The bear family (Ursidae) includes the largest of modern terrestrial predators. Most taxonomists believe that there are currently eight species of bears on Earth (they, in turn, are divided into many different subspecies), belonging to three different branches.

Bears are found on every continent except Africa, Australia and Antarctica. Three types of bears - spectacled, sloth and Malay - live in the tropics, but the center of origin of the bear family is in the Northern Hemisphere. A long time ago, the brown bear was also found in the Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa.

Bears are predominantly residents various types forests and woodlands. One species - the polar bear - inhabits arctic deserts and ice.

Most likely ancestors modern bears there were small predators that lived 25 million years ago (subfamily Agriotheriinae). The oldest member of this group, Ursavus elmensis, had a long tail and looked like a raccoon, but the animals of a later period already resembled modern bears both in size and in appearance. This group gave rise to three modern subfamilies. The giant panda separated from the common trunk first, then the real bears (Ursus and his relatives) and the spectacled bears (Tremarctos) separated.

Depending on the species, the body length of a predator can vary from 1 to 3 meters, the mass of individual polar and brown bears can reach up to 1000 kg. Males are significantly larger than females.

The addition of bears is heavy, awkward. To support a large mass, their hind limbs are plantigrade (when walking, the entire sole is pressed to the ground). This also allows them to lift freely and stand on their hind legs. The structure of the front paws is different in different types bears - from plantigrade to semi-digital (the back of the foot is partially raised above the ground). All species have five toes on each paw, equipped with curved, non-retractable claws.



The skull of bears is massive, larger than that of other predators; the facial section is of medium length or shortened (especially in a spectacled bear). Wide molars with flat chewing surfaces and rounded fangs are well suited for crushing and grinding plant foods. Polar bears are exclusively carnivores, so their teeth are sharper. Depending on the species, bears have 40-42 teeth.

The fur of bears is thick and long; the coloration is usually dark, uniform, from brown to black (as an exception, white or contrasting two-tone), sometimes with a light pattern on the head and chest. The tail is very short; ears are small, rounded; the lips are large and very mobile.

Polar bears and most New World browns do not climb trees, only European browns and all other species climb trees where they feed or sleep, but they still prefer to spend most of their time on the ground. For predatory animals that climb trees, bears have amazing features– their tails are too short and facial vibrissae are completely absent.

Most species of bears are non-specialized omnivores that feed on both berries, nuts, shoots, rhizomes and leaves of plants, as well as meat, fish and insects. They have an excellent sense of smell color vision and a good memory, which allows them to remember places rich in food. It should be noted that plant food bears do not digest very well, because their gastrointestinal tract lacks symbiotic microorganisms that can decompose fiber (these bacteria are found in the stomach of ruminants). Therefore, plant fibers and berries are excreted from the body almost undigested.

Photo and description of modern species of bears

And now let's get to know each of the eight types of bears closer.

Brown bear or common bear Ursus arctos) is a typical representative of the bear family; found in Russia, Canada and Alaska. Prefers to settle in old forests, avoids wide open spaces, but can also live at an altitude of up to 5000 meters above sea level, where there are no forests anymore. Habitats are usually confined to freshwater bodies of water.

The brown bear is a large animal: its body length is 1.5-2.8 m, the height at the shoulders is up to 1.5 m. Males weigh from 60 to 800 kg. The mass of adult predators varies depending on the time of year and geographical habitat. The smallest is a pika-eater from the mountains Central Asia, and the largest is Kodiak from Alaska and Kamchatka.

The photo shows a brown bear in all its glory.

Polar bear

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is the largest of the modern representatives families. The length of his body is 2-2.5 m, the height at the withers is about 1.5 m, the body weight is on average 350-450 kg, but there are also giants with a body weight of more than 500 kg.

Distributed on the Arctic coast of the Arctic Ocean, in Northern Canada.

