Description, range, nutrition, reproduction, hibernation and behavior of the brown bear. Brown bear Keeping and breeding brown bears

BROWN BEAR A male brown bear can reach a length of 2.5 m and a body weight of up to 500-750 kg. In appearance, the brown bear is clumsy, although in reality it is very mobile and agile: it can run fast, make big jumps, climb trees, and swim. He moves like a pacer, that is, he alternately steps on both right and then on left paws. Leaning on the entire foot, it can rear up, stretching up to 3 m in height. A brown bear runs faster uphill than on level ground, since its hind legs are longer than its front legs. He walks through the forest carefully and almost silently. Unlike polar bear dive avoids and plunges into the water, leaving the head outside. In calm times, he walks slowly, putting his feet slightly inward, justifying the popular name "clubfoot". Another name "bear-because" is due to the fact that this beast loves honey very much and knows (knows) where to look for it. Behind him, he climbs tall trees in hollows with honeycombs of wild bees, often makes raids on apiaries. According to the way of life, the brown bear is a twilight animal. During the day it hides in the remote places of the taiga and only in the evening comes out in search of food. The forest provides him with abundant and varied food. At the beginning of summer, he eats young shoots, roots, bulbs, later - mushrooms, berries, acorns, nuts. In autumn, it enters the fields with oats or corn, where it causes more damage by crushing the ears and stems of plants. In the Caucasus, it visits groves of wild fruit trees, willingly eating pears and cherry plums; in Central Asia eats pistachios, grapes, apricots, going out to their plantations. Sometimes selected to the outskirts large gardens shaking apples and pears with ripe fruits. In the forest, it unfolds ant heaps, peels off the bark from old stumps, extracting bark beetles and other insects. Along the way, it eats eggs and chicks from nests on the ground, catches small rodents, frogs. During the course of fish in taiga rivers (in Kamchatka and the Far East), it catches it off the coast and eats it in large quantities. On occasion, attacks moose, wild boar, reindeer, cows and horses. Often feeds on carrion. With the onset warm weather(in July) midges begin to rage in the taiga. Many mosquitoes, midges and other bloodsuckers cause great suffering to animals. Bears at this time from bites do not find a place for themselves, roll on the ground, scratch their faces with their paws until they bleed, roar. Some go into the tundra, reaching the shores of the Arctic Ocean, where the wind saves them from mosquitoes. By autumn, bears are getting fat, accumulating in the body nutrients for the period of winter fodder. Lairs are arranged somewhere in a dry place, in a depression under a windbreak, a stump turned upside down with roots, in a rock crevice, etc. Males lie in a den separately from females. If in the summer a bear was malnourished and not fat enough, then it wanders in search of food in the winter, becoming dangerous for large herbivores and even for humans. These are the so-called rods. Most bears in the den fall into a state of winter sleep, not needing food or drink. However, it is widely believed that bears, being in a den without food, suck their paws in order to extract nutritious juices from them and satisfy their hunger. In fact, this is a misunderstanding, here the reason is different. In bears, approximately in February, flaking occurs from the surface of the soles of the old skin that has coarsened over the summer. The young, tender skin on the paws itches and freezes, so the bear licks the soles with a hot tongue, smacking his lips. That is why from the side it seems that the bear is sucking its paw. In January - February, 2-3 tiny bear cubs weighing about 0.5 kg each are born to a she-bear. They are blind, naked, helpless and in need of maternal care. The bear keeps the cubs warm on her belly among the wool, warming her with her hot breath. She feeds the cubs with thick milk, which she produces from the fat reserves accumulated since the summer. With the onset of heat, the grown-up cubs leave the den together with the she-bear and, under her supervision, bask in the sun and feed on what can be found in the forest at that time (berries, tubers, worms, insects, etc.). The male bear keeps away from the female and does not take part in caring for the cubs, which give the mother a lot of trouble. Having gained strength, they become mobile: they run, fight, fight, climb tree trunks, and frolic. The mother bathes the cubs in streams and lakes, lowering each in turn into the water on the shallows, after grabbing the scruff of her teeth with her teeth. Later they bathe themselves. Sometimes a she-bear keeps a cub from last year's brood with her, which becomes her assistant in raising the babies. This is the so-called pestun. He serves as a role model for the growing cubs. From him they learn to climb the hollows for the honey of wild bees, rake ant heaps and feast on ants and their larvae. If the fights between the cubs take on a fierce character, the pestun separates the mischievous people and puts things in order. After spending the whole summer with the cubs, the she-bear lies with them in the fall in the den, and next year drives them away from her, starting a new breeding, which occurs only once every two years. Bears are afraid of a man and, smelling his smell, go into a deaf thicket. Attacks on humans are very rare. Brown bears have few enemies: sometimes they are wolves, in the Far East - tigers, but for them, bears are strong opponents. Brown bears live 35-50 years. In the past, these animals were ordinary inhabitants of the forest zone, but as a result of intensive logging, plowing fields and immoderate bear hunting, a little more than 100 thousand heads have survived in Russia. Bears are hunted mainly for tasty meat, healing, vitamin-rich fat and warm, albeit very heavy skin, which is valued relatively cheaply. The protection of some subspecies of brown bears has become necessary.

