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After learning about the Sun Bear, I was wondering how many bear species there are… And I was honestly shocked when I found out there were only 8 bear species in the whole world! So who are these 8? Where do they live? What makes them one of the few? Well, let’s dig into it!
Location: Southeast Asia (Bangladesh; Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; China; India; Indonesia; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Malaysia; Myanmar; Thailand; Viet Nam)
Current Status: Vulnerable
Average Size: 5 feet
Average Weight: 100 pounds
Diet: Omnivores
Sun bears are the smallest of the bear species, they have dark black/brown fur with a white/yellowish crest on their chest, each very different from another. Ironically, sun bears are mostly nocturnal (active at night). Since they live in a climate that is warm all year long, they don’t have a need to hibernate. Instead, they spend their time roaming the forests looking for fruit, roots, insects, small birds, lizards, rodents, and their favorite snack, honey. They have REALLY long tongues and claws.
Location: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh
Current Status: Vulnerable
Average Size: 5 – 6 feet
Average Weight: 120 – 310 pounds
Diet: Omnivores
Sloth Bears look a little rough around the edges due to their longer shaggy fur. Typically at night, they will wander the forests of South Asia looking for insects and fruit. Their long claws are ideal to dig for termites, and they will use their curved mouth like a vacuum. They are known for making many grunts and snorts while eating, walking, and just being sloth bears.
Location: South America
Current Status: Vulnerable
Average Size: 5 – 6 feet
Average Weight: 220 – 340 pounds
Diet: Omnivores
Spectacled Bears live in many different areas, high up in the Andes mountains, in the lush jungles, and have even been spotted in coastal deserts. They are very shy, generally nocturnal (meaning active at night) mostly searching for fruits, berries, cacti, and honey. They are mostly black/dark brown with white/yellow marks along their face and chest, each unique to their own, like a human’s fingerprints.
Location: North America
Current Status: Least Concern
Average Size: 5 – 6 feet
Average Weight: 200 – 600 pounds
Diet: Omnivores
Black bears are one of the more known (common) species of bears. They spend their days roaming the forests, climbing, eating/hunting (grasses, roots, berries, insects, fish, and so on). Like brown bears, they eat throughout the spring, summer, and fall months to store up fat for the winter hibernation. But something that isn’t typically known about black bears is that they actually come in many different colors, not just black (red, blond, blue, dark brown, and light brown).
Location: Southeast Asia
Current Status: Vulnerable
Average Size: 4 – 6 feet
Average Weight: 110 – 275 pounds
Diet: Omnivores
Asiatic black bears, also known as the moon bear, have smooth black fur with a white/yellow v-shape on its chest. They mostly eat a vegetarian diet (such as nuts, fruits, leaves, and berries) but will hunt for meat from time to time. Not a ton is known about this species as most efforts have been made to help stop illegal wild trade.
Location: North America, Europe, and Asia
Current Status: Least Concern
Average Size: 5 – 8 feet
Average Weight: 700 pounds
Diet: Omnivores
Brown bears, also known as grizzly bears, dedicate much of their time preparing for hibernation. Before winter hits, brown bears will eat and eat (up to 90 pounds of food per day) to stock up on fat that will help them survive the 4-7 months they will be “sleeping”. For expecting mothers, they not only have to eat for themselves but make sure they have enough fat to produce milk for their young. That’s right, while the mothers are hibernating the cubs will be born, and feed off their mother’s milk for months to gain strength to do it all again the next year.
Location: Arctic Circle: Canada, Russia, Alaska, Greenland, and Norway
Current Status: Vulnerable
Average Size: 7.25 – 8 feet
Average Weight: 900 – 1,760 pounds
Diet: Carnivore
Polar bears are the only bears that rely on meat for food; hunting seals, walruses, and eating whale carcasses. Not many options when living in some of the coldest places on the earth, eh?! This diet helps them survive the elements. Gaining a 2-4 inch layer of fat to keep them warm, and a lot of energy to keep them strong for swimming and finding their next meal.
Location: China
Current Status: Vulnerable
Average Size: 4 – 5 feet
Average Weight: 300 pounds
Diet: Omnivore
Giant pandas are known for their black and white fur and LOVE for bamboo. They spend up to 12 hours of their day eating, mostly bamboo (around 28 lbs of bamboo in fact) but will also eat rodents and birds from time to time. When they aren’t eating, they are sleeping. Who wants to live life like a panda?!
You are the best! Thank you so much for sharing! ❤️