The color of the fur is pure white, often yellowish due to contamination with fat, especially in summer period. The fur is thick and warm, but the main warming function is played by a thick layer of subcutaneous fat.

The polar bear is the only member of the family that lives exclusively on a meat diet. He hunts young walruses, ringed seals, sea hares, beluga whales and narwhals.

Pictured is a polar bear with cubs. The female usually gives birth to two cubs once every 3 years. You can read more about polar bears in the article.

Black bear

The black bear or baribal (Ursus americanus) is found in Canada, northern Mexico, the USA, except for the central part of the Great Plains. Lives in dense forests, thickets of bushes, as well as in more open areas.

The size of a black bear varies depending on geographical location and season. In northern and eastern regions the range of the baribala is larger. The length of their body varies from 1.2 to 1.9 meters, the height at the withers is from 0.7 to 1 meter.

The photo shows a black bear on a tree. The ability to climb trees is vital for baribals - here they feed and hide in case of danger.

The Himalayan or white-breasted bear (Ursus thibetanus) is found from Iran to South-East Asia, in Northern China, Primorye, Japan and Taiwan. Prefers to live in forests temperate zone, subtropics and tropics.

Body length - 1.2-1.9 meters, weight of males 60-200 kg, females - 40-140 kg. Due to the long hair, the Himalayan bear seems to be much larger than it actually is. The coat is black with a white v-shaped mark on the chest, another mark is on the chin; around the neck there is a collar made of long wool. Apparently, the collar plays a role in protection against predators, because this species has always coexisted next to the tiger.

The white-breasted bear climbs trees beautifully, often building something resembling a nest, bending branches to the trunk.

The Himalayan bear is a rare vulnerable species. For 3,000 years, man has been hunting him because of his paws and gallbladder (dried bile is used in traditional Chinese medicine).

The life expectancy of a Himalayan bear is up to 25 years in nature and up to 37 years in captivity.

Malayan bear

The Malayan Bear or Biruang (Helarctos malayanus) is the smallest species of bear, sometimes referred to as the "dog bear". Due to their small size and friendly disposition, in Asia, buriangs are often kept in captivity as pets. Their body length does not exceed 140 cm, they weigh 27-65 kilograms. The coat of Malayan bears is short, black, with a white, orange or dark yellow crescent-shaped chest marking.

There are Malayan bears in Southeast Asia and East India. Their life is closely connected with trees, where they often sleep in specially built nests. They feed mainly on various fruits, but if such food is not enough, they switch to insects.



Malayan bears are diurnal. They breed at any time of the year, and the duration of pregnancy varies greatly (from 3 to 8 months).

In captivity, the Malayan bear can live up to 33 years.

The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) lives in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka. It is found mainly in lowland forests and steppes.

Body length - 1.4-1.9 meters, weight - 80-190 kg. The sloth coat is long, thick, black in color with a white spot on the chest. Its claws are slightly curved, the palate is wide, and the lips are elongated (this is how it got its name). These adaptations help the sloth beetle to dig up and suck up termites, which make up a large part of its diet. And he got his generic name (Melursus) for his special love for honey: he often climbs trees and is ready to endure bee stings, just to feast on honeycombs. In addition to termites, various other insects and honey, sloth eats berries with pleasure.

The sloth has a long coat, which is quite surprising for a species that lives in the rainforest. Apparently, it plays the same role as the loose clothing worn by people living in hot climates.

The sloth bear is a vulnerable species. In captivity, life expectancy is up to 34 years.

Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) Lives in the Andes from eastern Venezuela to the border of Bolivia and Argentina. It occurs in a wide variety of biotypes: in mountainous and humid tropical forests, alpine meadows and even in deserts.

Body length - 1.3-2.0 meters, weight - 100-200 kg. The coat is black with a creamy white bib mark on the chin, neck, chest; around the eyes there are white markings of various shapes (hence the name of the bear).

The spectacled bear is a rather slender animal. Despite its relatively large size, it is agile and good at climbing trees, where it obtains food and builds nests for rest from branches and twigs.

