| − | Bears are generally omnivorous animals which, depending on the species and season, consume varying amounts of plant and animal food. Fruits and other plant parts make up a large part of the diet in many species, supplemented by insects and their larvae and small vertebrates like fish or rodents; an 800 pound grizzly bear will graze on berries with the same relish it would when eating meat. At the extreme ends of the diet scale are the giant panda, which feeds almost exclusively on bamboo, and the polar bear, which is the only dominant carnivore within this group. | + | Bears are generally omnivorous animals which, depending on the species and season, consume varying amounts of plant and animal food. Fruits and other plant parts make up a large part of the diet in many species, supplemented by insects and their larvae and small vertebrates like fish or rodents; an 800-pound grizzly bear will graze on berries with the same relish it would when eating meat. At the extreme ends of the diet scale are the giant panda, which feeds almost exclusively on bamboo, and the polar bear, which is the only dominant carnivore within this group. |