They belong to the Ursidae family and they are mammals. They are found in both hemispheres and are carnivores in nature but sometimes they also consume fruits and leaves. Some varieties of bears consume bamboo shoots and this shoot is considered as 99% part of their diet, whereas some other varieties also consume termites and ants also. At present time there are only eight species of bear, they are:
Asian black bear – Ursus thibetanus
American black bear – Ursus americanus
Brown bear – Ursus arctos
Giant panda – Ailuropoda melanoleuca
Sloth bear – Melursus ursinus
Sun bear – Helarctos malayanus
Spectacled bear – Tremarctos ornatus
Polar bear – Ursus maritimus
Classification of Bear
The scientific name of the bear is Ursus.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Infraorder: Arctoidea
Family: Ursidae
Important Facts About Bear
1. Lifespan of a bear is about 20 years.
2. Bears can run at a speed of 40km/hr.
3. Polar bears are considered as one of the heaviest bears with a weight of approx 450Kg.
4. Gestation period of bears is about 195 – 265 days.
5. During winter most of the bears undergo hibernation due to scarcity of food in the winter season. As during hibernation, most of the process gets lowered like heart rate, body temperature, metabolism, and respiration.
6. Giant panda bears mostly feed bamboo shoots.
7. Smallest species of bear is the Sun bear, having a weight of about 25kg.