In different habitats, the diet of spectacled bears varies, but food of plant origin (fruits, bamboo, cacti, etc.) predominates everywhere. They also enter the fields of grain crops, corn, which annoy farmers a lot.

In captivity, a spectacled bear lives up to 39 years.

Big panda

The giant panda or bamboo bear (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is found in Sichuan, Shanxi and Gansu of central and western China. Prefers cool moist bamboo forests at an altitude of 1500-3400 meters above sea level.

The height of the giant panda at the withers is 70-80 cm, weight is 100-150 kg. The wool of the bamboo bear is black and white (circles around the eyes, the area around the nose, front and hind legs and shoulders are black, everything else is white).

The diet consists predominantly of bamboo; occasionally pandas eat bulbs of various plants, cereals, insects and rodents.

In nature, a panda usually lives up to 20 years, in captivity - up to 30 years.

Today, great efforts are being made to preserve the giant panda, however, despite the most severe ban, animals still become victims of poachers. They also fall into traps set on other animals. More about big panda read .

What types of bears are the most dangerous?

Bears are often referred to as aggressive and dangerous animals. Indeed, their strength and size allow them to easily cope with a person, but the tendency of bears to attack people is greatly exaggerated.

Only polar bears, being real predators, are perhaps the only members of the family that actually sometimes perceive a person as prey, while tracking him down according to all the rules of hunting. Their attacks are driven by hunger, not fear. It is polar bears that are considered the most dangerous to humans. However, not many people live near polar bears, and people, knowing who they might have to deal with, always carry weapons with them.

In second place in terms of danger to humans are brown bears, but their aggressiveness largely depends on the geographical habitat. Grizzlies in the center of the American continent, as well as bears living in Siberia, are really dangerous. This is especially true of she-bears who protect their cubs, or animals that defend their prey. In the eastern regions of Europe, more aggressive individuals are found. But in general, all bears, like other wild animals, try not to get in the way of a person and, if possible, avoid meeting with him.

American black bears, especially those that live next to humans, often frighten people, but very rarely cause them any harm.

Spectacled bears are very cautious and absolutely not aggressive towards humans, but it happens that they attack livestock.

Among Asiatic bears only big panda- a true vegetarian, and of course, does not pose any danger to humans.

Malay bears are often scary local residents. If they are accidentally disturbed, they usually rear up, roar furiously and make a sharp lunge towards the enemy, but they rarely really attack.

Himalayan bears and sloth bears, which often have to fight back large cats, are more likely to attack than flee. Many people think that sloth bears are more dangerous than tigers.

Literature: Mammals: The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia / Translated from English / Book. I. Predatory, marine mammals, primates, tupai, woolly wings. / Ed. D. MacDonald. - M: "Omega", - 2007.

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The brown or common bear is predatory mammal from the bear family. This is one of the largest and dangerous species land predators. About twenty subspecies of the brown bear are distinguished, differing in appearance and distribution area.

Description and appearance

Appearance brown bear is typical for all representatives of the bear family. The body of the animal is well developed and powerful.

Appearance

There is a high withers, as well as a fairly massive head with small ears and eyes. The length of the relatively short tail varies between 6.5-21.0 cm. The paws are quite strong and well developed, with powerful and non-retractable claws. The feet are very wide, five-fingered.

Brown bear sizes

The average length of a brown bear living in the European part, as a rule, is about one and a half to two meters with a body weight in the range of 135-250 kg. Individuals inhabiting middle lane our country, several smaller and can weigh approximately 100-120 kg. The Far Eastern bears and are considered the largest, the sizes of which often reach three meters.

Skin color

The color of the brown bear is quite variable. Differences in coloration of the skin depend on the habitat, and the color of the fur can vary from a light fawn shade to bluish-black. Brown color is considered standard.

