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Subspecies of brown bear
LittleJerry: ←Created page with 'Formerly or currently considered subspecies or populations have been listed as follows:<ref name=MSW3/> {| class="wikitable" |+ style="text-align: centre;" | ...'
Formerly or currently considered subspecies or populations have been listed as follows:<ref name=MSW3/>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ style="text-align: centre;" | [[Palearctic realm]] (Eurasia and North Africa)
!Subspecies / Population !! Image !! Distribution!! Description/comments
|-
| <big>''Ursus arctos arctos'' – [[Eurasian brown bear]]</big>
|[[File:European Brown Bear.jpg|140 px]]
| Represents every population found in [[Europe]] as well as their range in [[European Russia|western Russia]] and the [[Caucasus]]. May be found as far east in Russia as the [[Yenisei River]] in [[Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug]] to [[Novosibirsk Oblast]] in the south, where the subspecies intergrades into ''U. a. collaris''.<ref name="soviet"></ref>
| A predominantly dark, richly brown colored (with rare light-colored individuals), moderately sized subspecies with dark claws, the Eurasian brown bears occurring in Russia are larger than their European counterparts, which may be in part because they are hunted less.<ref name="soviet"/>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos beringianus'' – [[Kamchatka brown bear]] (or Far Eastern brown bear)
|[[File:Brown-bear-in-spring.jpg|140 px]]
| Found in the coastal lands surrounding the [[Sea of Okhotsk]] down as far as the [[Shantar Islands]], [[Kolyma]], all the land around the [[Shelikhov Gulf]], the [[Kamchatka Peninsula]] and [[Paramushir Island]].<ref name="soviet"/>
| A very large bear with a broad muzzle. Overall has dark coloring, some animals appearing almost blackish-brown but will usually be paler at the top of the back. It may overlap with ''U. a. collaris'' extensively a few miles inland. It is thought to be the ancestor of the [[polar bear]], the [[Kodiak bear]],<ref name="evolution"/> and the peninsular brown bears of [[Alaska]]. Middendorf described it from Greater Shantar Island with its distribution range comprising the eastern coast of Siberia and Japan.<ref name="Baryshnikov et al. 2004">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos collaris'' – [[East Siberian brown bear]]
|[[File:Хозяин морей.jpg|140 px]]
| A majority of [[Siberia]] from the [[Yenisei River]] to as far south as the [[Altai Mountains]] in northern [[Mongolia]], northernmost [[Xinjiang]] and northeastern [[Kazakhstan]]. Ranges as far north as the southwestern [[Taymyr Peninsula]] and the [[Anabar River]]. As the farthest east ranging of all Eurasian brown bear populations, it is found in [[Chukotka Autonomous Okrug|Chukotka]] as far as the coast of the [[Bering Strait]] to the east and the coast of the [[Chukchi Sea]] in the north.<ref name="soviet"/>
| Most bears of this type are fairly dark, but some are as pale as grizzly bears. It is intermediate in size between ''U. a. arctos'' and ''U. a. beringianus'', with a proportionately larger skull than the nominate subspecies. In the sub-Arctic region of [[Yakutia]], bears are reportedly quite small compared to other regions.<ref name="soviet"/><ref name= Akhremenko></ref>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos gobiensis'' – [[Gobi bear]]
| [[File:Ursus arctos gobiensis.jpg|140px]]
| [[Gobi Desert]]
| An extremely rare bear found in the Gobi Desert, this bear is adapted to desert life, dwelling in oases and rocky outcrops. It is rather small and pale and it appears to lack the whitish collar characteristic of Tibetan blue bears.<ref></ref><ref name= Balint>Balint, P. J., & Steinberg, J. A. (2003). "Conservation case study of the Gobi bear", pp. 238–257 in ''Mongolia Today: Science, Culture, Environment, and Development''. Psychology Press. .</ref> Phylogenetic analysis suggests they represent a relict population of the Himalayan brown bear.<ref></ref><ref name="lan" /> At one time, Gobi bears probably overlapped and possibly interbred with Tibetan blue bears in western China, but the bears are now extinct in this area.<ref></ref>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos isabellinus'' – [[Himalayan brown bear]]
|[[File:Medvěd plavý (Ursus arctos isabellinus).jpg|140 px]]
| Northern [[Nepal]], [[Northern India|Northern]] and [[Northeast India|Northeastern]] India and [[Northern Pakistan]], most continuous current range in [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]].
| Quite distinctive physically, as it possess a reddish-brown or sandy-brown coat color with silver-tipped hairs and relatively large ears. This bear is smaller than most other brown bears found on the Asian continent. Prefers high altitude forests and alpine meadows. [[Critically Endangered]].