Overlie brown bears (grizzlies) not at the same time even in the same area, not to mention different geographical locations. Older and fatter bears go to winter sleep earlier (already in October, before the formation of permanent snow cover), younger individuals and with less body fat - much later (in November and even in December). In the Caucasus and in the south Kuril Islands with an abundance of food, bears do not hibernate at all.

Bears do not go into real hibernation, and it is more correct to call their state of winter sleep: they retain full vitality and sensitivity, in case of danger they leave the den and, after wandering through the forest, occupy a new one. The body temperature of a brown bear in a dream fluctuates between 29 and 34 degrees. During winter sleep, animals expend little energy, existing solely at the expense of fat accumulated in autumn, and thus, with the least hardships, experience severe winter period. During the wintering period, the bear loses up to 80 kg of fat.
The brown bear is very sensitive and cautious, avoids people, so it is very rare to catch him. The close presence of a bear is judged mainly by footprints. Bears use permanent trails to move around.
In some places, such trails have existed for thousands of years and are literally carved into solid rock.
The prints of brown bear footprints are very characteristic. wet soil or fresh snow, and the traces of the front and rear paws are sharply different. When walking, the traces of the front paws are characterized by prints of long powerful claws, as well as the width of the track, equal to the length or even more. The greatest width of the track is 9-19 cm. The prints of the hind paws resemble the traces of bare feet of a person, only slightly wider, with a narrow heel and flat foot, the claws are not always visible; their length is 16-30 cm, width 8-14 cm.
Other footprints remain from the running animal, because in this case the bear turns from a plantigrade into a digitigrade one (the heel part of the foot rises up).
On the hunting site of the bear, rotten stumps and logs broken in search of carpenter ants, torn up houses of red ants, torn nests of earthen wasps and bumblebees, chipmunks burrows, turf rolled into a tube in forest glades and meadows, young aspens with broken or gnawed tops, traces claws and wool on tree trunks; and near populated areas, the bear sometimes destroys bee hives and at the end of summer, during the milky maturity of oats, tramples down its crops.
In the mountains, the brown bear, as a rule, makes migrations: starting in spring, it feeds in the valleys, where the snow melts earlier, then goes to the bald mountains - alpine meadows, then gradually descends into the forest belt when berries and nuts ripen here. Often, one half of the summer, the bear lives on one side of the mountains, the second - on the other, tens of kilometers from the first.
In Kamchatka, where there are hot springs, bears take therapeutic baths with pleasure, especially in early spring.

