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How many living species belong to the bear family Ursidae?
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bear
Grizzly bear in Jasper National Park, western Alberta, Canada.
There are eight extant (living) species that belong to the bear family, Ursidae.12
These species are categorized into five genera:
- Genus Ailuropoda: giant panda12
- Genus Helarctos: sun bear12
- Genus Melursus: sloth bear12
- Genus Tremarctos: spectacled bear12
- Genus Ursus: American black bear, Asiatic black bear, brown bear (including the grizzly bear and Kodiak bear), and polar bear12
While some taxonomic sources may vary in their classification of certain carnivores, the consensus among modern mammalogists identifies these eight species as the members of the family Ursidae.123