|-
| ''Ursus arctos lasiotus'' – [[Ussuri brown bear]] (or Amur brown bear, black grizzly or horse bear)
|[[File:Ursus arctos lasiotus - Beijing Zoo 3.JPG|140 px]]
| Russia: the southern [[Kuril Islands]], [[Sakhalin]], the [[Primorsky Krai|Maritime Territory]] and the [[Ussuri]]/[[Amur River]] region south of the [[Stanovoy Range]], China (former [[Manchuria]]): [[Heilongjiang]], [[Japan]]: [[Hokkaidō]], [[Honshu]] (in the last glacial period), the Korean Peninsula: [[North Korea]]<ref name="soviet"/> Became extinct on [[Rebun Island|Rebun]] and [[Rishiri Island]]s in the 13th century.<ref name="門崎 (2009) p356">『[[#門崎 (2009)|野生動物調査痕跡学図鑑]]』 p.356</ref>
| ''Ursus arctos lasiotus'' is quite variable in size. Skull dimensions from mainland Russia (i.e. the [[Primorsky Krai|Primorsky]] and the [[Khabarovsk Krai|Khabarovsk]]) indicate they can rival [[Kamchatka brown bear]]s in size.<ref name="soviet"/><ref name= Akhremenko/> By contrast, the population found in [[Hokkaido]] is one of the smallest northern forms of the brown bear. Nonetheless, individuals from Hokkaido can reportedly get larger than expected and have reached .<ref>[https://ift.tt/2rRRlaq Kamchatkan Bear]. iza-yoi.net</ref> in weight by feeding on cultivations.<ref>[https://ift.tt/37omy5E 体重４００キロのヒグマ捕獲 なぜ巨大化？] news24.jp (12 October 2015)</ref><ref>[https://ift.tt/37omy5E 体重４００キロのヒグマ捕獲 なぜ巨大化？｜日テレNEWS24]. News24.jp (2015-10-12). Retrieved on 2016-12-12.</ref> This bear is thought to be the ancestor of ''U. a. horribilis''.<ref name="evolution"/> It is perhaps the darkest-colored population on average and some specimens are almost fully black in colour, although lighter brown and intermediate forms are known. Due to its coloring, this subspecies is sometimes informally referred to as the "black grizzly".<ref name="soviet"/>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos marsicanus'' – [[Marsican brown bear]] or Apennine brown bear<ref name="Ciucci et al.">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref>
| [[File:Orso bruno marsicano.jpg|140px]]
| [[Marsica]], central [[Italy]]
| There are an estimated 40 to 50 bears remaining in the Marsican area. This is an unrecognized subspecies that is now considered to be a population of the nominate subspecies.<ref name=MSW3/>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos pruinosus'' – [[Tibetan blue bear]]
|[[File:Tibetan Blue Bear - Ursus arctos pruinosus - Joseph Smit crop.jpg|140 px]]
| [[Tibetan Plateau]]; some of the bears found in the Himalayas are reportedly actually wandering individuals from the more robustly populated Tibetan subspecies.<ref name="soviet"/><ref></ref>
| This is a moderately-sized subspecies with long, shaggy fur. Both dark- and light-colored variants are encountered, with intermediate colors predominating. The fur around the neck, chest and shoulders is yellowish-brown or whitish and frequently forms a collar which no other brown bear subspecies typically possesses in a mature state. Like the Himalayan brown bear, the ears are relatively prominent. The skull is distinguished by its relatively flattened choanae, an arch-like curve of the molar row and large teeth, probably in correlation to its particularly carnivorous habits.<ref name="soviet"/>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos pyrenaicus'' – [[Cantabrian brown bear]] or Iberian brown bear
| [[File:Oso pardo madrid.jpg|140 px]] – See photographs in [https://ift.tt/2XrDJ1z Eroski article (in [[Spanish language|Spanish]], also available in [[Catalan language|Catalan]], [[Basque language|Basque]] and [[Galician language|Galician]])] and in [https://ift.tt/35llxJp Fauna Ibérica. Oso pardo ibérico (''Ursus arctos pyrenaicus''), in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]]
| [[Iberian Peninsula]], primarily the [[Cantabrian Mountains]] and hills in [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]], and the [[Pyrenees]].<ref name="La recuperació del rei dels boscos"></ref> Rare, sporadic sightings in northern [[Portugal]].<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref>
| Until recently, this bear was considered a separate subspecies. Today, it is considered to belong to the subspecies ''[[Eurasian brown bear|U. a. arctos]]''. Scientific evidence based on DNA studies would furthermore indicate the Eurasian brown bear can be divided into two distinct lineages. "There is a clear division into two main mitochondrial lineages in modern Eurasian brown bear populations. These populations are divided into those carrying an eastern lineage (clade IIIa, Leonard et al. 2000), which is composed of Russian, northern Scandinavian and eastern European populations, and those carrying a western lineage (clade I, Leonard et al. 2000), which is composed of two subgroups, one believed to originate from the Iberian Peninsula, including southern Scandinavian bears and the Pyrenean populations; and the other from the Italian–Balkan peninsulas (Taberlet et al. 1994; see however Kohn et al. 1995). In addition, based on the subfossil record in northwestern Moldova and mitochondrial DNA data from modern populations, a Carpathian refuge has also been proposed (Sommer & Benecke 2005; Saarma et al. 2007)."<ref name=j1></ref>