social structure: The bear usually keeps alone. Males and females are territorial, an individual area on average occupies from 73 to 414 km 2, and in males it is about 7 times larger than in females. The boundaries of the site are marked with scent marks and "bullies" - scratches on conspicuous trees.
The size of the plot depends on the abundance of food: in forests rich in food, the animal can keep on an area of ​​​​only 300-800 hectares.
Feeding sites are partially covered and there is no data on protection of their sites. In places where food is plentiful, bears gather in large numbers. Relationships between animals in such communities are built on the basis of a hierarchy and are maintained through aggressive relationships. The dominant place is occupied by large adult males, although the most aggressive bears are females with juveniles. The least aggressive are young bears that occupy a low place in the hierarchy.
Brown bears hibernate alone, and the she-bear with her cubs.

reproduction: Having fed up after a winter sleep, around mid-May, brown bears begin the rut, which lasts about a month. The female announces her receptivity (readiness for mating) through smells, leaving scent marks on her territory. AT mating season males, usually silent, begin to roar loudly. Between them sometimes there are fierce fights, sometimes ending in the death of one of the rivals, whom the winner can even eat. Males after the victory carefully protect the female from contact with other males from 1 to 3 weeks.
Despite this, the female usually mates with several males. At the same time, male bears can be dangerous to humans.

Season/breeding period: In summer, from May to July, and estrus in females lasts 10-30 days.

Puberty: At the age of 4-6 years, but continue to grow until 10-11 years.

Pregnancy: With a latent stage lasts 6-8 months. The embryo actively begins to develop in November, when the female lies down in the den.

Offspring: In the den, approximately in January, the female brings 2-3, occasionally 4 helpless cubs, covered with short sparse hair, blind, with an overgrown ear canal.
Newborn cubs weigh only half a kilogram and do not exceed 25 cm in length. The cubs begin to see clearly in a month. By the age of 3 months, they become the size of a small dog and have a full set of milk teeth and, in addition to milk, begin to eat berries, greens and insects. At this age, they weigh about 15 kg, and by 6 months already 25 kg. Predatory behavior in cubs begins to appear at the age of 5.5-7 months and occurs suddenly. For about six months they suck their mother's milk, and the first two winters they live with her, hibernating as a family.
The father is not engaged in offspring, the cubs are brought up by the female. Sometimes last year's animals, the so-called pestuns, keep together with underyearlings (lonchaks). The growth and development of cubs are very slow. They finally separate from their mother at 3-4 years of age.

Benefit / harm to humans: Commercial value brown bear is small, hunting is prohibited or restricted in many areas. The skin is used mainly for carpets, and the meat is used for food. The gallbladder is used in traditional Asian medicine.
Meeting a brown bear can be deadly. A bear attacks a person extremely rarely: if it is disturbed in a winter den, injured or taken by surprise with prey. Also dangerous are she-bears who have cubs with them, and in winter - "rods". Such a meeting for a person can end in death or injury. Usually, if the beast attacked a person, it is advised to fall face down on the ground and not move, pretending to be dead, until the beast leaves.
In places where there are a lot of bears, it is recommended to crack branches or sing something while walking. Very rarely, bears become real cannibals. As a rule, this happens with large dark-colored males. About three dozen cannibals-"recidivists" have been noted in the post-war years, and in general, no more than a dozen people and about a hundred head of cattle become victims of bears in Russia on average every year.
In some places, the brown bear ruins apiaries, damages crops. Feeding on oats, bears eat a lot of grain, and trample down crops even more. They also greatly spoil the trees, which they climb for pine nuts, fruits, etc.

Population/conservation status: Brown bear listed in International Red List of the IUCN with the status of "threatened species", but its numbers vary greatly from population to population. According to rough estimates, there are now about 200,000 brown bears in the world. Of these, most live in Russia - 120,000, the USA - 32,500 (95% live in Alaska) and Canada - 21,750. About 14,000 individuals have survived in Europe.
The population differences between brown bears are so great that they were once subdivided into many independent species (up to 80 in North America alone). Today, all brown bears are combined into one species with several geographic races or subspecies:
- Ursus arctos arctos- brown European bear,
- Ursus arctos californicus- California grizzly, depicted on the flag of California, became extinct by 1922,
- Ursus arctos horribilis- grizzly (North America),
- Ursus arctos isabellinus- brown Himalayan bear, found in Nepal,
- Ursus arctos middendorffi- brown Alaskan bear or kodiak,
- Ursus arctos nelsoni- brown Mexican bear, became extinct in the 1960s,
- Ursus arctos pruinosus- brown Tibetan bear, very rare view, is considered the prototype of the legends about the Yeti,
- Ursus arctos yesoensis- brown Japanese bear, found in Hokkaido.

