Etymology The English word "bear" comes from Old English bera and belongs to a family of names for the bear in Germanic languages, such as Swedish björn, also used as a first name.

or plural bear : any of a family of large heavy mammals that have long shaggy hair and small tails and feed largely on fruit, plants, and insects as well as on flesh

Feb 13, 2026 · Bear, any of eight species of large short-tailed carnivores found in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The sun bear is the smallest, often weighing less than 50 kg (110 pounds).

3 days ago · While several bear species of today are vulnerable to extinction, only a few bear species or subspecies have become extinct in recent history. This includes the Californian grizzly bear in the …

They can be as small as four feet long and about 60 pounds (the sun bear) to as big as eight feet long and more than a thousand pounds (the polar bear). They’re found throughout North America...

Apr 2, 2018 · On this page you’ll find out what makes a bear a bear, the different species of bear, where bears live, bear habitat, what bears eat and the threats faced by the world’s bear population.

Bear Evolution Early bears Bears are the youngest of the carnivore families, having arisen from doglike ancestors during the Eocene Epoch 55 million to 38 million years ago.

There are eight distinct species of bears, each with unique characteristics and habitats, from the famous grizzly to the elusive Andean bear. Click on any species below to discover fascinating facts about …

As a verb, bear commonly means to endure something negative (as in I can’t bear to watch) or to carry, hold up, or support (as in The roof can’t bear that much weight), while as a noun it refers to the big …

bear, Generally massive, short-legged mammals constituting the family Ursidae. Bears are the most recently evolved carnivore, found in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Closely related to the dog and …