The largest brown bear. The heaviest bear in the world. place. Spectacled bear

Master of the Arctic

The heaviest bear in the world is the polar bear, which weighed about 1002 kilograms, although there is a version that this is an exaggerated figure and the weight of the largest polar bear was “only” 900 kilograms. The paw span, provided that it rose on its hind legs, was 3 meters 38 centimeters, and the girth of the body was 1.5 meters. The polar bear belongs to the category of terrestrial predators. So, of these same predators, he is considered the largest - according to the Guinness Book of Records.

Polar bear weight

The weight of the average representative of this class reaches 600 kilograms, body length – up to 2 meters 60 centimeters, height at the withers – more than one and a half meters. Females are slightly smaller in size: only up to 300 kilograms and up to 2 meters in length. But despite such a large weight, polar bears are very mobile and dexterous; They swim well, they have a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, which saves them in the harsh conditions of the Arctic.

Polar bear fur

The polar bear is an inhabitant of the Arctic. In winter it is pure white, in summer it “tans” a little - the fur turns slightly yellow from the sun. And in captivity, in zoos, microscopic algae grow in its fur, which gives the fur a greenish tint. These individuals feed mainly on seals, ringed seals and bearded seals, after which they dive into crevices between ice floes. They also love to rob the warehouses of travelers and polar explorers and feast on their products.

The polar bear has a longer neck and flatter head than other bear species. They do not usually hibernate, except for pregnant females and in rare cases during periods of lack of food.

Kodiak weight

But it seems. that the Kodiak brown bear is trying to challenge the palm in size among polar bears. The largest recorded weight of a Kodiak was 1134 kilograms, and its full height reached 4 meters - this is the largest bear in the world (in size, but not in weight). There is a small “but” that does not allow the Kodiak brown bear to become a leader in terms of weight - it gains such weight only during hibernation, while the weight of an adult polar bear always remains almost unchanged.

Among the largest bears are the Kodiak brown bear, grizzly bear, and polar bear. These are all animals of enormous weight and length. There is also a record holder among teddy toy bears.

The largest teddy bear
The record-breaking teddy bear, recognized as the largest in the world, greeted visitors to the plush toy museum every day for almost twenty years, standing at the entrance. The museum was located in the city of Statford. All this time he was the subject of admiration for young visitors. The height of this toy is three meters and thirty centimeters. It's hard to imagine the weight of this giant.
Over the years, the exhibition was visited by at least a million people. Unfortunately, the museum was closed in 2007, and this bear, like the rest of the exhibits, was put up for sale.

Big polar bears
Polar bears have several other names - polar bear, sea bear, northern bear and oshkuy. The polar bear descended from the brown bear. The largest specimens grow up to three meters or more and can weigh about eight hundred kilograms, however, this is very rare. Usually the male is within the length of two to two and a half meters, his weight does not exceed half a ton. Externally, the oshkuy and the brown bear have noticeable differences. The polar bear's head is flat on an elongated neck, and its ears are small. The wool is not only white, but also yellowish. It's amazing that all polar bears have black skin. This is impossible to notice due to the dense fur.
Oshkuy lives in the northern hemisphere and feeds on walruses, seals, seals and other marine animals. To catch them, the bear hides in a shelter and then stuns them with a blow to the head. Polar bears have long been listed in the Red Book. The reason is that they reproduce slowly, and their young often become prey to other predators. These bears are hunted by poachers. Every year they destroy at least two hundred individuals.

Huge Kodiak bears
One of the subspecies of brown bears is the Kodiak. It is the largest among the planet's predators. This is confirmed by its size. The height at the withers of an individual of this subspecies reaches one and a half meters, and the length is about four meters. The weight of the giant bear is also striking. So, a female weighs a quarter of a ton, and an adult male weighs almost four hundred and fifty kilograms. These parameters are average, and there are specimens that reach a weight of one ton.

The habitat of this subspecies is Kodiak Island and the islands of the Kodiak archipelago, that is, where winter does not last long and there is always a lot of different food. Like other bears, Kodiaks hibernate in winter. Their food is not only animals, these bears do not refuse carrion, they eat roots, berries and herbs. During the salmon spawning period, Kodiaks enjoy eating it with pleasure. Animals mate in the summer, and the development of a fertilized cell begins in the fall. No more than three cubs are born in January or February, when the female is in a state of hibernation. Children remain with their mother for the first three years of life.