This is interesting! A characteristic feature of the grizzly is the presence of hair with whitish ends on the back, due to which a kind of gray hair is present on the coat. Individuals with a grayish-white coloration are found in the Himalayas. Animals with reddish-brown fur inhabit Syria.

Lifespan

IN natural conditions The average life span of a brown bear is approximately twenty to thirty years. In captivity, this species can live for fifty years, and sometimes more. Rare specimens survive in vivo until the age of fifteen.

Brown bear subspecies

The type of brown bear includes several subspecies or so-called geographic races, which differ in size and color.

The most common subspecies:

  • European brown bear with a body length of 150-250 cm, a tail length of 5-15 cm, a height at the withers of 90-110 cm and an average weight of 150-300 kg. A large subspecies with a powerful physique and a pronounced hump at the withers. The general color varies from light greyish-yellow to blackish-dark brown. The fur is thick, rather long;
  • Caucasian brown bear with an average body length of 185-215 cm and a body weight of 120-240 kg. The coat is short, coarse, of a paler coloration than that of the Eurasian subspecies. The color varies from a pale straw color to a uniform gray-brown color. There is a pronounced, large dark-colored spot in the withers;
  • East Siberian brown bear weighing up to 330-350 kg and large skull. The fur is long, soft and dense, with a pronounced sheen. The coat is light brown or blackish brown or dark brown in color. Some individuals are characterized by the presence in the color of fairly well-marked yellowish and black shades;
  • Ussuri or Amur brown bear. In our country, this subspecies is well known under the name black grizzly. The average body weight of an adult male can vary between 350-450 kg. The subspecies is characterized by the presence of a large and well-developed skull with an elongated nose. The skin is almost black. Distinctive feature is the presence of long hair on the ears.

One of the largest subspecies in our country is the Far Eastern or Kamchatka brown bear, whose average body weight often exceeds 450-500 kg. Large adults have a large, massive skull and a broad, raised front of the head. The fur is long, dense and soft, pale yellow, blackish brown or completely black in color.

The area where the brown bear lives

The range of natural distribution of brown bears has undergone significant changes over the past century. Previously, subspecies were found in vast territories stretching from England to Japanese islands, as well as from Alaska to central Mexico.

Today, due to the active extermination of brown bears and their eviction from inhabited territories, the most numerous predator groups are recorded only in the western part of Canada, as well as in Alaska and in the forest zones of our country.

Bear lifestyle

The period of activity of the predator falls on twilight, early morning and evening hours. The brown bear is a very sensitive animal, orienting itself in space mainly with the help of hearing and smell. Low vision is typical. Despite their impressive size and large body weight, brown bears are almost silent, fast and very easy to move predators.

This is interesting! The average running speed is 55-60 km/h. Bears swim quite well, but they are able to move through deep snow with great difficulty.

Brown bears belong to the category of sedentary animals, but young animals separated from the family are able to roam and actively look for a partner. Bears mark and defend the boundaries of their territory. In summer, bears rest directly on the ground, nestling among forbs and low shrubs. With the onset of autumn, the beast begins to prepare a reliable winter shelter for itself.

Food and prey of the brown bear

Brown bears are omnivores, but the basis of the diet is vegetation, represented by berries, acorns, nuts, roots, tubers and stem parts of plants. In a lean year, oats and corn serve as a good substitute for berries. Also, the diet of a predator necessarily includes all kinds of insects, represented by ants, worms, lizards, frogs, field and forest rodents.

Large adult predators are able to attack young artiodactyls. Roe deer, fallow deer, deer, wild boar and elk can become prey. An adult brown bear can, with a single blow with its paw, break the spine of its prey, after which it fills it with brushwood and guards it until the carcass is completely eaten. Near water areas, some subspecies of brown bears hunt seals, fish and seals.

Grizzlies are able to attack the baribal bear and take prey from smaller predators.

This is interesting! Regardless of age, brown bears have an excellent memory. These wild animals are able to easily memorize mushroom or berry places, as well as quickly find their way to them.