The Cantabrian brown bear is the largest wild animal on the [[Iberian Peninsula]], although it is also one of the smallest of the brown bears, weighing between as an adult.<ref></ref> Its fur varies from pale cream to dark brown, but always with a distinctively darker, nearly black tone at the paws and a yellowish tinge at the tip of each hair. The Cantabrian brown bear population in Spain is considered [[Endangered species|endangered]]. The bear population in the [[Pyrenees]] stems mostly from bears reintroduced from [[Slovenia]], with one or two remaining original males.<ref name="La recuperació del rei dels boscos"/><ref name=j1/><ref>[https://ift.tt/341MrWN Cuántos osos hay y dónde viven]. Fundación Oso Pardo – distribution maps and population from 2008 (in [[Spanish language|Spanish]])</ref><ref>[https://ift.tt/37gPdtj DEPANA] Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2) – detailed distribution maps and census information from 2009 (in [[Catalan language|Catalan]]).</ref><ref>[https://ift.tt/37gzMB7 The Cantabrian Brown Bear ''Ursus arctos arctos''] Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2). picos-accommodation.co.uk.</ref>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos syriacus'' – [[Syrian brown bear]]
|[[File:Ursus arctos syriacus.jpg|140 px]]
| [[Transcaucasia]], [[Iraq]], [[Turkey]] ([[Asia Minor]]), [[Iran]], western [[Afghanistan]], eastern [[Lebanon]], [[Pakistan]], western [[Himalaya]]s and the [[Pamir-Alay]] and [[Tien Shan]] mountains.<ref name="soviet"/> Despite a historical presence in [[Israel]] and the [[Syria|Syrian Arab Republic]] (the subspecies' namesake), it is believed to be extinct in these countries now.<ref name=IUCN/>
| The Syrian brown bear is a moderate- to small-sized subspecies with light claws. This population tends to be a whitish-blond color with less noticeable black-based hairs than grizzly bears have.<ref name="soviet"/>
|-
| <big>†''Ursus arctos crowtheri'' – [[Atlas bear]] (or North African brown bear)</big> (extinct)
| [[File:Atlasbear.jpg|140 px]]
| Habitat, while still extant, was the [[Atlas Mountains]] and adjacent areas in North Africa, from [[Morocco]] to [[Libya]].
| The last surviving Atlas bear is thought to have been killed by hunters in 1890.<ref name="brown"/><ref name="Bryden1899">Bryden, H. A. (ed.) (1899). [https://ift.tt/2p3qVwe ''Great and small game of Africa''] Rowland Ward Ltd., London. Pp. 607–608.</ref>
|-
| <big>†''Ursus arctos priscus'' – [[Steppe brown bear]]</big> (extinct)
|Unavailable
| [[Eurasia]]
| The steppe brown bear was an extinct prehistoric brown bear subspecies that lived in places like Slovakia.
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ style="text-align: centre;" | [[Nearctic realm]] (North America)
!Subspecies / Population !! Image !! Distribution!! Description/comments
|-
| <big>''Ursus arctos horribilis'' – [[Grizzly bear]] / North American brown bear</big>
|[[File:Grizzly Bear Yellowstone.jpg|140 px]]
| Most of [[Alaska]], [[Yukon]], the [[Northwest Territories]], [[British Columbia]], western [[Alberta]], northern [[Idaho]], western [[Montana]], and northwestern [[Wyoming]].
| The grizzly bear is identified by a medium to dark brown coat with gray or blond "grizzled" tips on the fur, which contrast with the black base. Highly variable in size, based largely on environmental conditions.<ref></ref> It is also highly adaptable: it can live in [[Temperate coniferous forest|montane pine forests]], [[temperate rainforest]], semi-arid [[scrubland]], [[tundra]] and [[shortgrass prairie]].<ref></ref>
|-
| †''Ursus arctos californicus'' – †[[California grizzly bear]] ([[extinct]])
|[[File:Monarch the bear.jpg|140 px]]
| [[California]], mainly in the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevadas]] and some areas of [[coastal California]].
| The last known California grizzly bear was shot in California in 1922. Museum specimens illustrate that this population was golden-blonde overall typically without the contrasting black fur base of true grizzly bears. It also appeared to have been considerably larger, with a broader muzzle than true grizzly bears.<ref name="Miller & Waits 2006">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos dalli'' – [[Dall Island]] brown bear
|
| [[Dall Island]], [[Alaska]].