In the mythology of most peoples of Eurasia and North America the bear serves as a link between the world of people and the world of animals. Primitive hunters considered it obligatory, having obtained a bear, to perform a rite of ritual, asking for forgiveness from the spirit of the slain. Kamlanie is still performed by the indigenous inhabitants of the remote regions of the North and Far East. In some places, killing a bear with a firearm is still considered a sin. The ancient ancestors of European peoples were so afraid of the bear that they could say its names out loud. arctos(among the Aryans in V-I millennia BC, later among the Latin peoples) and the mechka (among the Slavs in the 5th-9th centuries AD) was prohibited. Nicknames were used instead: ursus among the Romans, veag among the ancient Germans, a bear or a bear among the Slavs. Over the centuries, these nicknames turned into names, which, in turn, were also banned from hunters and replaced by nicknames (for Russians - Mikhail Ivanovich, Toptygin, Boss). In the early Christian tradition, the bear was considered the beast of Satan.

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Terrible brown bears are the majestic guardians of the forests. This beautiful animal is considered a symbol of Russia, although its numerous habitats can be found in all corners of our planet. Since the brown bear is endangered complete disappearance, it is listed in the Red Book. Basically, this animal lives in Russia, the USA and Canada. Not a large number of bears survived in Europe and Asia.

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

Brown bear: appearance description

This animal is very strong. The powerful body is covered with thick hair, and the withers stand out clearly on the back. It has accumulated a large number of muscles that allow the bear to inflict crushing blows with its paws, cut down trees or dig the ground.

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

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

How long does a brown bear live?

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

The size and weight of the animal

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

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

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

habitats

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

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

In Asia, brown bear populations can also be found. Their range covers small areas of Palestine, Iran, northern China and Japanese island Hokkaido.

What do bears eat?

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

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

Skillful fishermen and camouflage

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

The most amazing occupation of bears is catching fish. They go to the Far Eastern spawning rivers, where salmon massively accumulate. Especially often she-bears with their offspring hunt here. The mother skillfully catches the salmon and takes it to her cubs.

At the same time, up to 30 bears can be seen on the river, which often fight for prey.

Behavior

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

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

Speed ​​and agility are the hallmarks of the beast

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

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

breeding season

Recovering strength after long sleep, brown bears are ready to mate. The rut begins in the spring, in May, and lasts about a month. Females announce their readiness for mating with a special secret that has strong smell. According to these marks, males find their chosen ones and protect them from rivals.

Sometimes fierce battles arise between two bears for a female, in which the fate, and sometimes the life of one of them, is decided. In the event of the death of one of the males, the winner can even eat it.

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

Reproduction of offspring

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

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

Lifestyle

The brown bear is a fickle animal. In one place he eats, in another he sleeps, and for mating he can move away from his usual habitat for several kilometers. The young bear roams the area until he starts a family.

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

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

Why a rod?

Before laying in hibernation the bear must gain the required amount of fat reserves. If it is not enough, the animal has to wander further in search of food. From this came the name - connecting rod.

Moving in the cold season, the bear is doomed to death from frost, hunger or a hunter's gun. However, in winter you can meet not only connecting rod. Often a bear's sleep can simply be disturbed by humans. Then this well-fed beast is forced to seek a new shelter in order to again plunge into hibernation.

Finding a lair

The bear chooses this winter haven with special care. Reliable people are chosen for lairs quiet places located on the borders of swamps, in windbreaks, on the banks of rivers, in secluded caves. The shelter should be dry, warm, spacious and safe.

