Ursidae General ResourcesNorth American Bear Center
Learn more about North American bears at this site dedicated to bear conservation and information.
Source: North American Bear Center Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
Ursidae ![Photos](/kn/images/iconcamera.gif)
Bears are found on all continents except Antarctica and Australia, but are primarily found throughout the northern hemisphere.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
The Bears Among Us ![Photos](/kn/images/iconcamera.gif)
Learn more about bear species found around the world and what is being done to save them.
Source: National Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Ailuropoda (giant panda) Giant Panda
The giant panda is a black-and-white bear. It has black fur on its ears, around its eyes, and on its muzzle, legs, and shoulders.
Source: National Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Giant Panda ![Video](/kn/images/iconfilm.gif)
Bamboo is the most important plant in a giant panda's life.
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Giant Panda
There are only around 1,000 giant pandas in the wild.
Source: National Geographic Kids Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes Giant Panda
Giant pandas are solitary animals.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Giant Panda ![Audio](/kn/images/audio.gif)
Pandas are found mostly in thick bamboo and coniferous forests at 8,500 to 11,500 feet in elevation.
Source: Defenders of Wildlife Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
Giant Panda ![Audio](/kn/images/audio.gif)
Giant pandas are about five feet long from nose to rump, with a four to six inch tail.
Source: WWF Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
Giant Panda
Giant pandas might be cute, but they are just a dangerous as any other species of bear.
Source: Zoo Atlanta Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Giant Panda
Giant pandas are found in the provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, and Shanxi in the central part of China.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle/High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Helarctos (sun bear) Sun Bear ![Audio](/kn/images/audio.gif)
The sun bear is the smallest of the world's eight bear species, about half the size of the American black bear.
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Sun Bear
The sun bear gets its name from a bib-shaped patch of yellow fur on its chest.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Sun Bear
The sun bear is also known as the Malayan sun bear, the dog bear, or the honey bear.
Source: National Geographic Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
Sun Bear
Sun bears have short fur, a long tongue, and a short-haired gray or orange muzzle.
Source: National Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Sun Bear ![video](/kn/images/iconfilm.gif)
Sun bears are nocturnal. They spend the day napping or sunbathing in the trees.
Source: Oregon Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Sun Bear
Sun bears have long sickle-shaped claws on all four feet that help them move around in trees.
Source: Honolulu Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Sun Bear
The sun bear is found from the eastern Himalayas to Szechuan in China, then southward throughout Myanmar, parts of Indochina and the Malayan peninsula.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Sun Bear
Sun bears eat fruit, tender palm tips, insects, birds and small mammals.
Source: St. Louis Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Melursus (sloth bear)
Sloth Bear
Despite their name, sloth bears are not related to sloths and they are not slow-moving.
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Sloth Bear
Insects make up a large part of the sloth bear's diet.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Sloth Bear ![Audio](/kn/images/audio.gif)
Sloth bears have shaggy, dusty-black coats, pale, short-haired muzzles, and long, curved claws that they use to dig out ants and termites.
Source: National Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Sloth Bear
Sloth bears are found throughout India, Sri Lanka, and further north into Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Tremarctos (spectacled bear) Spectacled Bear ![Audio](/kn/images/audio.gif)
The spectacled bear has rings of white or light fur around its eyes, which look like eyeglasses or spectacles.
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Spectacled Bear
Spectacled bears are found in dense forests.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Spectacled Bear
Spectacled bears have shaggy black, brown, or cinnamon fur.
Source: National Geographic Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
Spectacled Bear
Spectacled bears are the only bears to live in South America. Spectacled bears live along the slopes of the Andes mountains from Venezuela to Peru.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Spectacled Bear
The spectacled bear is also known as the Andean bear.
Source: Philadelphia Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Spectacled Bear
The spectacled bear is an omnivore, but a large part of its diet is made up of plants including fruits, palms stalks, bamboo shoots, bromeliad bulbs, and cactus fruit.
Source: Phoenix Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No
Spectacled Bear
Spectacled bears build nests in tree branches for sleeping.
Source: St. Louis Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Ursus (black bears, brown bear, polar bear) American Black Bear ![NH Species](/kn/images/nhmap.gif)
The American black bear is the smallest North American bear.
Source: NHPTV Wildlife Journal Junior Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No
American Black Bear ![NH Species](/kn/images/nhmap.gif)
American black bears have long tongues that they use to scoop up berries and grubs and insects.