| Poorly described; possibly merely a coastal variation of other North American brown bears, but any such alliance is genetically ambiguous.<ref name= Talbot></ref><ref name= Hall></ref>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos gyas'' – [[Alaska Peninsula brown bear]]
| [[File:Brown bear.jpg|140 px]]
| Coastal Alaska from the [[Aleutian Islands]] as far west as [[Unimak Island|Unimak]], the [[Alaska Peninsula]] to the [[Kenai Peninsula]].
| Considered by some biologists to be the same subspecies as ''U. a. middendorffi''.<ref>Burt. Henry W. (1952) ''A Field Guide to the Mammals.'' p. 42.</ref> Based on known size of adult males, if it is a true subspecies, it may match or exceed the Kodiak bear in size.<ref>Baryshnikov, G. F. (2007). ''Fauna of Russia and neighbouring countries. Mammals. Ursidae''.</ref><ref>Miller, S., & Sellers, R. A. (1992). ''Brown bear density on the Alaska Peninsula at Black Lake, Alaska''. State of Alaska, Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation.</ref>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos middendorffi'' – [[Kodiak bear]]
|[[File:Bear Square.JPG|140 px]]
| [[Kodiak Island|Kodiak]], [[Afognak]] and [[Shuyak Island]]s ([[Alaska]]), arguably includes other coastal Alaskan forms, which occur in most of the coasts of the western and southern parts of the state.
| This is the largest distinct subspecies of the brown bear, though the coastal-living members of other brown bear subspecies potentially rival it in size. It is medium-hued, typically not as dark as most forms from eastern Asia, but distinctly darker than grizzly bears.
|-
| ''Ursus arctos nelsoni'' – †[[Mexican grizzly bear]] (extinct)
|[[File:Mexico grizzlies.png|140 px]]
| The smallest North American brown bear, formerly from northern Mexico, including [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], [[Coahuila]] and [[Sonora]] and southwestern United States, including the southern regions of [[Arizona]], [[New Mexico]] and [[Texas]]
| This bear is believed to have been hunted to extinction due to its interference with cattle ranching in both the United States and Mexico. Scarce by the 1930s, the last recorded sighting was in 1962.<ref name="Gallo-Reynoso 2008.">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref> Distinct in its ability to survive arid conditions, it could live in both montane pine forests of Mexico and canyonlands adjacent to the Sonoran Desert.
|-
| ''Ursus arctos sitkensis'' – [[ABC Islands bear|Sitka brown bear]]
|[[File:Sitka brown bear.jpg|140 px]]
| [[Admiralty Island]], [[Baranof Island]] and [[Chichagof Island]], the "ABC Islands" of [[Alaska]].
| Appearing to be more closely related to the [[polar bear]] than to other brown bears, although it is on average the most dark-colored population in North America, with similar body size to grizzly bears from interior Alaska.<ref name="Waits" /><ref name= Hall/> This subspecies is called "clade II" by Waits and others and is part of the former subspecies identified as ''U. a. sitkensis'' by Hall and as ''U. a. dalli'' by Kurtén.
|-
| ''Ursus arctos stikeenensis'' – [[Stickeen brown bear]]
|
| Northwestern [[British Columbia]]<ref name=Stickeen></ref> from the [[Stikine River]] to the [[Skeena River]].<ref name=Twycross>[https://ift.tt/2NZQ61I SPECIES VARIATION with literature reports for the Brown bear – ''Ursus arctos'']. twycrosszoo.org</ref>
| Variously recognised as a distinct subspecies<ref name=MSW3/><ref name="Stickeen"/> or as belonging to the subspecies ''U. a. horribilis''.<ref name="Waits" /><ref name="Miller & Waits 2006"/> Larger than most other grizzly bear populations, with males approaching the great bears of coastal Alaska in size.<ref>Lloyd, K. A. (1979). [https://ift.tt/2NZQ6yK ''Aspects of the ecology of black and grizzly bears in coastal British Columbia'']. Doctoral dissertation, University of British Columbia.</ref><ref>Bunnell, F. L., & Tait, D. E. N. (1981). "Population dynamics of bears—implications", pp. 75–98 in ''Dynamics of large mammal populations''. John Wiley and Sons, New York, New York, USA. .</ref>
|-
| †''Ursus arctos ungavaesis'' – [[Ungava brown bear]] (extinct)
|[[File:Ungava Cabot 1910 Cropped.jpg|140 px]]
|Northern [[Quebec]] and [[Labrador]]<ref name="Busch"></ref>
|Historical reports of brown bears in Quebec were typically dismissed by modern biologists. In 1975, anthropologist Steven Cox discovered a brown bear skull in Labrador, confirming that the population did once exist.<ref name="Elson"></ref>
