Category: Mammals
This medium sized bear is the most common and widespread of all bear species. They generally prefer to live in the forest but these opportunistic omnivores will leave the forest in search of food, often ending up near or in human inhabited areas. They are more closely related to Asian black bears than to the other American bear species, brown bears and polar bears. Black bears are highly dexterous and possess great physical strength. Their average lifespan in the wild is about 18 years.
The age-defying Brandt’s bat
In most mammals, larger size correlates with longer lifespan, but that is not the case with the Brandt’s bat, who can live up to 41 years and weigh less than 0.28 ounces! These bats resemble larger, longer-lived mammals in that they mature slowly and have fewer offspring – but the size difference is dramatic: a female Bonobo lives for approximately 40 years as well, but she outweighs the Brandt’s bat by a factor of 3,771! Oddly enough, it is suspected that the mutated gene that causes the bat’s dwarfish size is the same one that leads to its long lifespan. Studying animals with unusual longevity like the Brandt’s bat does more than just satisfy our curiosity, it could lead to longer, healthier lifespans for humans and other animals!
Learn more >>
Discover Animals is a web-based educational resource offered by the NAIA
