Bears

Bears Temporal range: 38–0 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N Late Eocene – Recent
Brown bear
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Synapsida
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Caniformia
Infraorder:	Arctoidea
Family:	Ursidae G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
Subfamilies
†Amphicynodontinae †Hemicyoninae †Ursavinae †Agriotheriinae Ailuropodinae Tremarctinae Ursinae

†Amphicynodontinae
†Hemicyoninae
†Ursavinae
†Agriotheriinae
Ailuropodinae
Tremarctinae
Ursinae

Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere and partially in the Southern Hemisphere. Bears are found on the continents of North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. 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 are generally diurnal, but may be active during the night (nocturnal) or twilight (crepuscular), particularly around humans. Bears possess an excellent sense of smell and, despite their heavy build and awkward gait, are adept runners, climbers, and swimmers. Bears use shelters, such as caves and burrows, as their dens; most species occupy their dens during the winter for a long period of hibernation, up to 100 days.