Kodiaks are an endangered subspecies of brown bears. There are less than three thousand of them left. However, according to official permission, one hundred and sixty individuals are shot annually.

The largest grizzlies
Another large subspecies of brown bear, considered the second largest in size after the Kodiak, is called the grizzly. Its habitat is Alaska and Canada. Until recently, grizzlies could be found in Mexico. Outwardly, he is not particularly different from other brown bears. The only difference is the length of its claws, which can reach fifteen centimeters. It is for this reason that grizzlies never climb trees.

Some individuals weigh about a ton and are about four meters long. From a distance, grizzlies appear slightly grayish, the reason being that, being brown, they are covered in gray fur in some places. While bears are small, their claws are still very small, which allows grizzlies to climb trees, destroy hives and eat plant foods.

The main diet of an adult is animal food. Grizzly is an excellent fisherman. It is very dangerous for a person to encounter this predator. He can deliver a fatal blow with one blow of his paw. It is known that this subspecies of brown bear and polar bear can interbreed.

The biggest bear in the world
The largest bear in history is considered to be a giant short-faced cave bear that once lived in South America. He is known as Arctodus. According to scientists, such bears lived from about two million years ago to five hundred thousand years ago.

The mass of the giant predator reached two tons, and its height was at least three and a half meters. The cave bear ate lions, woolly rhinoceroses, wolves, tigers, giant moose and deer. He had enormous bite force. In Argentina in 1935, the skeleton of a short-faced cave bear was found. According to National Geographic, there is nothing in the world even remotely similar to such a powerful predator.

In 2006, a huge man-eating grizzly bear was killed in Alaska. If he could stand on his hind legs, he would be about four meters and thirty centimeters tall. The bear's weight turned out to be seven hundred twenty-six kilograms. But the smallest bear, Biruang, according to uznayvse.ru, weighs only 25 kg as an adult. The website has

The smallest bear in the world
A miniature but formidable predator. Biruang is the name of the smallest bear in the world. He is also the rarest bear on the planet. A miniature but formidable predator. Biruang is the name of the smallest bear in the world. He is also the rarest bear on the planet. The unusual animal is also called the Malayan or sun bear. And he really is the smallest representative of the bear family. The height of the clubfoot is no more than one and a half meters, but its weight varies from 25 kilograms to 65 kilograms. However, even despite such small dimensions, the biruang is considered one of the most ferocious bears in the world, if not the most aggressive. However, this opinion exists only in Western countries. And in Asia, for example, the sun bear is called not dangerous. Moreover, the bear is tamed and sometimes kept as a pet.
The smallest bears in the world, like dogs, are quite easy to train. And only mother bears protecting their cubs pose a danger to people. It is worth avoiding angry individuals. If the beast is provoked to attack, then they are truly fearless and fight with all their might, not for life or death, trying to defeat the enemy at any cost.

The smallest bears in the world are dart frogs. Sun bears have rather large, and sickle-shaped claws. The animals have huge paws with completely bare soles. It is this fact that helps biruangs to climb trees well. Of all the bears, it is the smallest bears in the world who love trees the most. Therefore, they are sometimes also called "basindo nan tenggil", which literally means "one who likes to sit high." Biruangas are predominantly nocturnal animals, so individuals can sleep the whole day or lie on convenient tree branches. At a height, they also build themselves something similar to a nest and, without leaving the “house,” feed on fruits and leaves. It is worth noting an interesting fact - Malayan bears never hibernate. Sun bears are omnivores. But, as a rule, they feed on earthworms, insects, fruits, shoots and rhizomes of various plants. A distinctive feature of the Biruang is its unusually long tongue. It reaches 20-25 centimeters. This part of the body is very sticky and thin. And she helps the bear get his favorite treat - honey from the hives. Hence another name for the smallest bear in the world - “honey bear”. By the way, the animal does not mind eating not only honey, but also bees. Sometimes biruangs also absorb birds, lizards and small mammals. The powerful jaws of the individuals help to easily bite even coconuts. Malayan bears are found in southern China, northeast India, Thailand, Myanmar, as well as on the island of Borneo, the Indochina Peninsula and Indonesia.

