Feeding Bear

giant panda feeding on bamboo. species entirely herbivorous.

most bears opportunistic omnivores , consume more plant animal matter. eat leaves, roots, , berries insects, carrion, fresh meat, , fish, , have digestive systems , teeth adapted such diet. @ extremes entirely herbivorous giant panda , carnivorous polar bear. however, bears feed on food source becomes seasonally available. example, asiatic black bears in taiwan consume large numbers of acorns when these common, , switch ungulates @ other times of year.

when foraging plants, bears choose eat them @ stage when @ nutritious , digestible, typically avoiding older grasses, sedges , leaves. hence, in more northern temperate areas, browsing , grazing more common in spring , later becomes more restricted. knowing when plants ripe eating learned behaviour. berries may foraged in bushes or @ tops of trees, , bears try maximize number of berries consumed versus foliage. in autumn, bear species forage large amounts of naturally fermented fruits, affects behaviour. smaller bears climb trees obtain mast (edible reproductive parts, such acorns). such masts can important diets of these species, , mast failures may result in long-range movements bears looking alternative food sources. brown bears, powerful digging abilities, commonly eat roots. panda s diet on 99% bamboo, of 30 different species. strong jaws adapted crushing tough stems of these plants, though prefer eat more nutritious leaves. bromeliads can make 50% of diet of spectacled bear, has strong jaws bite them open.

brown bear feeding on infrequent, predictable, salmon migrations

the sloth bear, though not specialised polar bears , panda, has lost several front teeth seen in bears, , developed long, suctioning tongue feed on ants, termites, , other burrowing insects favour. @ times of year, these insects can make 90% of diets. species may raid nests of wasps , bees honey , immature insects, in spite of stinging adults. sun bears use long tongues lick both insects , honey. fish important source of food species, , brown bears in particular gather in large numbers @ salmon runs. typically, bear plunges water , seizes fish jaws or front paws. preferred parts eat brain , eggs. small burrowing mammals rodents may dug out , eaten.

the brown bear , both species of black bears take large ungulates, such deer , bovids, young , weak. these animals may taken short rush , ambush, though hiding young may stiffed out , pounced on. polar bear preys on seals, stalking them ice or breaking dens. eat highly digestible blubber. large mammalian prey typically killed bite head or neck, or (in case of young) pinned down , mauled. predatory behaviour in bears typically taught young mother.

bears prolific scavengers , kleptoparasites, stealing food caches rodents, , carcasses other predators. hibernating species, weight gain important provides nourishment during winter dormancy. brown bear can eat 41 kg (90 lb) of food , gain 2–3 kg (4.4–6.6 lb) of fat day prior entering den.