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The Ursid a mammal family of the carnivora order which includes the bears, of which there are five genera and eight species.
Range:
Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in some sixty countries primarily in the Northern Hemisphere and are concentrated in Asia, North America, and Europe. An exception is the spectacled bear which is native to South America and inhabits the Andean region. Too, the range of the sun bear extends below the equator in Southeast Asia.
The most widespread species is the brown bear, which occurs from Western Europe eastwards through Asia to the western areas of North America. The American black bear is restricted to North America, the polar bear is restricted to the Arctic Sea and all the remaining species of bear inhabit Asia.
The Atlas bear, a subspecies of the brown bear was distributed in North Africa from Morocco to Libya, but it became extinct during the 1870s.
Habitat:
Bears live in a wide variety of habitats which include tropical lowland rainforest, coniferous and broadleaf forests, prairies, steppes, montane grassland, alpine scree slopes, Arctic tundra and in the case of the polar bear, ice floes.
Bears may dig their dens in hillsides or use caves, hollow logs and dense vegetation for shelter.
Description:
Bears are carnivoran mammals and are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Common characteristics of modern bears include large bodies with stocky legs, long snouts, small rounded ears, shaggy hair, plantigrade paws with five nonretractile claws, and short tails.
While the polar bear is mostly carnivorous, and the giant panda feeds almost entirely on bamboo, the remaining six species are omnivorous with varied diets. With the exception of courting individuals and mothers with their young, bears are typically solitary animals. They may be diurnal or nocturnal and have an excellent sense of smell.
Despite their heavy build and awkward gait, they are adept runners, climbers, and swimmers. Bears use shelters, such as caves and logs, as their dens and most of the species occupy their dens during the winter for a long period of hibernation, which can last up to 100 days.
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