Bears are 4 ft tall walking and 6 ft tall standing on average. Each type has its own hieght with polar bears being the tallest.
Bear sizes, height and weights
The height of bears is commonly measured when they’re standing on their four legs. The height can also be measured when it’s standing on the hind legs. They usually stand on the hind legs to attack better or to see far.
1. Polar bear
The polar bear is the tallest.
Height
Walking: 4-5.3 feet
Standing up: 5.9- 9.8 feet
Weight
Female: 551 pounds
Male: 992 pounds
2. Brown bears
They’re mainly found in parts of western Canada, Alaska and Washington. The color ranges from brown, black and blonde.
Height
2.3-4.9 feet
Weight
Female: 660 pounds
Male: 1760 pounds
3. American black bear
This is the most common bear found in North America and they’re black, white or brown.
Height
2.9 feet
Weight
Male: 600 pounds
Female: 174 pounds
4. Asian black bear
These bears have long fur and a white patch at the chest, which is often crescent-shaped. They’re found in eastern Asia, including India, China, Cambodia, Taiwan and Japan.
Height
2.3- 3.2 feet
Weight
Male: 440 pounds
Female: 181 pounds
5. Spectacled bear
Height
1.9- 2.9 feet
Weight
Male: 300 pounds
Female: 110 pounds
6. Giant Panda bear
Height
1.9-2.9 feet
Weight
Male: 220 pounds
Female: 250 pounds
7. Sun bear
These are the smallest type of bears.
Height
2.3 feet
Weight
Male: 143 pounds
Female: 110 pounds
8. Sloth bear
Sloth bears are found in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Height
2-3 feet
Weight
Males: 308 pounds
Female: 209 pounds
Factors influencing the sizes of bear
• Time of the year
The weight of bears varies throughout the year since they hibernate during winter. During summer, they feed on carbohydrates and other food to gain weight which they convert into energy during winter. Females are likely to gain weight after mating due to pregnancy.
• Age
The age of the bears plays a big role in how much they weigh. Bears are born when very small and they weigh less than a pound but gain weight quickly as they grow. They obtain maximum weight at maturity and start losing it as they grow old since they’re unable to hunt like before.
• Species
This is the main factor determining how much a bear weighs. Small species that don’t prey weigh 300 pounds and others weigh even below 100 pounds. Larger species weigh above 1000 pounds.
Types of bears and their diet
All bears are omnivorous, with each species having a preferred diet; however, they all love honey. What bears eat also influence their sizes.
1. American black bear
The American black bear eats meat and plants, including berries, roots, insects, fish, larvae and grass. They hunt on hoofed animals such as deer and moose, especially the young ones, since they’re quite easy to kill. They also feed on domesticated animals-they especially love killing sheep.
2. Brown bear
The brown bears are opportunistic eaters and they eat almost everything available. They eat a mixed diet, including plants and animals. Their common food is fish, fruits such as berries and small mammals.
Brown bears have long and strong claws that help them in catching prey, digging for food, and picking fruits. They’re very curious and skilled at finding food.
Alaskan brown bears are the largest brown bear and they consume a lot of food to maintain their calorific need. They eat about 90 pounds daily during summer and fall. During this period, they gain about six pounds of fat daily, which is stored for energy needs during summer.
The grizzly bear is an effective predator that preys on vulnerable prey such as small animals and insects. They spend most of their day time eating. They eat up to 30 pounds daily, stored as fat for use during the hibernation period. They eat plants such as roots, bulbs, berries, tubers and pine nuts.
3. Asiatic black bears
The Asiatic bears feed on various food, including fruits, small mammals, insects and plants. They also feed on domestic animals and sometimes on hoofed wild animals.
4. Sun bears
They’re known to be excellent climbers and they spend most of their time on treetops. Their main food item is honey, honeycombs and bees and because of this, they’re also referred to as honey bears. They also feed on sweet fruits, small rodents and birds.
5. Sloth bear
The sloth bear mainly feeds on insects and have an extended lower lip to help in sucking insects. They supplement their diet with plants, fruits and honey. They eat carrions during food shortages, as well as raid on crop farms.
6. Polar bear
The polar bears are almost exclusively carnivorous as they mainly feed on meat. They feed on seals but mostly on the ringed seals, but occasionally you may find them preying on bearded seals. They catch the seals once they come to the sea ice surface as they try to catch some air. They also scavenge on dead whales. Their other sources of food include seal pups and bird eggs.
7. Spectacled bears
Spectacled bears love bromeliads and fruits, but they also feed on grass, berries, small mammals such as rabbits and birds. During food shortages, they raid cornfields.
8. Giant pandas
The giant panda diet mainly consists of leaves, stems and shoots of bamboo trees. They eat 12-38 kilograms daily to meet their energy needs. They occasionally eat eggs, hunt on small rodents and pikas. They forage on farms where they consume pumpkins, wheat and kidney beans.
Bears are mammals belonging to the Ursidae family. They’re distributed all over North America, South America, Asia and Europe. They’re eight species of bears spread over five genera, excluding the African bear. These eight species of bears include brown bear, Asiatic black bear, American black bears, sun bear, sloth bear, polar bear, spectacled bears and giant pandas.
Bears have an excellent sense of smell and they can smell something that’s miles away. They also live a solitary life except for mothers with cubs. Bears live up to 25 years in the wild, but their life span increases up to 50 years when in captivity.
They’re eight different types of bears, each with different characteristics, including physical features such as size. The sex, food and age are the main factors that determine the size of each group of bears. The sizes fluctuate throughout the year, with them being biggest when going to hibernate during winter.