Spawning salmon becomes the basis of the diet of the Far Eastern brown bear in summer and autumn. In lean and fodder-poor years large predator able to attack even domestic animals and grazing livestock.

Reproduction and offspring

The mating season of a brown bear lasts a couple of months and begins in May, when males enter into fierce fights. Females mate with several adult males at once. Latent pregnancy consists in the development of the embryo only at the stage of hibernation of the animal. The female carries the cubs for about six to eight months.. Blind and deaf, completely helpless and covered with sparse hair cubs are born in a den. As a rule, the female bears two or three babies, whose growth at the time of birth does not exceed a quarter of a meter and weighs 450-500 g.

This is interesting! In the den, the cubs feed on milk and grow up to three months, after which they have milk teeth and they become able to feed on berries, vegetation and insects on their own. However, on breastfeeding cubs are up to a year and a half or more.

Not only the female takes care of the offspring, but also the so-called foster daughter, who appeared in the previous litter. Next to the female, the cubs live until about three or four years old, until they reach puberty. The offspring of the female acquires, as a rule, once every three years.

Hibernation of the brown bear

The sleep of a brown bear is completely different from the period of hibernation characteristic of other mammalian species. During hibernation, the brown bear's body temperature, respiration rate, and pulse remain practically unchanged. The bear does not fall into a state of complete stupor, and in the first days it only dozes.

At this time, the predator listens sensitively and reacts to the slightest danger by leaving the den. In a warm and snowy winter, if available a large number food, some males do not dive into hibernation. Sleep comes only with the onset of severe frosts and can last less than a month. In a dream, the reserves of subcutaneous fat, which was accumulated in the summer and autumn, are wasted.

Preparation for sleep

Winter shelters are equipped by adults in reliable, deaf and dry places, under windbreak or roots. fallen tree. The predator is able to independently dig a deep lair in the ground or occupy mountain caves and rock crevices. Pregnant brown bears try to equip themselves and their offspring with a deeper and more spacious, warm lair, which is then lined from the inside with moss, spruce branches and fallen leaves.

This is interesting! Bear cubs of the year always spend the winter period with their mother. Such a company can be joined by cubs-lonchaks of the second year of life.

All adult and lone predators hibernate alone. The exception is individuals living on the territory of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. Here, the presence of several adults in one den at once is often observed.

Hibernation duration

Depending on the weather conditions and some other factors, brown bears are able to stay in a den for up to six months. The period when the bear lies in the den, as well as the duration of hibernation itself, may depend on the conditions imposed by weather conditions, the yield of the fattening food base, gender, age parameters, and even the physiological state of the animal.

This is interesting! Old and fat wild animal goes to hibernation much earlier, even before a significant snow cover falls, and young and underfed individuals lie in a den in November-December.

The period of occurrence stretches for a couple of weeks or several months. Pregnant females are the first to winter. Lastly, the dens are occupied by old males. The same place for hibernation in winter can be used by a brown bear for several years.

Rod Bears

Shatun is a brown bear that did not have time to accumulate a sufficient amount of subcutaneous fat and, for this reason, is not able to hibernate. In the process of searching for any food, such a predator is able to roam around the neighborhood all winter. As a rule, such a brown bear moves unsteadily, has a shabby and relatively exhausted appearance.

This is interesting! When meeting with dangerous opponents, brown bears emit a very loud roar, stand on their hind legs and try to knock down their opponent with a strong blow front powerful paws.

Hunger makes the beast often appear in close proximity to human habitation. The connecting rod bear is typical of northern areas characterized by severe winters, including the territory Far East and Siberia. A mass invasion of connecting rod bears can be observed in lean seasons, about once every ten years. Hunting for connecting rod bears is not a fishing activity, but a forced measure.

Jackals. Unlike them, clubfoot are more stocky and powerful. Like other canids, bears are predators, but sometimes they feast on berries, mushrooms and honey.

