18 Bears Facts For Kids

1. Bear is a common name for several species of doglike carnivorans (caniforms) in the Ursidae family.
2. There are currently eight species of bears divided into three subfamilies: Ailuropodinae, Tremarctinae and Ursinae.
3. The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is the only member of the Ailuropodinae subfamily.
4. The spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is the only member of the Tremarctinae subfamily.
5. The American black bear (Ursus americanus), the Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus), the brown bear (Ursus arctos), the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), the sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), and the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) are members of the Ursinae subfamily.
6. The diet of bears varies by species, most bears species are omnivorous, except for the polar bear which is carnivorous and the giant panda bear which is herbivorous.
7. The color of a bear various greatly be species, but includes a solid or mixture of black, brown, tan, grey and white.
8. Bear habitats include about sixty countries located in Asia, Europe North America, and South America.
9. The most widespread bear species throughout the world is the brown bear.
10. The largest bear species is the polar bear with an average weight between 770 and 1,500 pounds.
11. The smallest bear species is the sun bear with an average weight between 55 and 145 pounds.
12. Despite their large builds and odd walking patterns bears are excellent climbers, runners, and swimmers.
13. The bear species that can climb the fastest is the American black bear which can climb 100 feet in a few seconds.
14. The bear species that can run the fastest is the brown bear with a running speed up to 35 miles per hour.
15. The bear species that can swim the fastest is the polar bear with a swimming speed up to 6 miles per hour.
16. There are six bear species threatened with extinction on the IUCN Red List, only the American Black bear and brown bear are not on the list.
17. Six of the eight living bear species are on the IUCN Red List as a threatened species with extinction. The only two bear species not on the IUCN Red List are the American black bear and the brown bear.
18. Bears are a popular attraction in zoos around the world, with the most popular bear species exhibited in zoos being the polar bear and the giant panda.

Bear Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on bear. Below are six pictures of various bear species. These pictures should help you better understand the different types of bears found around the world.

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