Lava bear

Lava bear

Lava bear specimen exhibited in 1917
Grouping	Cryptid
Sub grouping	Undersized variation of known species (Ursus americanus)
Similar creatures	American black bear
Other name(s)	Sand lapper and dwarf grizzly
Country	United States
Region	South central Oregon
Habitat	High desert lava beds

The lava bear (also known as sand lapper, dwarf grizzly, and North American sun bear) is a variety of American black bear (Ursus americanus) found in the lava beds of south central Oregon, and once mistakenly thought to be a separate species. The animal was described as a very small bear with wooly light brown fur, and the few lava bears that were killed or captured were a little larger than a badger. Scientists who examined the specimens determined that the animals were stunted due to the harsh environment in which they lived. Today, it is acknowledged that lava bears never existed as a unique species.

When lava bears were first encountered in the early 20th century it was speculated that they might be a unique species, possibly a dwarf grizzly. The diminutive bears resembled black bears in many ways, but were much smaller with wooly fur that was light brown in color, similar to grizzly bears. Specimens taken by hunters were a little larger than a badger. They were approximately 17 inches (43 cm) to 30 inches (76 cm) long and between 12 inches (30 cm) and 18 inches (46 cm) high. The bears weighed between 23 pounds (10 kg) and 35 pounds (16 kg). Gray hair on their muzzles along with well-worn claws and teeth indicated that some of the specimens were adult bears.

One of the first lava bear specimens taken in the wild was mounted and sent to United States Bureau of Biological Survey in Washington, District of Columbia. Eventually, scientist determined that lava bears were American black bears (Ursus americanus), stunted by malnutrition caused by the austere environment where the animals lived and foraged.

From 1917 through the early 1930s, a number of people reported seeing small bears in the lava beds and surrounding high desert county of northern Lake County, Oregon. The bears were initially called sand lappers, but eventually became known as lava bears. The first documented encounter was in 1917, when a sheepherder name O. T. McKendree killed a small bear near Fossil Lake. Originally, McKendree thought it was a black bear cub, but upon further inspection he found the animal was a very small adult bear. He had the animal mounted by a taxidermist. The mounted lava bear was exhibited in The Dalles and later in Lakeview. A photograph of the mounted bear was published in Oregon Sportsman magazine in October 1917. Eventually, the mounted specimen was sent to Washington, D. C., where it was examined by Clinton Hart Merriam of the Bureau of Biological Survey. Merriam, an expert on North American bears, determined that the specimen was an unusually small American black bear.