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Why are bears and raccoons classified in Carnivora even though they eat plants?

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Snow leopard (Panthera uncia or Uncia uncia) — carnivore Adult snow leopards (*Panthera uncia* or *Uncia uncia*) can grow to a length of about 2.1 meters (7 feet) from head to tail and weigh 23–41 kg (50–90 pounds).

Bears and raccoons are classified in the order Carnivora not because of their specific diets, but because of their evolutionary history and shared structural characteristics. While the name Carnivora literally means "flesh devourers," many members of this order—including bears and raccoons—are actually omnivorous and consume significant amounts of vegetation.12

Taxonomic classification in modern biology is based on phylogeny, which groups organisms according to their evolutionary descent and relationship from common ancestors rather than just their current feeding habits. To define the order Carnivora and its subdivisions, scientists rely primarily on structural features. These include specific characteristics of the skull, such as jaw articulation, as well as the shape and pattern of teeth, the structure of the feet, and other anatomical traits. These shared physical traits indicate that these animals belong to the same evolutionary lineage, regardless of the diverse diets they have adopted over time.231