The bear equips its den with moss, laying out a soft bedding from it. The shelter is masked and insulated with tree branches. Very often a bear has been using a good den for several years.

The life of brown bears is to search for food, especially before hibernation. Before falling asleep, the beast diligently confuses its tracks: it walks through the swamps, winds and even steps backwards.

Quiet and relaxing holiday

Bears sleep in a cozy den throughout the long frosty winter. Old males leave their shelter before anyone else. The she-bear with her offspring stays in the den longer than the others. Hibernation of brown bears lasts 5-6 months. It usually starts in October and ends in April.

Bears do not go into deep sleep. They remain sensitive and vital, they are easily disturbed. The body temperature of a bear during sleep is in the range of 29-34 degrees. During hibernation, little energy is consumed, and the clubfoot has enough of its fat reserve, acquired in active time. During the period winter holiday the bear loses about 80 kg of its weight.

Wintering features

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

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

Does the bear suck its paw?

Many people naively believe that during hibernation, the clubfoot extracts valuable vitamins from their limbs. But it's not. The fact is that in January there is a renewal of the skin on the paw pads of a bear. Old dry skin bursts and gives him severe discomfort. To somehow moderate this itching, the bear licks its paw, moisturizing and softening it with its saliva.

Dangerous and strong animal

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

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

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

Of course, the behavior of a clubfoot depends on the situation and time of year. Often the bears themselves run away when they see a person in the distance. But do not think that since this beast can eat berries and honey, this is his favorite food. The best nutrition for a bear, it is meat, and he will never miss an opportunity to get it.

Why clubfoot?

This nickname has firmly stuck to the bear. And all from the fact that when walking, he steps alternately on the right and left paws. Therefore, from the side it seems that the bear is clubfoot.

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

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

Common brown bear - predatory mammal bear families. This large predator is considered one of the most dangerous. There are about 20 subspecies, which differ in habitat and appearance.

Appearance

All subspecies of the brown bear have a well-developed powerful body, a fairly large head with small eyes and rounded ears, and a high withers. The tail is not long (from 6.5 to 21 cm). Strong paws with powerful non-retractable claws up to 10 cm long, five-fingered feet, wide enough. Appearance subspecies differ significantly. Males are about one and a half times larger than females.

Dimensions

The individuals inhabiting Europe are the smallest, they reach two meters in length, with a mass of 200 kg. Brown bears living in central Russia, larger size and weigh about 300 kg. The largest are grizzlies and Far Eastern bears, their length reaches three meters, and their weight reaches 500 kg or more.

Color

What a bear looks like, what color its skin is, depends on the habitat. There are bears from pale yellow to black with blue. Brown fur is considered standard.

Grizzlies of the Rocky Mountains have white on the tips on their backs, which creates a greyish tint. The brown bears living in the Himalayas have a completely grayish color, and those living in Syria have a light, brown-red skin.

Brown bears molt once a year, from spring to autumn. Share often spring molt and autumn. The spring molt is most intense during the rut and lasts quite a long time. Autumn flows almost imperceptibly and ends by the time the bears hibernate.

Lifespan

The life expectancy of a bear directly depends on the conditions in which it lives. How many years do bears live? Average life expectancy in wild nature under favorable conditions is 20-30 years.

How long does a brown bear live in captivity? At good care brown bears reach the age of 45-50 years.

Subspecies

Population differences in the brown bear are very large, and previously they were divided into many certain types. Today, all browns have been combined into one species, with several subspecies. Consider the most common.

European (Eurasian) brown

A large powerful animal with a strongly pronounced hump.

Main characteristics:

• body length - 150-250 cm;
• weight - 150-300 kg;
• height at the withers - 90-110 cm.

The fur is yellowish-gray to dark brown, quite long and thick.

Caucasian brown

There are two forms of this subspecies - large and small.

Big Caucasian:

• body length - 185-215 cm;
• weight - 120-240 kg.

Small Caucasian:

• body length - 130-140 cm;
• weight - no more than 65 kg.

