Located around most of the world, bears are versatile creatures that have resulted in species with various sizes, habits, and food preferences. There are eight total bear species: the North American black bear, the Asiatic black bear, the brown bear, the panda, the polar bear, the sloth bear, the sun bear, and the spectacled bear. Each of these species has fascinating habits, so keep reading to learn six weird facts about bears, from an extra bone to the Pizzly bear.
6. Grolar and Pizzly bears are appearing
Starting our weird facts about bears is the appearance of the pizzly and grolar bear. As the global climate shifts, brown bears and polar bears are coming into contact more often. This happens especially when polar bears lack the ice floes required for hunting seals. The cross-contact sometimes results in hybrid bears, which are commonly called grolar or pizzly bears. The first confirmed instance in the wild was in 2006.
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5. Polar bears are marine mammals
Fifth on our list of weird facts about bears is polar bears’ classification. Polar bears are unique from other bears in that they depend on the ocean for food and a place to live. Technically, this means polar bears are considered marine mammals and even fall under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Polar bears have several adaptations to survive in the brutal cold, from their layer of blubber to webbed forepaws.
4. Female Black bears have delayed pregnancies
Next on our list of weird facts about bears is delayed pregnancies in female black bears. Also known as “delayed implantation,” female black bears will mate during the summer months, but embryos only start developing when the mother bear has started hibernating. Cubs are later born sometime during January/February when their mother is still in her winter den.
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3. Black bears are not always black
Rounding out the top three weird facts about bears is the “cinnamon” black bear. While these may look like brown bears, they are cinnamon-colored black bears. Surprisingly, even though the species is called the black bear, the animal can appear in a range of colors, such as black, brown, cinnamon, blond, blue-gray, or even white. This variation is due to the bear’s environment and how best to camouflage them in the forest.
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2. Sloth bears use their lips like a vacuum
Second on our list of weird facts about bears is the sloth bear’s specially evolved lips. In addition to eating fruits and flowers in its native India, the sloth bear also feasts on ants and termites. The bear uses its long lower lip and wraps it around the outer edge of its nose to create a kind of suction hose. In some aspects, the sloth bear is more like an anteater than other bears, lacking upper incisor teeth as well.
1. Pandas have an extra bone for eating
Last but not least on our list of weird facts about bears is the panda’s extra bone. Pandas are known for eating their fair share of bamboo, spending up to 12 hours a day eating between 20 to 40 pounds of plant material. To feed more easily, pandas have a special anatomical adaptation. On each front paw, pandas have elongated wrist bones with padding on the end. Also known as a “sesamoid” bone, it functions similarly to a thumb, allowing for greater maneuverability with bamboo stalks.
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