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ style="text-align: centre;" | [[Palearctic realm]] (Eurasia and North Africa)
!Subspecies / Population !! Image !! Distribution!! Description/comments
|-
| <big>''Ursus arctos arctos'' – [[Eurasian brown bear]]</big>
|[[File:European Brown Bear.jpg|140 px]]
| Represents every population found in [[Europe]] as well as their range in [[European Russia|western Russia]] and the [[Caucasus]]. May be found as far east in Russia as the [[Yenisei River]] in [[Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug]] to [[Novosibirsk Oblast]] in the south, where the subspecies intergrades into ''U. a. collaris''.<ref name="soviet"></ref>
| A predominantly dark, richly brown colored (with rare light-colored individuals), moderately sized subspecies with dark claws, the Eurasian brown bears occurring in Russia are larger than their European counterparts, which may be in part because they are hunted less.<ref name="soviet"/>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos beringianus'' – [[Kamchatka brown bear]] (or Far Eastern brown bear)
|[[File:Brown-bear-in-spring.jpg|140 px]]
| Found in the coastal lands surrounding the [[Sea of Okhotsk]] down as far as the [[Shantar Islands]], [[Kolyma]], all the land around the [[Shelikhov Gulf]], the [[Kamchatka Peninsula]] and [[Paramushir Island]].<ref name="soviet"/>
| A very large bear with a broad muzzle. Overall has dark coloring, some animals appearing almost blackish-brown but will usually be paler at the top of the back. It may overlap with ''U. a. collaris'' extensively a few miles inland. It is thought to be the ancestor of the [[polar bear]], the [[Kodiak bear]],<ref name="evolution"/> and the peninsular brown bears of [[Alaska]]. Middendorf described it from Greater Shantar Island with its distribution range comprising the eastern coast of Siberia and Japan.<ref name="Baryshnikov et al. 2004">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos collaris'' – [[East Siberian brown bear]]
|[[File:Хозяин морей.jpg|140 px]]
| A majority of [[Siberia]] from the [[Yenisei River]] to as far south as the [[Altai Mountains]] in northern [[Mongolia]], northernmost [[Xinjiang]] and northeastern [[Kazakhstan]]. Ranges as far north as the southwestern [[Taymyr Peninsula]] and the [[Anabar River]]. As the farthest east ranging of all Eurasian brown bear populations, it is found in [[Chukotka Autonomous Okrug|Chukotka]] as far as the coast of the [[Bering Strait]] to the east and the coast of the [[Chukchi Sea]] in the north.<ref name="soviet"/>
| Most bears of this type are fairly dark, but some are as pale as grizzly bears. It is intermediate in size between ''U. a. arctos'' and ''U. a. beringianus'', with a proportionately larger skull than the nominate subspecies. In the sub-Arctic region of [[Yakutia]], bears are reportedly quite small compared to other regions.<ref name="soviet"/><ref name= Akhremenko></ref>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos gobiensis'' – [[Gobi bear]]
| [[File:Ursus arctos gobiensis.jpg|140px]]
| [[Gobi Desert]]
| An extremely rare bear found in the Gobi Desert, this bear is adapted to desert life, dwelling in oases and rocky outcrops. It is rather small and pale and it appears to lack the whitish collar characteristic of Tibetan blue bears.<ref></ref><ref name= Balint>Balint, P. J., & Steinberg, J. A. (2003). "Conservation case study of the Gobi bear", pp. 238–257 in ''Mongolia Today: Science, Culture, Environment, and Development''. Psychology Press. .</ref> Phylogenetic analysis suggests they represent a relict population of the Himalayan brown bear.<ref></ref><ref name="lan" /> At one time, Gobi bears probably overlapped and possibly interbred with Tibetan blue bears in western China, but the bears are now extinct in this area.<ref></ref>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos isabellinus'' – [[Himalayan brown bear]]
|[[File:Medvěd plavý (Ursus arctos isabellinus).jpg|140 px]]
| Northern [[Nepal]], [[Northern India|Northern]] and [[Northeast India|Northeastern]] India and [[Northern Pakistan]], most continuous current range in [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]].
| Quite distinctive physically, as it possess a reddish-brown or sandy-brown coat color with silver-tipped hairs and relatively large ears. This bear is smaller than most other brown bears found on the Asian continent. Prefers high altitude forests and alpine meadows. [[Critically Endangered]].