This subspecies combines external signs Syrian and European bears. Short coarse coat from light yellowish to brownish-gray. There is a dark spot in the withers area.

Siberian brown

One of the largest subspecies.

Its dimensions:

• body length - 200-250 cm;
• weight - 300-400 kg.

It has a large head, long and soft shiny coat from light brown to brown-brown. Some individuals have a yellowish or black tint in color.

Ussuri brown

Also known as Asian black grizzly or Amur.

• length - up to 2 m;
• weight - 300-400 kg.

It is distinguished by a developed skull with an elongated nose and a very dark, almost black skin. Long hair on round ears will also distinguish it from other subspecies.

Far Eastern (Kamchatka) brown

The largest subspecies found in Russia.

Its dimensions:

• length - up to 2.5 m;
• weight - 350-450 kg. Some males reach 500 kg or more.

This subspecies has a massive head with a rather short nose and a wide front elevated above it, small rounded ears. Dense, long and soft coat from fawn to blackish-brown. Nails dark up to 10 cm.

habitats

The brown bear inhabits almost the entire forest zone from the west of Russia and the forests of the Caucasus to Pacific Ocean. It can also be found in Japan on the island of Hokkaido, in some Asian countries, in Europe, Canada and in the northwestern states of America.

Chooses for life woodlands, with windbreaks and shrubs, prefers coniferous forests. It can wander into the tundra or settle in high mountain forests, with an undergrowth of plants suitable for food.

The habitat is not tied to specific place, often the places for feeding and the dwelling of the bear are located far from each other and the bear has to make long transitions during the day.

Habits and lifestyle

The brown bear is a loner. Males live apart, and females raise cubs. Each adult individual has its own territory, the size of which can reach several hundred square kilometers. Males "own" a much larger territory than females. The boundaries of the territory are marked by scratches on the trees and the smell of the owner.

The habits of bears are typical of a predator. During the day, as a rule, animals rest, choosing for this secluded areas among grass or shrubs. They go in search of food in the morning or evening. Despite poor eyesight, bears are perfectly oriented with the help of smell and hearing.

Despite its impressive size and seeming sluggishness, this is a rather dexterous and fast animal, capable of climbing trees, swimming and running at speeds up to 60 km/h.

Food

The diet of the brown bear is very diverse, because bears eat almost everything. Its main diet consists of plant foods: berries, nuts, acorns, stems, tubers and root parts of plants. If possible, he will not miss the opportunity to wander into the fields to feast on oats and corn. Also eats various insects, frogs, lizards and rodents.

Adults prey on young elk, fallow deer, deer, roe deer and wild boar. large predator is able to break the spine of his prey with one blow of his paw, then hides the carcass, filling it with brushwood, and guards until he completely eats it. For the Far Eastern brown, the main diet in the summer-autumn period is salmon, which goes to spawn.

With an insufficient food base, bears often ruin apiaries and attack livestock.

These animals have an amazing memory. Having found mushrooms or berries that bears eat in the forest, they remember the places and then easily find their way to them. The life expectancy of a brown bear in the wild largely depends on proper nutrition.

reproduction

How do bears breed? The mating season starts in May and lasts a couple of months. The rut is active, accompanied by fights between males and a roar. After 6-8 months, cubs are born. Bear cubs are born in the middle of winter, when the bear hibernates.

Cubs are born weighing only 400-500 grams, blind, with sparse hair. As a rule, there are 2-4 cubs in a litter. For more than a year after birth, they feed on mother's milk, but immediately after leaving the den, the mother begins to accustom them to various foods.

The cubs live with their mother for three or four years, then they separate and begin to live on their own. Females reach puberty in the third or fourth year, males develop 1-2 years longer.

hibernation

From the middle of summer and all autumn, bears are actively preparing for hibernation, feeding heavily and accumulating fat. The hibernation of a bear differs from the hibernation of other mammals, this is not suspended animation, but simply a sound sleep, during which neither the breathing nor the pulse of the animal practically changes. A bear in hibernation does not fall into a complete stupor.

