Bears (family Ursidae) are large mammals that occupy a variety of habitats across the globe. Their physical and behavioral adaptations allow them to thrive in environments ranging from Arctic ice caps to tropical rainforests and high-altitude mountain slopes. This widespread distribution across four continents demonstrates the ecological flexibility of the world’s eight bear species.
Bear Species of North America
North America is home to three distinct bear species. The American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) is the most numerous and widely distributed, found across forests in 40 US states, Canada, and parts of northern Mexico. This highly adaptable species inhabits coniferous and deciduous forests, mountainous terrain up to 3,000 meters in elevation, and coastal swamps and chaparral shrublands.
The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos), often called the Grizzly Bear inland, occupies a more restricted range concentrated primarily in Alaska and Western Canada (British Columbia and the Yukon Territory). Isolated populations persist in the contiguous United States within the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Coastal brown bears inhabit salmon-rich regions, while inland grizzlies are adapted to a varied diet in tundra, alpine meadows, and forested environments.
The Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) is the northernmost species, inhabiting the circumpolar Arctic region, including the US (Alaska), Canada, Greenland, Russia, and Norway (Svalbard). This marine mammal depends on sea ice as a platform to hunt its primary prey, seals, near water channels (leads and polynyas). When the sea ice melts during summer, polar bears are forced onto terrestrial coastlines and islands to wait for the ice to return.
Bear Species of Eurasia
Eurasia features both widespread bear populations and species with fragmented ranges. The Eurasian Brown Bear (Ursus arctos arctos) is a subspecies of the Brown Bear, sharing its species with the North American grizzly. Its distribution stretches from Western Europe across the massive Siberian taiga to the Russian Far East. While the largest populations exist in Russia’s remote forests, smaller groups are found in mountainous woodlands across Europe, including the Pyrenees, Alps, Carpathians, and Balkans.
The Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus) is distributed from southeastern Iran through the foothills of the Himalayas, into mainland Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and the Russian Far East. This species is found in forested, mountainous regions, inhabiting broadleaf and coniferous forests up to 4,000 meters. Seasonal migration is common; bears move to higher altitudes during warmer periods and descend to lower, temperate areas in winter to find food.
The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is one of the most geographically restricted bear species, confined to six isolated mountain ranges in central China. These populations are located primarily in the Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces, inhabiting damp, misty temperate forests. Their survival is linked to the presence of specific bamboo species in high-elevation habitats (1,200 and 3,400 meters), which provide nearly all of their diet.
Tropical and South American Bear Species
The remaining three species are found in tropical and southern latitudes, adapted to warmer climates where hibernation is not required. The Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is the sole bear species native to South America, restricted almost entirely to the Andes Mountains. Its range extends from western Venezuela through Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru down to Bolivia, primarily occupying humid montane cloud forests and high-altitude páramo grasslands. These bears are agile climbers, found across a wide vertical range, typically between 1,900 and 3,658 meters in elevation.
The Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus) is endemic to the Indian subcontinent, with populations across India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. This species is adapted to lowland habitats, including dry and moist tropical deciduous forests, savannas, and scrublands, typically below 1,500 meters. Sloth bears are insectivorous, using specialized lips and long claws to extract ants and termites from their nests.
The Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus), the smallest bear species, is found exclusively in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia. Its range covers Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia. As the most arboreal bear, the Sun Bear spends considerable time in trees within these low-altitude, evergreen forests, foraging for fruit, insects, and honey.