The brown bear is an organism.
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae . Bears are classified as caniforms , or doglike carnivorans . Although only eight species of bears are extant , they are widespread , appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere and partially in the Southern Hemisphere . Common characteristics of modern bears include large bodies with stocky legs , long snouts , small rounded ears , shaggy hair , plantigrade paws with five nonretractile claws , and short tails . Brown bear . The Marsican brown bear , one of several currently isolated populations of the main Eurasian brown bear race , in central Italy is believed to have a population of just 30 to 40 bears . The Marsican brown bear ( Ursus arctos marsicanus ) ( Italian : orso bruno marsicano ) , also known as the Apennine brown bear , is a critically endangered subspecies of the brown bear , with a range restricted to the Abruzzo National Park , and the surrounding region in Italy . Debate exists as to whether it should be considered a subspecies or a taxon of its own .