The miniature bear differs from its relatives not only in its amazingly long tongue. The biruang's fur is stiffer, shorter and smoother. And this is explained by the fact that the animal lives in a fairly warm climate. The color of the sun bear is black, and there is a large light spot on its chest. It looks like a horseshoe and is shaped like the rising sun. And from here came the name of the entire genus of small bears - “Helarctos”. The first part of the word is translated as sun, and the second – bear. All together it turns out to be a sun bear. Biruangs live up to 25 years, but this is in captivity. But in the wild, the smallest bear in the world, its life and habits have been studied quite poorly. However, we can say with confidence that under human care these animals live much longer. Truly a clubfoot! Teddy bear is a phrase that everyone knows from childhood, biruang makes it true. Scientists have noted the interesting gait of the Malayan bear. All four paws turn inward when walking. But the sun bear's vision is not so good. But poor vision is compensated by an excellent sense of smell and hearing. Enemies of the little bear The main enemy of the sun bear has always been and remains man. Biruangs easily defeat almost any predator. They, as they said, are very strong in battle, so the neighbors in the forest prefer to give the baby a wide berth. But sometimes conflicts with leopards and tigers still occur. The largest predators try to grab their opponent by the throat. But bears can avoid such an attack, because they have very loose skin on their necks, which allows the biruang to “slip out” from the mouth of a leopard or tiger and strike back with a crushing blow.

But leaving a person is not so easy. Humans have already caused almost irreparable damage to the population of the world's smallest bears. Even five thousand years ago, Chinese people used bear bile for medicinal purposes - to treat bacterial infections. Now the situation has not changed. But on the island of Borneo, animal fur is used to sew hats. Trophy hunting for the Malayan bear is also popular among people. Farmers shoot the animal for the simple reason that the clubfoot is capable of causing damage to coconut and banana plantations. It is for these reasons that biruangs are now the rarest species of bear. They are listed in the International Red Book. However, the number of Malayan bears is only decreasing every year. Touching predator One way or another, Malayan bears can be called shy and timid. They usually prefer to avoid a person, not show themselves to him, and generally stay away from him. But in Asia, a tamed biruang is not a rare sight. The animal can calmly walk around the owner’s house without supervision and play with interest with the children. By the way, Malayan bears are very smart. There is a story about a certain bear who once surprised his owners. The animal did not eat the rice offered to him, but scattered it on the ground, sat down next to him and began to wait for something. A little later, the birds came to dine on rice, and the cunning Biruang dined on the birds. Curiously, the mating season of the biruang is not limited to one season. Mating of the smallest bears in the world can occur throughout the year. After a 95-day pregnancy, the female gives birth to 1-2 cubs, sometimes three. Blind, naked and helpless newborns weigh approximately 300 grams. They remain under the protection of their mother for up to 2.5 years.

Reading fairy tales as children, we imagined bears as stupid and clumsy. However, this is not the case. A real bear is a dangerous predator and meeting one can result in disaster. Its weight often reaches 500 kg. Moreover, some species of animal can grow up to 2.5 meters. They are omnivores, since in addition to their live prey, they can feast on honey, berries or plant roots. Scientists will identify 8 varieties of this huge predator. Which one is the biggest bear in the world?

Kodiak

The record holder can rightfully be called the Kodiak bear, which is found in North America. Representatives of this breed, who can be called record holders, live in the Kodiak archipelago. This is where their name comes from. Here the bear has practically no natural enemies, but a huge amount of food. Today, there are about 3 thousand Kodiak individuals in the wild.

Representatives of this breed are strong and muscular with a dark brown coat and fairly long paws. The weight of males reaches 530 kg, and females only 250-315 kg. Over the summer they can gain significant weight and weigh up to 700 kg. Kodiaks grow up to 6 years of age, and after that they only gain weight. On average, the height of this bear is 1.5 meters.

By nature, Kodiaks are hermits and only during the mating season do they look for a mate. Their main food is fish and plants, although they can also feed on carrion. They are mostly peaceful, and cases of attacks on humans have been recorded only twice. In this case, the hunters became the victims and injured the animal. The life expectancy of males is 27 years, and that of females is 34 years.