Source: National Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
American Black Bear ![NH Species](/kn/images/nhmap.gif)
American black bears may travel as much as 20 miles in search of food.
Source: Jacksonville Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No
American Black Bear ![NH Species](/kn/images/nhmap.gif)
American black bears are usually dark brown to black with a paler muzzle.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes American Black Bear ![NH Species](/kn/images/nhmap.gif)
The American black bear is found from northern Alaska east across Canada to Labrador and Newfoundland, and south through much of Alaska, virtually all of Canada, and most of the U.S. into central Mexico
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
American Black Bear ![NH Species](/kn/images/nhmap.gif)
The American black bear is the smallest of the three bears species found in North America
Source: Defenders of Wildlife Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
American Black Bear ![NH Species](/kn/images/nhmap.gif)
Black Bears are good swimmers and can also climb trees.
Source: Enchanted Learning Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No
Asiatic Black Bear
Asiatic Black Bears are omnivorous and will eat things like termites, acorns, tree sap, invertebrates, carrion, fish and fruit.
Source: Philadelphia Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Asiatic Black Bear
Asiatic black bears have a stocky body, round head and large ears. They have a shaggy black coat with a ruff of longer hairs around the neck and a light beige to white “V” shape on their chest.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Asiatic Black Bear
Asiatic black bears have a disjointed range. In south Asia, they are found from Afghanistan, Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, and Bhutan east to Vietnam and northeast China. To the north, they live in southeast Russia, on Taiwan, and on the Japanese islands of Honshu and Shikoku.
Source: National Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Asiatic Black Bear
Asiatic black bears live in moist forests, on steep mountains, and in areas where the vegetation is thick.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Brown Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
Brown bears can run at speeds of 30 miles per hour.
Source: National Geographic Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
Brown Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
Brown bears can eat 90 pounds of food in a day.
Source: National Geographic Kids Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
Brown Bear
The brown bear is also known as the grizzly bear.
Source: NHPTV Wildlife Journal Junior Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No
Brown Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
Brown bears come in a variety of shades, from a light cream color to almost black.
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Brown Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
The brown bear has a humped back.
Source: National Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Brown Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
Brown bears are found in in the northern forests of North America, Europe, and Asia.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Brown Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
Brown bears are usually brown but they can also vary in color from cream to almost black.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Brown Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
Brown bears have an exceptionally acute sense of smell, exceeding that of dogs.
Source: Alaska Department of Fish and Game Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
Brown Bear
Brown bears can be up to 7 feet long and weigh up to 1,500 pounds.
Source: Enchanted Learning Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No Polar Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
Scientists believe that the polar bear evolved about 200,000 years ago from brown bear ancestors.
Source: Polar Bear International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Polar Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
Even though polar bears look white, their hair is really made of clear, hollow tubes filled with air.
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Polar Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
Polar bears travel over sea ice to hunt seals.
Source: National Geographic Kids Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
Polar Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
Polar bears have fur on the bottom of their paws that help keep them warm and help keep them from sliding on the ice.
Source: National Geographic Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
Polar Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
Polar bears have a
layer of fat up to 4.3 inches thick that keeps them warm, especially while swimming.
Source: WWF Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes Polar Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
Polar bears can swim for several hours at a time over long distances.
Source: SeaWorld Infobook Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No
Polar Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
The polar bear is the largest living land carnivore in the world.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Polar Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
Polar bears have transparent eyelids that work like sunglasses to filter out the brightness of snow and sun.
Source: Philadelphia Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes Polar Bear ![video](/kn/images/iconfilm.gif)
Polar bears are solitary except during breeding season and when females have young.
Source: Oregon Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Polar Bear
The polar bear's white fur helps camouflage it in it's polar environment.
Source: NHPTV Wildlife Journal Junior Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary/Middle School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: No
Polar Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
Polar bears have large, flat front feet that help make them good swimmers.
Source: Defenders of Wildlife Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes
Polar Bear ![North American Species](/kn/images/northamerica.jpg)
The polar bear is called Nanuuq by the Inuits.
Source: US Fish and Wildlife Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School Teacher Section: No Searchable: Yes Polar Bear
Polar bears are found throughout the arctic region surrounding the North Pole.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle /High School Teacher Section: Yes Searchable: Yes
Polar Bear
Polar bears are fierce predators who eat mostly seals (and some walruses and other marine mammals)
Source: Enchanted Learning Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary School Teacher Section: No Searchable: No
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