|-
| ''Ursus arctos lasiotus'' – [[Ussuri brown bear]] (or Amur brown bear, black grizzly or horse bear)
|[[File:Ursus arctos lasiotus - Beijing Zoo 3.JPG|140 px]]
| Russia: the southern [[Kuril Islands]], [[Sakhalin]], the [[Primorsky Krai|Maritime Territory]] and the [[Ussuri]]/[[Amur River]] region south of the [[Stanovoy Range]], China (former [[Manchuria]]): [[Heilongjiang]], [[Japan]]: [[Hokkaidō]], [[Honshu]] (in the last glacial period), the Korean Peninsula: [[North Korea]]<ref name="soviet"/> Became extinct on [[Rebun Island|Rebun]] and [[Rishiri Island]]s in the 13th century.<ref name="門崎 (2009) p356">『[[#門崎 (2009)|野生動物調査痕跡学図鑑]]』 p.356</ref>
| ''Ursus arctos lasiotus'' is quite variable in size. Skull dimensions from mainland Russia (i.e. the [[Primorsky Krai|Primorsky]] and the [[Khabarovsk Krai|Khabarovsk]]) indicate they can rival [[Kamchatka brown bear]]s in size.<ref name="soviet"/><ref name= Akhremenko/> By contrast, the population found in [[Hokkaido]] is one of the smallest northern forms of the brown bear. Nonetheless, individuals from Hokkaido can reportedly get larger than expected and have reached .<ref>[https://ift.tt/2rRRlaq Kamchatkan Bear]. iza-yoi.net</ref> in weight by feeding on cultivations.<ref>[https://ift.tt/37omy5E 体重４００キロのヒグマ捕獲 なぜ巨大化？] news24.jp (12 October 2015)</ref><ref>[https://ift.tt/37omy5E 体重４００キロのヒグマ捕獲 なぜ巨大化？｜日テレNEWS24]. News24.jp (2015-10-12). Retrieved on 2016-12-12.</ref> This bear is thought to be the ancestor of ''U. a. horribilis''.<ref name="evolution"/> It is perhaps the darkest-colored population on average and some specimens are almost fully black in colour, although lighter brown and intermediate forms are known. Due to its coloring, this subspecies is sometimes informally referred to as the "black grizzly".<ref name="soviet"/>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos marsicanus'' – [[Marsican brown bear]] or Apennine brown bear<ref name="Ciucci et al.">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref>
| [[File:Orso bruno marsicano.jpg|140px]]
| [[Marsica]], central [[Italy]]
| There are an estimated 40 to 50 bears remaining in the Marsican area. This is an unrecognized subspecies that is now considered to be a population of the nominate subspecies.<ref name=MSW3/>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos pruinosus'' – [[Tibetan blue bear]]
|[[File:Tibetan Blue Bear - Ursus arctos pruinosus - Joseph Smit crop.jpg|140 px]]
| [[Tibetan Plateau]]; some of the bears found in the Himalayas are reportedly actually wandering individuals from the more robustly populated Tibetan subspecies.<ref name="soviet"/><ref></ref>
| This is a moderately-sized subspecies with long, shaggy fur. Both dark- and light-colored variants are encountered, with intermediate colors predominating. The fur around the neck, chest and shoulders is yellowish-brown or whitish and frequently forms a collar which no other brown bear subspecies typically possesses in a mature state. Like the Himalayan brown bear, the ears are relatively prominent. The skull is distinguished by its relatively flattened choanae, an arch-like curve of the molar row and large teeth, probably in correlation to its particularly carnivorous habits.<ref name="soviet"/>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos pyrenaicus'' – [[Cantabrian brown bear]] or Iberian brown bear
| [[File:Oso pardo madrid.jpg|140 px]] – See photographs in [https://ift.tt/2XrDJ1z Eroski article (in [[Spanish language|Spanish]], also available in [[Catalan language|Catalan]], [[Basque language|Basque]] and [[Galician language|Galician]])] and in [https://ift.tt/35llxJp Fauna Ibérica. Oso pardo ibérico (''Ursus arctos pyrenaicus''), in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]]
| [[Iberian Peninsula]], primarily the [[Cantabrian Mountains]] and hills in [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]], and the [[Pyrenees]].<ref name="La recuperació del rei dels boscos"></ref> Rare, sporadic sightings in northern [[Portugal]].<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref>
| Until recently, this bear was considered a separate subspecies. Today, it is considered to belong to the subspecies ''[[Eurasian brown bear|U. a. arctos]]''. Scientific evidence based on DNA studies would furthermore indicate the Eurasian brown bear can be divided into two distinct lineages. "There is a clear division into two main mitochondrial lineages in modern Eurasian brown bear populations. These populations are divided into those carrying an eastern lineage (clade IIIa, Leonard et al. 2000), which is composed of Russian, northern Scandinavian and eastern European populations, and those carrying a western lineage (clade I, Leonard et al. 2000), which is composed of two subgroups, one believed to originate from the Iberian Peninsula, including southern Scandinavian bears and the Pyrenean populations; and the other from the Italian–Balkan peninsulas (Taberlet et al. 1994; see however Kohn et al. 1995). In addition, based on the subfossil record in northwestern Moldova and mitochondrial DNA data from modern populations, a Carpathian refuge has also been proposed (Sommer & Benecke 2005; Saarma et al. 2007)."<ref name=j1></ref>
