BEAR

BEAR

Bears are large powerful mammals with thick shaggy fur. The size of bears varies a lot although most bears are medium size. The biggest bears are the Kodiak and the polar bears. An adult male can reach 10 feet tall and weigh over 1,323 pounds. The sun bear, sometimes called the Malayan bear, is the smallest bear. It is only 3 to 4 feet long and weighs only 60 to 100 pounds.

Bears have huge, hairy heads with small eyes. Their ears are small and rounded. Bears have a very short tail. Bears have short, strong legs with large feet. Each foot have five toes. Each toe ends with a long heavy claw.

The bear's body is covered with thick fur. This fur varies from one species to another. Some bears have light patches on certain parts of their bodies. The Andean bear from the South American Andes Mountains has white fur on its chest and around its eyes like a mask. The Asiatic black bear has long thick fur around its neck and shoulders making a mane around its throat. In the United States and Canada, the American black bear is covered with brown or reddish fur. The Malayan bear is covered

with black very short fur. Some bears are even almost white.

TYPES OF BEAR