The basics of the bears

Bears are a group of carnivores known for their burly build, impressive agility and increasingly threatened conservation status. There are eight species of bears that inhabit a wide range of habitats throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia. Although the bear family includes the largest living land carnivores, many species survive on a diet that consists largely of vegetation.

There are eight species of bears alive today that range in size from the large brown bears and polar bears, which can weigh as much as 2200 and 1500 pounds respectively, to the comparatively smaller giant pandas and sun bears, which weigh less than 300 pounds apiece.



American black bears inhabit parts of North America and Mexico. The diet of American black bears consists primarily of plant material such as leaves, buds, shoots, berries and nuts. American black bear subspecies include the cinnamon bear, glacier bear, Mexican black bear, Kermody bear, Louisiana black bear and several others.



Asian black bears are medium-sized bears that inhabit parts of southeast Asia and the Russian Far East. Asian black bears have a patch of yellowish-white fur on their chest and a black body. They resemble American black bears in body shape and behavior. Asian black bears feed on a variety of plant materials including bamboo shoots, leaves, herbs, grasses, fruits and nuts.



Brown bears are the largest of all the bear species and are considered to be the largest living land carnivore. Brown bears are widely distributed, inhabiting a range that includes the northern parts of North America, Europe and Asia. There are numerous subspecies of brown bears including the Carpathian bear, European brown bear, Gobi bear, grizzly bear, Kodiak bear and several others.



Giant pandas are small bears that feed almost exclusively on bamboo shoots and leaves. They have a distinct color pattern, a black body, white face, black ears and black eye spots. Giant pandas are native to the central and southern parts of western China.



Polar bears are the second largest of all bear species. Polar bears inhabit a circumpolar region in the Arctic which stretches into northern Canada and Alaska. Polar bears live on pack ice, along shorelines and swim in open water. They feed on a diet of seals and walrus.



Sloth bears are medium-sized bears that inhabit grasslands, forests and scrublands in southeast Asia. Sloth bears have long, shaggy fur and a white chest mark. They feed on termites which they find using their acute sense of smell.