Grizzly

Translated from Latin, “grizzly” means “terrible bear.” This breed is found from Alaska to Mexico. The indigenous people of these territories considered it a real feat to defeat this giant. With the arrival of white people on the continent, the mass extermination of grizzlies began. Therefore, today they can only be found in nature reserves or national parks.

Grizzlies have huge claws. Sometimes their length reaches 15 cm, which prevents these bears from climbing trees. The coat color is dark brown. It is lighter on the stomach than on the back. The average weight of a male grizzly bear is 350-400 kg. Females are much smaller. Over the summer, a grizzly bear can gain up to 30% of its body weight.

This bear has a stern disposition, so it is better not to meet him in the wild. But, according to scientists, only 10% of them eat meat. The rest prefer plant foods. Those who live on the shore of a reservoir can hunt fish.

Polar bear

Another bear that is found in Arctic latitudes and is one of the largest representatives of its genus is the polar bear. For many years it was the prey of hunters who exterminated them only for their valuable skin. Therefore, today it is listed in the Rossi Red Book and hunting for it is either completely prohibited or there are restrictions on it.

This bear's fur is translucent with hollow fibers inside. This makes it possible to retain heat. After burning out, it becomes yellowish. And when algae settle on the villi, it can turn greenish. This bear's skin is very dark, sometimes even black. A distinctive feature of this breed is its flat head and long neck. They can walk freely on ice thanks to their fur-covered soles. The interdigital membranes help them swim and dive.

Polar bears can reach 500 kg. This is the weight of a male, while females are much smaller. They are ready to mate only at 4 years of age. Then they give birth to babies once every 2-3 years. The average lifespan of these bears is 25 years. But some individuals are able to live up to 40 years.

By nature, they are vagabonds and can walk many kilometers in search of food. Well-developed sense organs help them hunt. Their diet mainly consists of seals, fish and carrion. These born hunters are able to lie for hours, waiting for their prey. And in order not to give themselves away, they cover their nose with their paws.

People have long been interested in these club-footed giants. Legends and beliefs were formed about bears, they were depicted on coats of arms, filmed in films, and made a symbol of various events:

On the coats of arms of many states and cities, such as Greenland, Perm, Berlin, etc. bears are depicted.
The most famous bear in Hollywood was Bart the Kodiak, who starred in many films between 1977 and 2000.
The weight of the bear that lived in the Berlin Zoo was 1200 kg.
In the United States, a 25-cent coin was issued that depicted a bear catching a fish.
In 2009, Alaska hunters were able to kill a grizzly bear that weighed 730 kg and reached 4 meters in length.
A polar bear can stay in icy water for up to 9 days, while swimming hundreds of miles.
On February 27, the world celebrates the polar bear holiday.

Here are the 10 largest bears in the world, by size and weight. The largest breeds of bears living around the world.

Weight - up to 140 kg, body length - up to 180 cm.

Despite its small size, compared to other largest bears in the world, the sloth bear can be very dangerous.

It was this beast that terrorized the outskirts of Bangalore for a long time, killing and maiming people. He was included in the number.

Weight - up to 140 kg, length - up to 2 meters.

This “intellectual bear” got its name due to the fact that the rings around its eyes look like glasses.

Although this animal is considered a carnivore, meat makes up about 5 percent of its diet. The rest comes from grass shoots, rhizomes and fruits. Spectacled bears also love to eat termites and ants. Fortunately, their long tongue easily penetrates the ant’s home.

Weight - up to 160 kg, length - up to 1.8 meters.

One of them also belongs to the bear family. But, unlike other bears, the panda prefers a vegetarian menu, 99% of which is bamboo. However, on occasion, the panda will not disdain small animals, bird eggs or insects.

For a long time, scientists argued about which family to classify the panda in - the bear family or the raccoon family. However, at the end of the 19th century, the bearish supporters won. They studied the panda's skin and decided that this cute black and white chubby is almost the ancestor of today's bears. And genetic tests confirmed that the panda is not a giant raccoon at all, but a real bear, the closest relative of the spectacled bear.

Weight - up to 200 kg, length - up to 1.7 meters.

This is one of the most beautiful bears, with luxurious shiny black fur and a white or golden “front”. It is shaped like a crescent moon, which is why the Himalayan bear is also called the “moon bear.”