There are also pseudo-toed, not related to canines and even predatory animals. The name bear is given only because of resemblance with true representatives of the genus.

real bears

The second name of bears is plantigrade. Having wide legs, clubfoot fully step on them. Other canids, as a rule, touch the ground with only part of their paws, as if walking on their toes. This is how animals speed up. Bears, on the other hand, cannot develop a speed of more than 50 kilometers per hour.

Brown bear

Included in Russian bear species, the largest and most popular in the country. However, the largest clubfoot was caught outside the Federation, on the American island of Kodiak. From there they took the animal for the Berlin Zoo. I got a bear weighing 1134 kilograms at a rate of 150-500 kilos.

It is assumed that brown came to America about 40 million years ago through the Bering Isthmus. Animals came from Asia, representatives of the species are also found there.

The largest clubfoot in Russia are found on the Kamchatka Peninsula. There giants live 20-30 years. In captivity, with good maintenance, bears live up to half a century.

Polar bear

According to its habitat, it is called polar. The scientific name of the species in Latin is translated as "sea bear". Predators are associated with snow, the expanses of the ocean. In the water, polar bears hunt, catching fish and seals.

The ocean does not prevent the migration of polar clubfoot. On the water, they overcome hundreds of kilometers, working with wide front feet, like oars. The hind legs act as a rudder. Going out onto the ice floes, the bears do not slip, because they have rough feet.

Among terrestrial predators, the animal is the largest. In length, the predator reaches 3 meters. The standard weight is 700 kilograms. So kind of polar bear awesome. In nature, an animal has no enemies other than man.

studying types of bears, only at the polar you will find hollow wool. The hair is empty from the inside. Firstly, it gives an additional layer of air in the fur coat. Gas is a poor conductor of heat, it does not release it from the skin of a predator.

Secondly, the cavities in the white hairs are needed to reflect light. In fact, clubfoot hair is colorless. White hair only looks, allowing the predator to merge with the surrounding snow.

Himalayan bear

Otherwise called the black Asian bear. It is distinguished by large ears, an elegant physique by the standards of clubfoot, and an elongated muzzle.

The habitat of the Himalayan extends from Iran to Japan. The predator prefers mountainous areas. Hence the name of the species. In Russia, its representatives live beyond the Amur, as a rule, in the Ussuri region.

Black bear is named for the dark color of the coat. It is longer on the head and neck, forming a kind of mane. There is a white spot on the chest of the predator. However, there are subspecies of the animal without it.

The maximum weight of a Himalayan bear is 140 kilograms. The length of the animal reaches one and a half meters. But the claws of a predator are thicker and larger than those of brown and polar individuals. The reason is the way of life of the black bear. He spends most of his time in the trees. Claws help climb them.

The Asian clubfoot cannot be called a formidable predator. From animal food, the bear usually consumes only insects. The basis of the diet are herbs, roots, berries, acorns.

baribal

Alternative name - black bear. He lives in the North, especially in the east of the continent. The appearance of the predator is close to the appearance of the brown clubfoot. However, the baribal has more protruding shoulders, lower ears and, as the name implies, black hair. However, on the muzzle it is lighter.

The name of the animal is similar to the name of the family to which it is assigned. There are no other members of the family. By the way, this also applies to the little panda. She is also one of a kind.

The closest relative of the koala is, and not at all a bear and not even a small panda.

About 30 million years ago, 18 species of marsupial "bears" lived on the planet. There were also unseen modern man true clubfoot. Among them, 5-6 species became extinct.

extinct bears

The number of extinct bears is vague, as the existence of one species is in question. There is a glimmer of hope that the Tibetan clubfoot still exists, although for a long time it does not fall into the eyes of people and into the lenses of video cameras. If you meet, let the scientists know. The bear looks like a brown one, but the front part of the body is reddish. The withers of the animal are almost black. In the inguinal region, the hair is red. The rest of the hair behind the predator is dark brown. The bear lived in the east of the Tibetan plateau.

