BEAR

CLASSIFICATION

                     The family Ursidae consists of eight extant species belonging to five genera in three subfamilies and divided into dozens of extant subspecies.

Subfamily Ailuropodinae

GIANT PANDA

   Scientific name :  Ailuropoda melanoleuca

   Subspecies : Two subspecies.

•  A. m. melanoleuca
•  A. m. qinlingensis (Qinling panda)

   Range : Central China.

   Habitat : Forest.

   Diet : Eats only bamboo.

   Characteristic : Luxuriant black-and-white fur.

Subfamily Tremarctinae

SPECTACLED BEAR 

   Scientific name :  Tremarctos ornatus

   Range : Andes mountains in South America.

   Habitat : Shrubland, grassland, and forest.

   Diet : Primarily eats bromeliads and palm trees, as well as cattle, other mammals, and fruit

   Characteristic : Fur is blackish, ginger-coloured markings across its face and upper chest, short and broad snout.

Subfamily Ursinae

SUN BEAR

   Subspecies : Two subspecies

• H. m. euryspilus (Bornean sun bear)
• H. m. malayanus (Malayan sun bear)

   Range : Southeast Asia.

   Habitat : Forest and shrubland.

   Diet : Primarily eats termites, ants, beetle larvae, bee larvae, honey, and fruit.

   Characteristic : The smallest of all bear species. It is stockily built, with large paws, strongly curved claws, small rounded ears and a short snout.

SLOTH BEAR

   Subspecies : Two subspecies

• M. u. inornatus (Sri Lankan sloth bear)
•  M. u. ursinus (Indian sloth bear)

   Range : India

   Habitat : Shrubland, grassland, forest, and savanna.

   Diet : Primarily eats termites and fruit.

   Characteristic :  Medium-sized, muzzles are thick and long, with small jaws and bulbous snouts with wide nostrils, fur is completely black.

AMERICAN BLACK BEAR  

   Subspecies : Sixteen subspecies.

   Range : North America

   Habitat : Forest, inland wetlands, grassland, shrubland, and desert.

   Diet : Omnivorous; eats vegetation, roots, buds, fruit, nuts, insects, fish, mammals, and carrion.

   Characteristic :The skulls are broad, with narrow muzzles and large jaw hinges. The ears are small and rounded.

ASIAN BLACK BEAR     

   Subspecies : Seven subspices

   Range : South and East Asia

   Habitat : Forest, inland wetlands, grassland, and shrubland. 

   Diet : Eats vegetation, insects, fruit, nuts, ungulates, and livestock.

   Characteristic : Black in color, light brown muzzle, bell shaped ears, white chested.

BROWN BEAR

   Subspecies : Sixteen subspecies

   Range : Northern North America and Europe, and northern and central Asia.

   Habitat : Desert, forest, inland wetlands, grassland, and shrubland.

   Diet : Omnivorous; eats grasses, herbs, roots, berries, nuts, insects, mammals, and fish.

   Characteristic : Variable in size, long and thick fur, very large and curved claws.    

POLAR BEAR 

   Range : Polar North America and Asia

   Habitat : Marine oceanic, shrubland, forest, grassland, marine coastal/supratidal, and marine intertidal.

   Diet : Primarily eats seals, as well as walruses, beluga whales, birds, fish, vegetation and kelp.

   Characteristic : Largest of all species, long muzzle, long neck, white coat.