When meeting a person, the Himalayan bear behaves very aggressively. However, people are the most terrible threat for them. The fact is that in many Asian countries, the bile of the Himalayan bear is used as a remedy for impotence and many other diseases. Therefore, dozens of animals are kept in cramped cages and bile is pumped out of their gallbladders using special tubes. This procedure is extremely painful, and, one might say, brutal.

Weight - up to 300 kg, length - up to 1.8 meters.

This big guy lives only in the forests of western Canada. Although it is a subspecies of the black bear, the Kermode's skin color is either off-white or cream with an amber tint. This camouflage coloring helps the animal when catching salmon on the river.

This bear received its name in honor of the explorer Francis Kermode, who described it. And the local Indians call it “ghost bear.”

Weight - up to 380 kg, length - up to 2 meters.

The diet of the black baribal bear consists mainly of plant foods (raspberries, wild grapes, blackberries, acorns, etc.).

You can’t eat much on such food, so the cunning bears have adapted: they rummage through garbage dumps and look for scraps there. Some black bears can even open jars with screw tops.

Black bears usually do not attack people, but they can attack livestock (sheep, goats).

Weight - up to 410 kg, length - up to 2.4 meters.

Brown bears are very unusual animals. They can stand on two legs, pick things up with their “fingers,” and often eat what we eat. This - combined with their ability to communicate with each other through scratches left on trees, smells and sounds - gives similarities to our own way of life.

Brown bears can be found in Western and Central Europe, Scandinavia, Finland and the Carpathians. In Russia, brown bears live in almost the entire forest zone with the exception of the southern regions.

This bear was the inspiration for the names of two constellations, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

3. Grizzly bear

Weight - up to 726 kg, length - up to 4 meters.

Grizzly bears, scientifically named Ursus arctos horribilis (terrible brown bear), have a rather prominent hump at the shoulder blades and long claws (up to 80 mm). Both the hump and the claws are characteristics associated with the grizzly bear being a good digger.

Grizzly bears are omnivores and their diet can vary widely. They feed on seeds, berries, roots, grasses, mushrooms, fish, deer, moose, dead animals and insects. Grizzlies often attack people who were careless enough to get too close to the bear. In 1998, a huge man-eating bear was killed in Alaska. The size of his body was such that, standing on his hind legs, he could look out the second floor window of a typical five-story building.

In late summer and early autumn, grizzly bears enter a stage of hyperphagia, lasting from 2 to 4 months. Simply put, they increase their calorie intake to gain weight for hibernation. During this time, they can add up to 6 kg per day to their already impressive carcass.

Weight - up to 780 kg, length - up to 2.9 meters.

This furry giant lives on Kodiak Island in Alaska, hence its name. He is the largest brown bear in the world.

The most famous bear in movies was also a Kodiak. He starred in such famous films as “The Bear”, “Legends of the Fall” and “On the Edge”. In total, Bart had 16 films in his collection.

1. White Polar Bear

Weight - up to a ton, length - up to 3 meters.

When asked which bear is the largest, the Guinness Book of Records names the polar bear. Although in the race of sizes a Kodiak bear is breathing down the back of the white man’s head.

These beautiful, exotic creatures live in northern Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Norway and Russia.

The largest bear in the world shares a common ancestor with brown bears. Therefore, crossing of polar and brown bears is not only possible, but also occurred regularly. Because of this, between 2% and 10% of polar bear genetic material is found in the brown bear population. Hybrids of polar and brown bears are called polar grizzlies.

However, brown bears are uncomfortable in the conditions in which polar bears feel at ease. And vice versa.

It is curious that in hot climates the luxurious white fur of a polar bear can turn green. This is due to the fact that microscopic algae grow in the hairs.

The largest bear in history – Arctodus simus

Weight – more than 1100 kg, length – up to 3.5 meters.

The extinct species of the Giant short-faced bear (Arctodus simus) is the largest bear in Earth's history. He lived about 12,000 years ago. The giant's habitat was North America.

A short introduction, if you like, a summary of the basic information about bear hunting and the predator in general. They are some of nature's most fascinating creatures in their own right. There are four species of bears in the world, of enormous size, some of which were caught in America, because it is the Americans who like to promote themselves this way, to announce to the whole world about their catch. For all their pomposity, these people really showed outstanding results in the hunt.

As a matter of fact, in order not to delay, let's start with their inhabitants. Black bears are the most common in North America. These guys live mainly in Alaska. The article will also touch upon Grizzlies, about which there are more jokes and stories than there are themselves. The question is, why do they grow to such sizes? First, they must live in a near-perfect habitat. Secondly, they must grow to a ripe old age to reach their peak size, since young individuals cannot be larger than a car unless they are some kind of mutant. Third, to get the world size record, they must win a lottery where the main prize is perfect DNA, as one scientist put it. By the way, this is exactly what happens with people, because there are elders who are over a hundred years old, and now it doesn’t matter where they live or what they eat, they just exist, so the question is about human genetics. Let's look at the biggest bears, all four species that have been shot by hunters or found.

Kodiak

Let's start with this view. As previously noted, this is an American, so many people call it Alaskan. It should be noted that this is a subspecies of the brown bear. The world record belongs to a certain Roy Lindsley, who shot a very large specimen in 1952. This bear's skull currently belongs to the Los Angeles County Museum. The largest specimens of brown bears usually weigh more than half a ton, and according to the hunter himself, his knees trembled before the shot. The exact weight was not known, but it was said to be about one ton. I would like to note that many people mistakenly perceive the Grizzly as the largest bear. If we look at the Guinness Book of Records, it was in Kodiak, in the states of Alaska, that researchers encountered an animal weighing 1,200 kg. It is unknown how exactly the weight was determined, maybe he was euthanized for experiments, but this is the information.

Grizzly

Grizzly bears are just a joke for many, while others hunt them. They are another subspecies of the brown bear and a close relative in size to the Alaskan bear. But while brown bears in Alaska live on the coast, Grizzlies live inland and have adapted to unique living conditions over time. Oh, and how many cases when this wonderful species attacked tourists in the forest. But scientists note that the more Grizzlies adapt to urban conditions, the smaller they become from year to year. The largest Grizzly, which was seen by a hunter, but was found dead, unfortunately, still there, in Alaska, weighed about 980 kg. The largest, which was mined by a certain Larry Fitzgerald in 2013 in Alaska. His weight was about 700 kilograms, which is impressive to say the least. Large Grizzly bears are shot every year in Alaska and British Columbia. Therefore, going there as a tourist, setting up your campsite there and sleeping peacefully in a tent is not recommended. There is already an article here about how to choose the right place for a camp, and the topic of the wild, predatory world that needs to be taken into account was also touched upon - read .

Black bear

The black bear is a very popular hunting object, but mainly throughout Canada. They also live in the states, and most importantly, local farms actively breed this species and invite hunters. Alaska ranks high “in the production of giant black bears,” and here it is again, this state again, this territory that was once ours. Twelve of the 25 largest black bears in the record books came from Pennsylvania, where they were discovered. Large individuals are also regularly found in Wisconsin. As noted earlier, a great bear is the result of two main aspects: excellent habitat and age. Both states have a combination of agricultural crops and large forests that create an ideal habitat that encourages the growth of the animals. Despite this, the largest specimen was caught in Utah, weighing about 600 kilograms.

Polar bear

The polar bear is considered the largest land predator. Hunting them is certainly a cool thing, and how much the skins cost is more expensive than all carbines. But know that only the natives of the places where they live can mine this giant. Large individuals are so huge that their weight can exceed one ton. If you measure the length, imagine that he stood on his hind legs, then his total height is about 4 meters. Actually, the question of fighting it, for example, with a knife, does not arise; it’s a sin to even think about it. The value of the skin is so high that more and more poachers go after it, more and more are confiscated, thanks to vigilant law enforcement agencies. All polar bears included in the book of records were found before 1968. This is due to the activity of those same illegal hunters, or it is due to the influence of the environment, but the fact is that they do not become larger, but rather decrease in size.

All about the species, and now the records in numbers. They are measured in inches, the size of a bear's skull, which is used to estimate its gigantism. We are not talking about the Guinness book, but specifically about those that the shooters obtained.

Kodiak - 30 11/16;

Grizzly - 27 13/16;

Black - 23 10/16;

Polar - 29 15/16.

As can be seen from the numbers and skulls, the Kodiak is able to compete with the white in size, and maybe some individuals grow to sizes that exceed the whites.