[North American Black Bear]. (n.d.). Animals & Society Institute.


https://www.animalsandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/1376863649000-AP-C-BLACK
-BEAR.jpg

Evanson, T. E. (n.d.). [Teddy Bear]. Flickr.


https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5192/7237653442_5f3124190a_b.jpg

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