Training

Shelters for the winter are arranged in deaf and dry places, under the roots of trees or under a windbreak. A clumsy can dig a lair on its own, or it can occupy a crevice in the mountains or a small cave. Pregnant females equip a spacious and deep lair, warming it from the inside with moss, foliage and spruce branches.

One-year-old bear cubs always spend the winter in their mother's den, and two-year-old lone bears often join them. Adult individuals lie in the den one at a time.

Hibernation duration

How long does a bear sleep? It all depends on weather conditions and other factors, brown can be in hibernation for up to six months.

The hibernation of a bear in winter and its duration depend on the weather, age, gender, state of health and the amount of fat gained during the summer-autumn period. So, for example, an old and fattening individual will go into hibernation long before the snow falls, and young individuals go to the den only in November or December. Pregnant females are the first to settle down for the winter.

Bear rod

A connecting rod is an animal that did not have time to accumulate the required amount of fat, which is why it cannot hibernate, and is forced to look for food all winter.

Why is a rod bear dangerous? In severe frosts, with an acute shortage of food, the connecting rods often get close to settlements in search of food. More than one case of connecting rod attacks on domestic animals and even humans is known.

Video

1. The habitats of the brown bear are almost everywhere. It can be seen in Asia and Europe, as well as in North America.

2. The genus of bears appeared 5-6 million years ago. Its first representative is currently considered Ursus bear minimus is a relatively small animal whose fossils have been found in France.

3. The brown bear looks very impressive and original: a huge powerful body with a high proud withers, his head is very large, but his eyes and ears are small.

4. The life span of a bear can be up to thirty years. True, according to verified data, there was one bear who lived in captivity with a farmer for 47 years. But this fact is unique.

5.B recent times quite often bears can be observed in the taiga, among old coniferous trees, rivers and near swamps.

6. The paws of bears are very powerful. They have huge claws, the length of which reaches a length of up to twenty centimeters.

7. Bears have very good eyesight, but their hearing and sense of smell are even better. Therefore, they can easily notice their prey and hear its approach.

8. North America is considered the "bear continent". A third of all bears live there.

9. Bears rarely attack people, considering them to be an unusual animal with unusual manners and gestures.

10. Since 1994, an exhibition of Teddy bears has been held annually in Münster.

11. The color of the fur, as well as the size, depends on its habitat and has a color from light brown to black.

12. Depending on where the brown bear lives, its rather large size and original appearance change.

13. All types of bears are incredibly smart. These animals are very inquisitive, always trying to explore new and unusual objects, have a very good memory.

14.Most fast way to determine the intentions of bears - observation of hair on the scruff. Of all wild animals, bears are closest to humans in their psychology.

15. The word "bear" is common Slavic, meaning "eats honey." The bear is one of those lucky ones that a person learns about from the cradle. It seems that there is not a single animal about which so many stories and fairy tales have been composed.

16. The brown bear is a fickle animal. In one place he eats, in another he sleeps, and for mating he can move away from his usual habitat for several kilometers.

17. The largest and most powerful bears live in Alaska and Kamchatka. The weight of these bears reaches 300-350 kilograms.

18. Bears can run forty kilometers per hour. If we compare it with a man, then the fastest and hardiest person can run at a speed of twenty kilometers per hour.

19. The vision of bears is as good as that of humans, and their sense of smell and hearing are much better developed.

20. Malayan bears are the smallest species of this animal.

21. The cult of the bear existed among the Slavs and Germans, among the indigenous peoples of the northern Urals, Siberia and the Far East. The Mansi, Kets and Nivkhs had a common idea of ​​a bear as an ancestor of people, in connection with which, the animal was especially revered.

22. The color of the bear's coat is uniform, the fur is very thick. By the way, bears have two layers of wool: one is short, it retains and holds heat, the other is long, it protects the bear's skin from water.

23. Bears are very smart, having found a trap with bait in the forest, they roll stones there so that the trap slams shut, and they themselves take the bait and eat it.

