Christopher Nicholas - Bears

These large, fierce land animals usually live alone. But a little girl named Goldilocks once found three of them living together.

What are they?

Hint turn the page to find out...

Theyre Bears!

Are bears really tame? No! They are wild animals! But like people, they are mammals, which means they nurse their young with milk. Bears walk on four legs, like dogs, but they can stand up straight and walk like you and me for short distances! Each of their big paws has five sharp claws to grab, dig, and climb.

You may not see it, but bears have a tail. Its very short and stumpy.

Body Parts

Thick fur

Big paws with sharp claws

Stumpy tail

Small, round ears

Big teeth and powerful jaws

Their powerful jaws have four extra long, extra sharp teeth called canines . Bears have excellent hearing and a great sense of smell.

Where do bears live?

They live all over the world except for the continents of Africa, Australia, and Antarctica!

Brown Bears live in the mountains and forests of America, Europe, and Asia. Some Brown Bears are called Grizzly Bears because of their grizzled or gray - tipped fur.

The biggest bears of all, Kodiaks, are Brown Bears. Kodiak bears live in Alaska.

The Australian Koala is often mistaken for a bear. Believe it or not, Koalas are related to kangaroos and opossums!

There are two kinds of Black Bears American and Asiatic. American Black Bears are the most common bears in North America. They can run very fast and are great tree - climbers.

Asiatic Black Bears live in the forests of Asia. They are also called Moon Bears because they have a moon - shaped mark on their chest.

American Black Bear

Asiatic Black Bear

Polar Bears live in a very cold area the Arctic. They are considered marine mammals because they spend most of their lives on sea ice. Their extra - thick white fur keeps them warm in the bitter cold and helps them hide in the snow when hunting.

Spectacled Bears spend most of their time in trees. They live in the mountains of South America. Guess how Spectacled Bears got their name!

Sloth Bears were named after a small mammal called a sloth. They have long claws, shaggy fur, and can hang upside - down from tree branches. These slow - moving bears live in Asia, in the forest areas of Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka.

This is a sloth. Can you see the resemblance?

Giant Pandas live in bamboo forests in the mountains of China. They love to eat bamboo! Unfortunately, Pandas have become endangered. Scientists are trying very hard to protect the bamboo forests where Giant Pandas live.

The red panda can be found in Asia, but it isnt really a bear. Scientists believe that it is related to the raccoon!

And finally theres the little Sun Bear the smallest of all the bears. Sun Bears are not much bigger than a dog! They have a yellowish - orange mark on their chest that looks a little like a sun rising. Sun Bears live in the forests of Asia.

Kinds of

Brown Bear (North America, Europe, and Asia)

American Black Bear (North America)

Asiatic Black Bear (Asia)

Polar Bear (Arctic)

Spectacled Bear (South America)

Sloth Bear (Asia)

Giant Panda (China)

Sun Bear (Asia)

What do bears eat?

Bears are called omnivores because they eat both animals and plants. (Youre an omnivore, too!) Some bears, such as the American Black Bear and the Brown Bear, are mostly vegetarian which means they primarily eat plants.

But all bears eat animals from time to time. Sometimes they hunt big animals, such as deer and moose. Other times bears snack on rabbits, mice, beavers, and other small animals. Most bear diets include leaves, fruits, roots, and berries.

If youre going camping, keep your food sealed tight. Or a bear might smell it and eat it himself!

Some bears like to fish! They slip into the water and snatch a meal with their sharp claws or teeth.

Polar Bears eat seals, sea lions, walruses and sometimes whales!

s Eat

Plants

Deer and moose

Rabbits, beavers, and other small animals

Fish

Seals, sea lions, walruses, and whales

Honey

Ants, termites, and other insects

Food and garbage left by humans

Many bears have a sweet tooth they LOVE honey! Luckily, they have thick fur to protect them from bees!

Some bears get a little bug hungry and eat ants, termites, and other little insects.

( Yuck! )