California Grizzly

It is depicted on the flag of California, but has not been found in or out of the state since 1922. Then they killed the last representative type of animal.

Bear had a golden coat color. The beast was a totemic among the Indians. The Redskins believed that they were descended from the grizzly, so they did not hunt the ancestor. The clubfoot was exterminated by white settlers.

mexican grizzly bear

Officially declared extinct in the 60s of the last century. The animal was large, weighing approximately 360 kilograms.

The Mexican grizzly was distinguished by whitish claws on its front paws, small ears and a high forehead.

Etruscan bear

Fossil species, lived in the Pliocene. This geological period ended 2.5 million years ago. The second name of the predator is the short-faced bear. This is the one with 13 pairs of ribs.

Skeletons of Etruscan bears are found only in southern latitudes. Therefore, scientists suggest that the beast was thermophilic. It is also known that the extinct animal was large, weighing about 600 kilograms.

Atlas bear

Inhabited the lands from Morocco to Libya. The last individual was killed by hunters in 1870. Outwardly, the animal was distinguished by reddish hair below the body and dark brown above. There was a white spot on the bear's muzzle.

Unlike most bears, the Atlas preferred desert and arid areas. The name of the species is associated with a chain of mountains where clubfoot lived. Zoologists attributed them to subspecies of the brown bear.

Giant polar bear

Appearance of a polar bear was similar to the modern one. Only here in length the beast reached 4 meters, and weighed 1200 kilograms. Such giants lived on the planet 100 thousand years ago.

So far, scientists have found the only ulna of a giant bear. Found a bone in the Pleistocene deposits of Great Britain.

Survival of modern polar bears also questionable. The number of species is sharply reduced. This is due to climate change. Glaciers are melting. Animals have to do more and more long swims. Many predators get to the shore exhausted. Meanwhile, and full of energy it is not easy for bears to get food in the snowy expanses.

Omnivorous is a way of obtaining energy and nutrients through the consumption of food of animal and vegetable origin. Animals with such a diet are considered "omnivorous". Most people, with the exception of vegans who completely exclude animal products, are also omnivores.

Term meaning

The word "omnivorous" comes from the Latin words omnis"everything" and vora, which means "devour or swallow" - so omnivorous means "devouring everything". It's pretty precise definition because omnivores have a variety of food sources, including algae, plants, fungi, and other animals. Some animals may be omnivores throughout their lives, while others may be omnivores at certain stages of life (for example, some sea ​​turtles).

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantage of omnivory is the ability to find food in a variety of places and habitat conditions. For example, if it is not possible to eat a certain food, an omnivore can quite easily change its diet. Some omnivores are also scavengers, meaning they feed on dead animals or plants, further increasing their feeding options.

Omnivores have to find their own food, and because they have such a varied diet, their ways of obtaining food are not as specialized as those of carnivores or herbivores. For example, predators have sharp teeth for tearing and grabbing prey, while herbivores have flatter teeth adapted for chopping up vegetation. Omnivores can have a mixture of both types of teeth (our molars and incisors, for example).

The disadvantages of being an omnivore can be well seen in some species of marine organisms that are very likely to invade non-native habitats. This has a cascading effect on native species that may be persecuted or displaced by invasive omnivores. An example is the Asian coast crab, native to the countries of the northwest. Pacific Ocean. It was introduced to Europe and the USA, while the food and habitat do not match it, and this animal causes significant damage to the existing ones.