24. The bear eats in a variety of ways: plant, animal food, loves fish very much. Bears often destroy anthills, get larvae and eat them. The bear loves vegetable food very much: it feeds on wild garlic, thistle, and when berries appear, it eats lingonberries, blueberries, and raspberries with pleasure. Bears love ripe oats, they also actively consume nuts, acorns, apples. The bear loves to spend time in the meadow, eating grass like a cow or a horse: he plucks the grass with his paw and sends it into his mouth.

25. Bears feel very good in the water, swim well and can catch fish with their paws for food. Therefore, they prefer to live in old forests with the obligatory presence of a river in them.

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

27. The life of brown bears is to search for food, especially before hibernation. Before falling asleep, the animal diligently confuses its tracks: it walks through the swamps, winds, circles and even goes backwards.

28. The closest relatives of bears are foxes, dogs, wolves.

29. Bears are called clubfoot because they rely on either 2 left paws or 2 right paws. At the moment of their walking, it seems that they are waddling over.

30. Omnivorousness and endurance are the main qualities that help this beast survive in difficult conditions. In the diet of a brown bear, 75% is plant food.

31. The life of a brown bear living in Russia begins in a den, where newborn cubs (blind, toothless and almost hairless, weighing about 500 grams) feed on their mother's fatty milk.

32. At the age of four months, wild bears can already follow their mother into the forest in search of food. Mother bear during this period, feeds them with milk and teaches them the right way. social behavior. Bear cubs spend almost half of their waking hours in games. So they know the world and develop important skills necessary for hunting. The rest of the time is spent in search of food and sleep.

33. When young, bears climb trees well. In old age, they do it reluctantly.

34. Finally, the cubs are separated from their mother at 3-4 years of age.

35. At the time of hibernation, all waste products in the body of a bear are reprocessed and converted into valuable proteins necessary for its existence. The rectum is closed by a dense cork, consisting of needles, compressed grass and wool. It is removed after the animal leaves the den.

Brown bear den

36. Throughout the winter, the brown bear sleeps on its side, comfortably curled up. Less common are postures on the back or sitting, with the head down. Breathing and heart rate slow down during sleep.

37 The clumsiness of bears is deceptive; when danger arises, they very easily gallop and can easily catch up with a person.

38. It's hard for a bear in the spring, after hibernation. At this time of the year, the bear hunts ungulates - roe deer or elk, and if there is not enough food for him, he can even eat carrion.

39. The bear's legs are crooked, thanks to this "defect", the bear can climb trees very well.

40. Bears are not susceptible to bee stings.

spectacled bear

41.B South America spectacled bears live.

412 Up to 20 kilograms of bamboo can be eaten by an adult panda at one time.

43. Usually a female bear gives birth every two years. Older cubs (mostly sisters) often look after the younger ones.

44. The following fact testifies to the mental abilities of brown bears: they know by memory everything in their vicinity, meadows with berries, fruits and mushrooms, and they know when they are ripe.

45. After restoring strength after a long sleep, brown bears are ready to mate. The rut begins in the spring, in May, and lasts about a month. Females announce their readiness for mating with a special secret that has a strong odor. According to these marks, males find their chosen ones and protect them from rivals.

46. ​​Back in ancient times, bears were depicted on coins. Approximately this happened in 150 BC.

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

48. A bear chooses a winter refuge with special care. For lairs, reliable calm places are chosen, located on the borders of swamps, in windbreaks, on the banks of rivers, in secluded caves. The shelter should be dry, warm, spacious and safe. The bear equips its den with moss, laying out a soft bedding from it. The shelter is masked and insulated with tree branches. Very often a bear has been using a good den for several years.

49. Before going into hibernation, the bear must gain the required amount of fat reserve. If it is not enough, the animal has to wander further in search of food. From this came the name - connecting rod.

50. Sometimes fierce battles arise between two bears for a female, in which the fate, and sometimes the life of one of them, is decided. In the event of the death of one of the males, the winner can even eat it.