Bear Facts

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Every badge in the album comes with a real bear fact. Here are all of them, sorted by topic. You can read every fact here, even for badges you haven't collected yet. Our bear says he finds this “deeply unnecessary.”

You could just read these. Or you could poke me 100 times for each one. Your call. (Please read them.)

Size & Strength

  • Bears can run as fast as a racehorse, uphill and downhill. Never try to outrun one.

    #15 Caffeine Rage

  • A brown bear's front claws can be up to about 4 inches (10 cm) long, perfect for digging.

    #16 Coffee & Chaos

  • Male brown bears can roam home ranges of hundreds of square miles.

    #20 Forest Walk

  • Big male Kodiak bears from Alaska, a type of brown bear, can weigh over 1,300 lb (600 kg).

    #26 Royal Decree

  • Polar bears and big brown bears like Kodiaks are the largest bears alive, and among the largest meat-eaters on land.

    #28 Kneel, Peasant

  • One polar bear was tracked swimming 427 miles (687 km) over about nine days without stopping.

    #30 Speed Demon

  • Bears can walk on two legs for short distances, but four legs is their normal way to move.

    #34 Bad Dancer

  • Black bears are excellent climbers, and cubs climb trees to escape danger.

    #42 Rage Mode

  • Ice Age North America was home to the giant short-faced bear, one of the largest meat-eating land mammals ever.

    #43 The Final Form

Senses & Smarts

  • A bear's sense of smell is often said to be about seven times better than a bloodhound's.

    #9 Decaf Disaster

  • In a study, black bears learned to use touchscreens. Unlike you, they knew when to stop.

    #14 Professional Annoyer

  • Bears rub against trees to leave scent messages for other bears (and to scratch an itch).

    #17 Tree Hugger

  • A bear standing on its hind legs is usually just trying to see and smell better, not to attack.

    #23 Bear Breaker

  • Nursing bear cubs make a humming sound, a bit like a purr.

    #38 DJ Grizzly

Food

  • Bears are omnivores, and for most brown bears plants like grasses, roots and berries are the main menu.

    #10 Mug Life

  • Before winter, bears go into an eating frenzy and can eat around 20,000 calories a day.

    #11 Espresso Yourself

  • When bears raid beehives, they are often after the protein-rich larvae, not just the honey.

    #12 Spilled It

  • In the Northern Rockies, a grizzly can eat up to around 40,000 moths in a single day.

    #13 Double Shot

  • Grizzlies sometimes raid squirrels' hidden stashes of pine seeds.

    #18 Pinecone Pitcher

  • Bears flip logs and rocks to find ants, beetle larvae and other snacks.

    #19 Log Flipper

  • Bears spread seeds in their droppings, helping forests and berry bushes grow.

    #22 Forest Rage

  • Giant pandas can spend up to 14 hours a day eating bamboo.

    #31 The Grumpy King

  • Sloth bears can close their nostrils and vacuum up termites through a gap in their front teeth.

    #41 Deal With It

Sleep

  • A bear woken from hibernation is groggy and burns precious energy it saved for winter.

    #1 Rude Awakening

  • In cold places, black bears can spend up to about seven months in their dens without eating or drinking.

    #2 Five More Minutes

  • During hibernation, a black bear's heart can slow to around 14 beats per minute, sometimes with up to 20 seconds between beats.

    #3 One Eye Open

  • Bears den in hollow trees, caves or dug-out hillsides, often lined with leaves and grass.

    #4 Bed Head

  • Bears' body temperature drops only a few degrees in hibernation, so they can wake up fairly quickly.

    #5 Snooze Button

  • A bear can lose up to around a third of its body weight over winter.

    #6 Grumpy Morning

  • Bear cubs are born while mom hibernates, often weighing about a pound or less.

    #7 King of Naps

  • Hibernating bears recycle their own waste into protein, so their muscles and bones stay strong.

    #8 Legendary Nap

  • A hibernating bear's metabolism can drop to around a quarter of its normal rate.

    Secret badge

Species

  • Polar bears are so well insulated that overheating is a bigger problem for them than cold.

    #21 No Chill

  • The American black bear is the most widespread bear in North America, found across much of the US, Canada and Mexico.

    #24 Forest Guardian

  • There are eight bear species: brown, American black, Asiatic black, polar, sun, sloth, spectacled and giant panda.

    #25 Paper Crown

  • The sun bear is the smallest bear and has a very long tongue for slurping insects and honey.

    #27 Throne of Logs

  • Under all that white fur, a polar bear's skin is black.

    #29 Lawyered Up

  • Pandas have a "pseudo-thumb", an enlarged wrist bone that helps them grip bamboo.

    #32 Royal Tantrum

  • The spectacled bear is the only bear native to South America.

    #33 Party Hat

  • Bear cubs usually stay with their mother for about one and a half to three years.

    #35 Un-Birthday

  • Brown bears aren't always brown: their fur can range from blond to almost black.

    #37 Disco Fur

  • Wild brown bears can live 20–30 years.

    #44 Seen It All

Safety

  • Never approach a bear for a photo. Many US national parks ask visitors to stay at least 100 yards away.

    #36 Selfie Bear

  • Huffing, jaw-popping and slapping the ground are a bear's way of saying "I'm stressed, give me space."

    #39 Karaoke Growl

  • Most bears avoid people. If you meet one, stay calm, speak softly and back away slowly. Never run.

    #40 Wild Bear

  • Bears living near people often become more active at night to avoid them.

    Secret badge

  • In a real bear encounter, avoid staring: bears can see direct eye contact as a challenge.

    Secret badge

  • A bear that lays its ears back is warning you that it feels threatened. Give it space.

    Secret badge

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