The world's top 10 bears, the last two of which are extinct

You know that bears are one of the largest species of reptiles on Earth, but do you know how many different species of bears exist on Earth? Let's explore the ten different species of bears on Earth, including brown bears, polar bears, American black bears, giant pandas, spectacled bears, sloth bears, Asiatic black bears, sun bears, short-faced bears and cave bears. It is worth mentioning that the brown bear is the largest terrestrial carnivore on earth, with a weight of up to 780 kilograms. So, what are the unique characteristics of these bears? Let’s explore together.

1. Brown Bear

There are many types of brown bears, including Alaskan brown bears, Eurasian brown bears, North American grizzly bears, etc. With its astonishing weight of up to 780 kilograms, the Alaskan brown bear ranks first among the world's terrestrial carnivores. European and Asian brown bears are prevalent throughout Europe and Asia north of the Himalayas, and are the type we encounter in many fairy tales. Grizzly bears in North America are considered the most dangerous animal in North America, as their numbers have become increasingly scarce due to overhunting. Meanwhile, Syrian brown bears are smaller, often weighing no more than 90 kilograms. In China, brown bears generally weigh between 100 and 500 kilograms. Whether it is grass or meat, brown bears can happily accept it. They are not picky about their food and have an astonishing appetite.

2. Polar bear

Polar bears, also known as white bears, are one of the largest terrestrial carnivores on Earth. Their skin is black, but because their hair is transparent, they usually look white, but can also have different shades of yellow. These large and threatening animals have vision and hearing comparable to humans, but their sense of smell is outstanding, seven times that of dogs. They can reach a top speed of 60 kilometers per hour in a short sprint, which is 1.5 times the speed of the current world 100-meter champion. When a polar bear stands, it can reach a height of 2.8 meters and a shoulder height of 1.6 meters. Male polar bears weigh between 300 and 800 kilograms, while females weigh between 150 and 400 kilograms.

3. American black bear

The American black bear is the smallest bear species in North America. Its wide distribution and abundance make it the most abundant bear species in existence. The American black bear is the third largest of all bear species, behind polar bears and brown bears. Among all terrestrial carnivores in the world, the American black bear ranks fifth, behind polar bears, brown bears, tigers and lions, so it is known as the fifth largest carnivore in the world today. American black bears are adept at climbing trees and are accustomed to roaming around and stealing poultry and livestock. They generally do not threaten humans unless provoked. The body length of the American black bear is 120-220 cm, with male bears generally larger than female bears.

4. Giant Panda

The giant panda is the only mammal in the genus Giant Panda under the order Carnivora, Ursidae, and subfamily Giant Panda. The length of its head and body is between 1.2 and 1.8 meters, the length of its tail is about 10 and 12 centimeters, and its weight is usually between 80 and 120 kilograms, with a maximum weight of 180 kilograms. Giant pandas have existed on the earth for at least 8 million years, so they are known as "living fossils" and "China's national treasures." At the same time, it is also the image ambassador of the World Wildlife Fund and is regarded as a flagship species for the protection of global biodiversity. Giant pandas are a specialty species in China, and their main existing habitats are located in the mountainous areas of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu, China.

5. Spectacled Bear

The spectacled bear, also known as the Andean bear, is a bear species endemic to South America and the only bear species on this continent. They have jet black fur with a white face and chest. There are round white markings around the eyes, like a pair of glasses, which is where its name comes from. In terms of weight, the male spectacled bear can reach a maximum weight of 130 kilograms, while the female is relatively lighter, about 60 kilograms. Spectacled bears live mainly in the central and western parts of South America, including Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, southwestern Argentina and southern Panama. From a taxonomic perspective, the spectacled bear is the closest living bear relative to the giant panda.

6. Lazy Bear

The sloth bear is a medium-sized bear in the family Ursidae, mainly found in southern India and Sri Lanka. Unlike bears that inhabit cold and temperate zones, sloth bears do not hibernate. Their main activity time is at night, and they usually choose caves or other hidden places to rest during the day. Although they spend most of their time on the ground, sloth bears are equally adept at climbing trees or rocks. The body length of sloth bears is about 140 to 180 centimeters, the tail length is about 10 to 12.5 centimeters, and the weight ranges from 55 to 145 kilograms. As an omnivore, the sloth bear's diet includes insects, termites, carrion, eggs, honey, fruits, etc. It also preys on various small vertebrates, but it particularly prefers bees and termites.

7. Asia black bear

Asia black bears, also known as dog bears or moon bears, are also often called black bears among the people. They mainly live in the jungles of East Asia and South Asia. Female Asian black bears weigh between 40 and 140 kilograms, while male bears weigh between 60 and 200 kilograms, with a shoulder height of 1.2 to 1.9 meters. They are smaller than American black bears. Although Asia black bears have weak eyesight, their sense of smell and hearing are very sensitive. They can smell the scent half a kilometer away when the wind is downwind, and can hear footsteps 300 steps away. Asian black bears can walk upright like humans and sit upright like humans, but their behavior is usually cautious and slow, and they rarely attack humans. They are mostly active at night and choose to rest in tree holes or rock caves during the day.

8. Sun Bear

The sun bear, as the smallest member of the bear family, has an adult body length of about 120-150 cm, a body length of about 110-140 cm, a shoulder width of 70 cm, and a tail length of 3-7 cm. , weighing in the range of 27-75 kg. In terms of size, male sun bears are 10-20% larger than female sun bears. This small bear species mainly inhabits Southeast Asia and South Asia, and is also distributed in small parts in Lvchun, Yunnan, China, and Mangkang, Tibet. They like to live in tropical and subtropical forest environments and are solitary. They like to rest in trees during the day and move around at night. At the same time, they are agile and good at climbing. Importantly, the sun bear is also listed as a first-level protected animal in China.

9. Short-faced bear (extinct)

The short-faced bear was a powerful predator that existed on the American continent about 2 million years ago. It is sometimes nicknamed the "cattle bear" because its main prey includes American bison and bighorn bison. The footprints of short-faced bears once spread all over North and South America. Short-faced bears in North America mainly include two subspecies: giant short-faced bears and bonobo short-faced bears. In South America, a prehistoric giant short-faced bear weighed an average of 1,600 to 1,700 kilograms and could reach an astonishing 4.9 meters in height when standing.

10. Cave Bear (Extinct)

The giant cave bear, which originally lived in Europe, was one of the first large mammals to become extinct. The time when they disappeared was about 13,000 years earlier than previously estimated. Males of the extinct cave bear can reach an astonishing weight of approximately 1,000 kilograms. In the Middle Ages in Europe, people mistook the fossils of cave bears for the remains of ancient evil dragons, and even believed that they had the magical power to ward off evil and cure diseases. The European scientific research community has been studying cave bear fossils for more than 200 years. In 1794, a Prussian scholar used comparative anatomy to prove that cave bear fossils represented an extinct species of bear.

The top ten bears in the world are mainly compiled based on the statistics of the number of existing bear species in the world, combined with bear data from relevant websites, and are recommended according to the size of the relevant bears. The ranking is for reference only. If you have any questions, Welcome to comment and criticize at the end.

animal tags： Bear