Bear Facts: No bear like a UPIKE Bear
0By Abigail N. Gibson
A bear is a large, heavy mammal that is warm blooded, walks on the soles of its feet, has thick fur and a short tail. Do you know what the eight different types of bear species are? They are the Asiatic bear, Black bear, Brown bear, Giant Panda bear, Polar bear, Sloth bear, Spectacled bear, and the Sun bear.
Asiatic bears live in the tropical and mountainous regions of eastern Asia, and they are also known at the moon bear. They are omnivores and are not fussy about their food.
The Black bear is found only in Northern and Central America. The name Black bear is not an accurate name for this species of bear because it comes in many colors such as black, brown, gray, silvery-blue, and cream. There are 16 sub-species of Black bears.
The Brown bear can be found all over the world. The most distinctive feature of Brown bears is their shoulder hump. They are very strong; they can move rocks and logs and dig through rocky ground using their long sharp claws.
The Giant Panda is a unique looking bear because of its big, black eyes. It is a good climber and fast on foot. Its main food source is bamboo. The Giant Panda is known as China’s national treasure.
The Polar bear can be found in the Artic, Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Norway. A Polar bear’s fur is not white; each hair is a clear hollow tube, which makes it look white because each hollow hair reflects the light. The fur is water repellent and oil. Polar bears are excellent swimmers.
Sloth bears have a shaggy coat that is usually black with a ‘Y’ shaped white color down its chest. They live in the evergreen forests and grasslands of India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Burma, and Nepal. Their main food source is termites.
The Spectacled bear lives in the Andes Mountains. It got its name because it looks like its wearing glasses or spectacles. A spectacled bear’s favorite food is the Bromelicacae plant.
Sun bears are one of the smallest bears, and they have short, sleek black fur with an orange-yellow horseshoe shape around their chest. The Sun bear has the shortest fur, so it can keep cool in the hot forests of Southeast Asia. They are also known as honey bears and live in tropical areas. Sun bears have the longest claws of any bear, and they also have the longest tongues, which can reach 9.8” long.
Did you know that some species of bears make nests in trees? Asiatic bears, Sun bears, Spectacled bears, and even, Black bears bend down tree branches and make sitting areas that look like bird nests. Some bears will also sleep in these nests while others will just hide or eat in them.
Bears are bowlegged which gives them better grip and balance. The most accurate way to determine the age of a bear is to count the rings in a cross section of its tooth root under a microscope.
Finally, there are the UPIKE Bears, who come from different counties, states, or countries and have special and unique talents, just like bears in the animal kingdom.