Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Which eight species make up the bear family Ursidae?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
bear
Grizzly bear in Jasper National Park, western Alberta, Canada.
The family Ursidae consists of eight extant species of bear. These species are categorized into five genera as follows:12
- Genus Ailuropoda
- Giant panda (A. melanoleuca)
- Genus Helarctos
- Sun bear (H. malayanus)
- Genus Melursus
- Sloth bear (M. ursinus)
- Genus Tremarctos
- Spectacled bear (T. ornatus)
- Genus Ursus
- American black bear (U. americanus)
- Asiatic black bear (U. thibetanus)
- Brown bear (U. arctos)
- Polar bear (U. maritimus)
Note that the grizzly bear and Kodiak bear are considered subspecies of the brown bear rather than distinct species.132