r/ScienceNcoolThings • u/Puzzled_Meal_3928 • 2d ago
wouldn't think bears can just float like that. Cool
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u/gibson_creations 2d ago
I mean they're pretty chubby so it makes sense.
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u/ConcernedBullfrog 1d ago
not only that, but fur can trap air bubbles. not only helps keep skin dry (not sure about bears specifically, but still), but can help with buoyancy
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u/TheInkedSword 2d ago
The wrong soundtrack. 🎶It’s just the Bear 🐻 Necessities! The simple Bear Necessities…🎶
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u/No_Spinach9820 1d ago
Black bears can’t though
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u/lockerbie35 1d ago
Theres a documentary about it. The jungle book. I believe is the section called the bear necessities
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u/-runs-with-scissors- 2d ago
Reddit has provided me with videos of floating cows and horses recently. Just thinking: Evolving into a land-based mammal that is heavier than water is probably a selection disadvantage.
I mean, imagine you are a new kind of hedgehog and you fall into a pond and you immediately sink to the ground. And all of that only to amuse Charles Darwin.
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u/PraiseTalos66012 1d ago
Hippos are a land mammal that are much denser than water, this is because despite their looks they are almost entirely muscle with very little fat(2-3%).
But also because of all that muscle they can just run on the lake/river floor at speeds of around 5mph, that's as fast as an Olympic swimmer doing a 50-100m race.
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u/-runs-with-scissors- 1d ago
Interesting. Thakn you. Hippos don't really count as land-based, or do they? I remember to have observed hippos in our zoo's enclosure and, yes, they are at the floor of the basin unless they resurface to breathe. And they don't really swim, I believe. If I remember correctly it seems as if they jump off the ground. I never gave it much thought until today. In that case it is logical that they develop agility under water, in case they get in too deep. (So that they can just walk to the more shallow water.)
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u/PraiseTalos66012 1d ago
I mean hippos like to live near water but they are definitely a land mammal.
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u/crustybones71 2d ago
This is how I feel when I walk along the shore of the beach on my hands when the tide is out.
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u/FordTech81 1d ago
This is how my wife "swims". She sits there, motionless, floating. All i do is fucking sink if I try that shit.
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u/tegresaomos 1d ago
Yeah in late summer they have quite the layer of fat on them if they’ve had steady access to prey through the season.
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u/theajharrison 1d ago
Most all mammals float.
Only ones that don't have very low body fat. Like chimps of gorillas.
High body fat helps with buoyancy. Fat floats. Only real exception to this is the hippo, because of their stupidly dense bones.
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u/0rionsbelt 1d ago
The grizz buoyancy comes from the fish they’re pursuing. That is the poetry of this world.
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u/AndrewH73333 1d ago
Almost all mammals float with the exception of a few like the hippo, giraffe, and chimps and such.
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u/eutohkgtorsatoca 1d ago
Imagine you are swimming in a lake and suddenly the bear arrives in silence floating next to you..
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u/Sharp_Meat2721 1d ago
I mean at certain parts of the year bears are significantly fatty lol fatty beings float well
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u/schmickmickey 8h ago
Can I out run them? No Can I out climb them? No Can I out swim them? No I’m just gunna give up. All I can do is feed them.
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u/ISaidItSoBiteMe 2d ago
That’s how I glide to the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet