U. t. formosanus - Formosan black (b.) bear (Taiwan)

U. t. gedrosianus - Pakistan b. bear (s. Balochistan)

U. t. japonicus - Japanese b. bear (Honshu and Shikoku)

U. t. laniger - Himalayan b bear (Kashmir, Himalayas, Sikkim)

U. t. mupinensis - Indochinese b. bear (Himalayas and Indochina)

U. t. thibetanus - Tibetan b. bear (Assam, Nepal, Myanmar, Mergui, Thailand, )

U. t. ussuricus - Ussuri b. bear (far east, Korean peninsula)

Southeast Asia

The Asian Black Bear is found from southeastern Iran eastward through Afghanistan and Pakistan, across the foothills of the Himalayas in India and Myanmar to mainland Southeast Asia, except Malaysia. Its range in northeastern and southern China is patchy, and it is absent in much of east-central China. Other population clusters exist in the southern Russian Far East and in North Korea. A small remnant population survives in South Korea. It also occurs on the Japanese islands of Honshu and Shikoku, as well as on Taiwan and the Chinese island of Hainan.

It typically inhabits deciduous forests, mixed forests and thornbrush forests. In the summer, it usually inhabits altitudes of around 11,500 feet in the Himalayas but rarely above 12,000 feet. In winter, it descends to altitudes below 5000 feet. In Japan, it also occurs at sea level.

Asian black bears are diurnal, though they become nocturnal near human habitations. They may live in family groups consisting of two adults and two successive litters of young. They will walk in a procession of largest to smallest. They are good climbers of rocks and trees, and will climb to feed, rest, sun, elude enemies and hibernate. Some older bears may become too heavy to climb.