The Cantabrian brown bear is the largest wild animal on the [[Iberian Peninsula]], although it is also one of the smallest of the brown bears, weighing between as an adult.<ref></ref> Its fur varies from pale cream to dark brown, but always with a distinctively darker, nearly black tone at the paws and a yellowish tinge at the tip of each hair. The Cantabrian brown bear population in Spain is considered [[Endangered species|endangered]]. The bear population in the [[Pyrenees]] stems mostly from bears reintroduced from [[Slovenia]], with one or two remaining original males.<ref name="La recuperació del rei dels boscos"/><ref name=j1/><ref>[https://ift.tt/341MrWN Cuántos osos hay y dónde viven]. Fundación Oso Pardo – distribution maps and population from 2008 (in [[Spanish language|Spanish]])</ref><ref>[https://ift.tt/37gPdtj DEPANA] Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2) – detailed distribution maps and census information from 2009 (in [[Catalan language|Catalan]]).</ref><ref>[https://ift.tt/37gzMB7 The Cantabrian Brown Bear ''Ursus arctos arctos''] Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2). picos-accommodation.co.uk.</ref>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos syriacus'' – [[Syrian brown bear]]
|[[File:Ursus arctos syriacus.jpg|140 px]]
| [[Transcaucasia]], [[Iraq]], [[Turkey]] ([[Asia Minor]]), [[Iran]], western [[Afghanistan]], eastern [[Lebanon]], [[Pakistan]], western [[Himalaya]]s and the [[Pamir-Alay]] and [[Tien Shan]] mountains.<ref name="soviet"/> Despite a historical presence in [[Israel]] and the [[Syria|Syrian Arab Republic]] (the subspecies' namesake), it is believed to be extinct in these countries now.<ref name=IUCN/>
| The Syrian brown bear is a moderate- to small-sized subspecies with light claws. This population tends to be a whitish-blond color with less noticeable black-based hairs than grizzly bears have.<ref name="soviet"/>
|-
| <big>†''Ursus arctos crowtheri'' – [[Atlas bear]] (or North African brown bear)</big> (extinct)
| [[File:Atlasbear.jpg|140 px]]
| Habitat, while still extant, was the [[Atlas Mountains]] and adjacent areas in North Africa, from [[Morocco]] to [[Libya]].
| The last surviving Atlas bear is thought to have been killed by hunters in 1890.<ref name="brown"/><ref name="Bryden1899">Bryden, H. A. (ed.) (1899). [https://ift.tt/2p3qVwe ''Great and small game of Africa''] Rowland Ward Ltd., London. Pp. 607–608.</ref>
|-
| <big>†''Ursus arctos priscus'' – [[Steppe brown bear]]</big> (extinct)
|Unavailable
| [[Eurasia]]
| The steppe brown bear was an extinct prehistoric brown bear subspecies that lived in places like Slovakia.
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ style="text-align: centre;" | [[Nearctic realm]] (North America)
!Subspecies / Population !! Image !! Distribution!! Description/comments
|-
| <big>''Ursus arctos horribilis'' – [[Grizzly bear]] / North American brown bear</big>
|[[File:Grizzly Bear Yellowstone.jpg|140 px]]
| Most of [[Alaska]], [[Yukon]], the [[Northwest Territories]], [[British Columbia]], western [[Alberta]], northern [[Idaho]], western [[Montana]], and northwestern [[Wyoming]].
| The grizzly bear is identified by a medium to dark brown coat with gray or blond "grizzled" tips on the fur, which contrast with the black base. Highly variable in size, based largely on environmental conditions.<ref></ref> It is also highly adaptable: it can live in [[Temperate coniferous forest|montane pine forests]], [[temperate rainforest]], semi-arid [[scrubland]], [[tundra]] and [[shortgrass prairie]].<ref></ref>
|-
| †''Ursus arctos californicus'' – †[[California grizzly bear]] ([[extinct]])
|[[File:Monarch the bear.jpg|140 px]]
| [[California]], mainly in the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevadas]] and some areas of [[coastal California]].
| The last known California grizzly bear was shot in California in 1922. Museum specimens illustrate that this population was golden-blonde overall typically without the contrasting black fur base of true grizzly bears. It also appeared to have been considerably larger, with a broader muzzle than true grizzly bears.<ref name="Miller & Waits 2006">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos dalli'' – [[Dall Island]] brown bear
|
| [[Dall Island]], [[Alaska]].