Examples of omnivores

mammals

  • Pig: this is probably the most famous representative omnivores, and currently this species is popular among people - it is kept as a pet or raised for meat.
  • Bear: These animals are one of the most opportunistic creatures, as they adapt very well to different environments. If there are many fruits in the area where they live, then the bears will feed on them. If instead there is a river with big amount fish, the bear will catch it all day. The panda, a member of the bear family, is also considered an omnivore, as it can diversify its bamboo diet with rodents or small birds.
    The only exception is the carnivorous polar bear, possibly due to the lack of plant food in its natural Arctic habitat.
  • Hedgehog: Many people think that hedgehog eats insects and small things, but these little creatures like to occasionally eat fruits and vegetables.
  • Other omnivorous mammals: raccoons, mice, squirrels, sloths, chipmunks, skunks, chimpanzees, and of course humans.

Birds

  • Crows: As shown in many films, they are always on the lookout for animal remains, but other than dead carcasses, they also tend to eat vegetables when other food sources are unavailable.
  • Chickens: they are the complete opposite of a small child, as they absorb everything in sight. Whatever you give her, the chicken will swallow it without a moment's hesitation.
  • Ostriches: Although their main diet includes vegetables and plants, these animals are lovers of all kinds of insects.
  • Magpies: These birds also eat almost everything, although they tend to become food for dogs and parrots.

marine organisms

  • Many types of crabs (including blue crabs, ghost crabs and Asian coastal crabs);
  • horseshoe crabs;
  • Lobsters (for example, American lobster, real spiny lobster);
  • Some sea turtles olive turtles and the Australian green turtle are omnivores. Green turtles are herbivorous as adults, but the young are omnivores. Loggerhead turtles become carnivores as adults, but they are omnivores when they are young.
  • Common littorinas - these small snails feed mainly on algae, but can also eat small animals (for example, barnacle larvae).
  • Some types of zooplankton;
  • Sharks are generally carnivorous, although whale sharks and giant sharks can be considered omnivores as they are filter feeders and feed on plankton. As they swim through the water with open huge mouths, the plankton they consume can include both plant and animal organisms. Mussels and barnacles can also be considered omnivores as they filter small organisms (which may contain both phytoplankton and zooplankton) from the water.

Omnivores and levels of the food chain

In the marine (and terrestrial) world there are producers and consumers. are organisms that produce their own food. These include plants, algae, and some types of bacteria. The producers are at the base.

These are organisms that must consume other organisms in order to survive. All animals, including omnivores, are consumers.

IN the food chain there are trophic levels, which are the food levels of animals and plants. The first trophic level includes producers because they produce food that feeds the rest of the food chain. The second trophic level includes herbivores that feed on producers. At the third trophic level are omnivorous and carnivorous organisms.

The bear is a predatory animal, which is the largest in the world. The length of his body reaches about three meters, and his mass is approximately 800. The bear has a huge body, strong paws with claws, short tail, big head.

Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin is the first Russian writer of various poems, fairy tales, riddles. Pushkin's poems became the main point to which the entire Russian people listened. In Pushkin's work there are a lot of works of various genres, but he paid great attention to lyric poetry.

The Bears brown live in the taiga, in mountain forests and next to fertile meadows near water. The fur of brown bears can be of various colors, ranging from brown to dark brown. By old age, the bears turn gray, and become gray. Very often there are such species as the Malay bear, white-breasted, sloth, black bear and white. All these types of bears are mostly found singly, but sometimes in a bunch. Activity is shown at night, and the polar bear is only during the day. Bears rest mainly in caves, in pits.


Almost all bears are omnivores. But, such species as the polar bear feeds only on the meat of mammals. The food of brown bears is varied, it changes due to the change of seasons. After the bear wakes up, its diet includes ants, young shoots of dead animals. Also, the diet of the bear includes various ripe berries, and even nuts. Bears eat a lot, in order to feed it you need a lot of food, which is processed into fat necessary for winter living. When the year is not fruitful, the bears eat crops of oats, corn, and also eat domestic animals.


Many bears lead a quiet life throughout the year. Brown bears and white-breasted bears hibernate for the winter. Among polar bears, only she-bears who bear cubs fall into hibernation. The bear's den is very clean and emits a pleasant smell.

Updated: 24/02/2015