Tom Erhard Jr., age 8, of Montgomery, Ala., for his question:
HOW MANY KINDS OF BEARS ARE THERE?
There are seven species of bears in the world: big brown bears, American black bears, polar bears, sun bears, sloth bears and spectacled bears.
Largest bears in the world are the big brown bears. Among them are the Alaskan brown bears, such as the Kodiak bear and the grizzly bear of western North America.
Grizzlies get their name from the white hairs that grow in their brown coats, making them look grizzled or streaked with gray. They can grow to be up to eight feet long and weigh 800 pounds. A grizzly appears on the California state seal and flag as a symbol of determination.
American black bears are among the most common species. They grow about five feet long and are the smallest bears of North America. Most weigh from 200 to 300 pounds but some can weigh as much as 500 pounds.
Asiatic black bears are sometimes called Himalayan bears. Smaller than the North American black bears, they grow to be about five feet long and weigh 250 pounds. Most of them live in southern and eastern Asia.
Polar bears are the best swimmers of all bears. They live in regions bordering the Arctic Ocean. They grow to be just a bit smaller than the big brown bears.
Sun bears are the smallest species of bears. Sometimes called Malayan bears, they grow only about three feet long and weigh between 60 and 100 pounds. You'll find them living in the forests of Borneo, Burma, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Thailand.
Sloth bears get their name from an old English word meaning slow. They live in India and Sri Lanka, grow to be about five feet long and weigh 250 pounds. They move very slowly.
Spectacled bears are the only kind of bear you'll find living in South America. They grow to be about five feet long and weigh between 200 and 300 pounds. This bear is named for the large circles or half circles of white fur around its eyes that look like spectacles.
The Alaskan brown bear, a member of the big brown bear division, is the largest meat eating animal that lives on land. It grows about nine feet long and weighs over 1,500 pounds.
Most bears live north of the equator. They live in Asia, Europe, North America and in the Arctic near the North Pole. Only the spectacled bear lives south of the equator and no bears live in Africa, Antarctica or Australia.
Most bears look bigger than they are because of their long, thick fur and loose skin.
Bears have small eyes and cannot see too well. Their small, rounded ears stand stright up, but they hear only fairly well. They do have excellent senses of smell, however.
Bears usually live alone and never gather in packs. A male and female bear may live together for about a month. Then the male wanders away and the female looks for a place for her cubs to be born.
Many people believe that bears hibernate. They do not. They take long winter naps but it is not true hibernation. Bears often wake up and walk around on mild winter days.