Overview
The brown bear is one of the largest terrestrial carnivores, distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. Highly adaptable with significant size variation across subspecies.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammal
- Family
- Ursidae
- Genus
- Ursus
Habitat
Forests, alpine meadows, tundra, and coastal areas. Adaptable to various climates from Arctic to temperate.
Diet
Omnivorous: fish (especially salmon), berries, nuts, roots, small and large mammals, insects, carrion
Behavior
Generally solitary except during mating season and salmon runs. Excellent swimmers and climbers.
Hunting
Highly regulated big game species. Popular in Alaska and parts of Canada. Requires special permits.
Conservation Status
Least Concern globally, but many regional populations threatened or endangered
Subspecies (14)
- East Siberian brown bearUrsus arctos collaris
- North American brown bearUrsus arctos horribilis
- Himalayan brown bearUrsus arctos isabellinus
- Kamchatka brown bearUrsus arctos beringianus
- Eurasian brown bearUrsus arctos arctos
- Alaskan brown bearUrsus arctos middendorffi
- Amur brown bearUrsus arctos lasiotus
- Alaskan Peninsula brown bearUrsus arctos gyas
- Dall Island brown bearUrsus arctos dalli
- Kodiak bearUrsus arctos middendorffi
- Sitka bearUrsus arctos sitkensis
- Syrian brown bearUrsus arctos syriacus
- Tibetan bearUrsus arctos pruinosus
- Stickeen brown bearUrsus arctos stickeenensis