Bears are well distributed in Asia, Europe and North and South Americas. Their
habitats range from arctic coasts to tropical forests. They are distinguished in
having a compact body, massive head, short and powerful limbs, and short tails.
Each foot bears five toes. Claws are long, curved and non retractile. The carnassial
teeth are poorly developed and have lost shearing function. They have a long
and shaggy coat with predominantly black or some shades of brown or white.
The family Ursidae contains seven species: the American black bear (Ursus
americanus), the grizzly or brown bear (U. arctos), the polar bear (U. maritimus),
the spectacled or Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus), the sloth or honey bear
(Melursus ursinus), the Malayan sun bear (Helarctus malayanus) and the Asiatic or
Himalayan black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus). The sun bear is the smallest among
all the recognized species of bears and weighs 25-65 kg. The following text
highlights some salient features of the Asiatic black bear and the sloth bear.