Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

68

ALTHOUGH BEARS are

often portrayed as cuddly,

they are among the most

dangerous of all creatures.

There are eight kinds of

bears. The largest is the

polar bear. It stands nearly

10 ft (3 m) tall and weighs

more than half a ton. The

smallest bear is the sun bear from

Southeast Asia, which measures

about 4 ft (1.2 m) from head to tail.

Other bears include the grizzly and the

sloth bear. Bears are heavily built mammals

that eat both flesh and plants. Giant pandas, which eat mostly

bamboo shoots, are also bears. The giant panda is a large black

and white creature that weighs about 300 lb (135 kg). Today, they

are very rare. Bears have a very good sense of smell, which is the

most important sense for finding food on land.

RAccOOn

There are 15 species of raccoons; all

are found in the Americas. They are

fast, agile creatures related to bears.

Raccoons in populated areas are

active mainly at night, when they

feed on garbage and farm crops.

PAwS

A bear’s paws are large,

broad, and powerful,

with tough, thick claws.

Pandas have unusual paws.

A modified wristbone acts

like a thumb, allowing the

panda to grasp bamboo

shoots (above).

GIAnT PAndA

The giant panda is often

simply called the panda.

Giant pandas live in

central and western

china and eat mostly

bamboo shoots. There

are only about 1,800

giant pandas left in

the wild, and they

have become a

worldwide symbol

of conservation.

GRIzzLy BEAR

The huge grizzly bear has no enemies apart

from humans. Grizzly bears live in north

America, Europe, and Asia. The grizzly is also

called the brown bear. A female grizzly bear

gives birth to two or three cubs in a winter den.

Grizzly bears eat almost anything, including

spring shoots, fall fruits, animal flesh, and

honey taken from

bees’ nests.

BLAck BEAR

There are two kinds of black bears—

one from north America and the other

from Southeast Asia. not all American

black bears are completely black. Some

are dark brown or reddish-brown. Black

bears are skillful tree climbers and

run fast—up to 25 mph (40 km/h).

American black bears inhabit the

forests of north America, and many

live in national parks.

Bears and pandas

In the fall, grizzly bears in

Alaska scoop up salmon

that have swum upriver

to spawn (lay their eggs).

dAncInG BEAR

Bears have sometimes been

taken from their natural habitats

and trained to entertain people,

but this cruel practice is now

banned in most countries.

Huge,

powerful

paws

Keen sense

of smell

Short

muzzle

Small eyes with

poor eyesight

Large head

Small ears

Find out more

Animals

Animal senses

conservation

and endangered species

Mammals

Polar wildlife

US_068_Bears_and_Pandas.indd 68 05/02/16 12:33 pm