| Poorly described; possibly merely a coastal variation of other North American brown bears, but any such alliance is genetically ambiguous.<ref name= Talbot></ref><ref name= Hall></ref>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos gyas'' – [[Alaska Peninsula brown bear]]
| [[File:Brown bear.jpg|140 px]]
| Coastal Alaska from the [[Aleutian Islands]] as far west as [[Unimak Island|Unimak]], the [[Alaska Peninsula]] to the [[Kenai Peninsula]].
| Considered by some biologists to be the same subspecies as ''U. a. middendorffi''.<ref>Burt. Henry W. (1952) ''A Field Guide to the Mammals.'' p. 42.</ref> Based on known size of adult males, if it is a true subspecies, it may match or exceed the Kodiak bear in size.<ref>Baryshnikov, G. F. (2007). ''Fauna of Russia and neighbouring countries. Mammals. Ursidae''.</ref><ref>Miller, S., & Sellers, R. A. (1992). ''Brown bear density on the Alaska Peninsula at Black Lake, Alaska''. State of Alaska, Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation.</ref>
|-
| ''Ursus arctos middendorffi'' – [[Kodiak bear]]
|[[File:Bear Square.JPG|140 px]]
| [[Kodiak Island|Kodiak]], [[Afognak]] and [[Shuyak Island]]s ([[Alaska]]), arguably includes other coastal Alaskan forms, which occur in most of the coasts of the western and southern parts of the state.
| This is the largest distinct subspecies of the brown bear, though the coastal-living members of other brown bear subspecies potentially rival it in size. It is medium-hued, typically not as dark as most forms from eastern Asia, but distinctly darker than grizzly bears.
|-
| ''Ursus arctos nelsoni'' – †[[Mexican grizzly bear]] (extinct)
|[[File:Mexico grizzlies.png|140 px]]
| The smallest North American brown bear, formerly from northern Mexico, including [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], [[Coahuila]] and [[Sonora]] and southwestern United States, including the southern regions of [[Arizona]], [[New Mexico]] and [[Texas]]
| This bear is believed to have been hunted to extinction due to its interference with cattle ranching in both the United States and Mexico. Scarce by the 1930s, the last recorded sighting was in 1962.<ref name="Gallo-Reynoso 2008.">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref> Distinct in its ability to survive arid conditions, it could live in both montane pine forests of Mexico and canyonlands adjacent to the Sonoran Desert.
|-
| ''Ursus arctos sitkensis'' – [[ABC Islands bear|Sitka brown bear]]
|[[File:Sitka brown bear.jpg|140 px]]
| [[Admiralty Island]], [[Baranof Island]] and [[Chichagof Island]], the "ABC Islands" of [[Alaska]].
| Appearing to be more closely related to the [[polar bear]] than to other brown bears, although it is on average the most dark-colored population in North America, with similar body size to grizzly bears from interior Alaska.<ref name="Waits" /><ref name= Hall/> This subspecies is called "clade II" by Waits and others and is part of the former subspecies identified as ''U. a. sitkensis'' by Hall and as ''U. a. dalli'' by Kurtén.
|-
| ''Ursus arctos stikeenensis'' – [[Stickeen brown bear]]
|
| Northwestern [[British Columbia]]<ref name=Stickeen></ref> from the [[Stikine River]] to the [[Skeena River]].<ref name=Twycross>[https://ift.tt/2NZQ61I SPECIES VARIATION with literature reports for the Brown bear – ''Ursus arctos'']. twycrosszoo.org</ref>
| Variously recognised as a distinct subspecies<ref name=MSW3/><ref name="Stickeen"/> or as belonging to the subspecies ''U. a. horribilis''.<ref name="Waits" /><ref name="Miller & Waits 2006"/> Larger than most other grizzly bear populations, with males approaching the great bears of coastal Alaska in size.<ref>Lloyd, K. A. (1979). [https://ift.tt/2NZQ6yK ''Aspects of the ecology of black and grizzly bears in coastal British Columbia'']. Doctoral dissertation, University of British Columbia.</ref><ref>Bunnell, F. L., & Tait, D. E. N. (1981). "Population dynamics of bears—implications", pp. 75–98 in ''Dynamics of large mammal populations''. John Wiley and Sons, New York, New York, USA. .</ref>
|-
| †''Ursus arctos ungavaesis'' – [[Ungava brown bear]] (extinct)
|[[File:Ungava Cabot 1910 Cropped.jpg|140 px]]
|Northern [[Quebec]] and [[Labrador]]<ref name="Busch"></ref>
|Historical reports of brown bears in Quebec were typically dismissed by modern biologists. In 1975, anthropologist Steven Cox discovered a brown bear skull in Labrador, confirming that the population did once exist.<ref name="Elson"></ref>
|}
November 20, 2019 at 01:13AM
