Bear Facts

1. A male bear is called a boar or a he-bear. A female bear is called a sow or a she-bear. A group of bears is called a sleuth or sloth.
2. The word “bear” is an Old English word, derived from the Proto-Indo-European *bher-, meaning “bright brown.”
3. The symbol of the United Russia Party is a bear. In fact, bears have traditionally not only been a symbol of pride and power in Russia, but have also been common images in fairy tales and myth.
4. The Ursa Major or “Great Bear” constellation is the third-largest constellation and contains the Big Dipper.
5. The bear ancestor is an offshoot of the ancient Canidae family of dogs, wolves, foxes, and coyotes.
6. The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is the largest bear species. A male polar bear can measure up to 10 feet long and weigh 1,500 lbs., which is about the weight of eight human adults. Female polar bears are up to 50% smaller than the males.
7. Polar bears are the only bear species that is a marine mammal.
8. A polar bear’s fur ranges in color from ivory to pale tan. Underneath its fur coat, the polar bear’s skin is black to help absorb heat from the sun.
9. The name “grizzly bear” refers to the silver-tipped or “grizzled” hair of a brown bear.