Beir

Beirs Temporal range:38–0Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N LateEocene– Recent
Broun beirfraeKodiak, Alaska
Scientific classification
Kinrick:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Cless:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Infraorder:	Arctoidea
Faimily:	Ursidae G. Fischer de Waldheim,1817
Subfaimilies
†Amphicynodontinae †Hemicyoninae †Ursavinae †Agriotheriinae Ailuropodinae Tremarctinae Ursinae

Beirsarecarnivoranmammalso thefaimilyUrsidae.Thay are clessifee'd ascaniforms,or duglik carnivorans. Awtho anly aichtspeshieso beirs are livin, thay are widespread, bidin in sindryhabitatsootthrou theNorthren Hemispherean pairtially in theSoothren Hemisphere.Beirs are foond inNorth Americae,Sooth Americae,Europe,anAisie.Common chairactereestics o modren beirs include muckle bouks wi stocky legs, lang snoots, smaw roond lugs, shaggy hair,plantigradepaws wi five nonretractile claws, an short tails.

While thepolar beiris maistlycarnivorous,an thegiant pandafeeds awmaist entirely onbamboo,the remeenin sax species areomnivorouswi varied diets. Wi the exception ocoortinindividuals an mithers wi thair young, beirs are teepicallysolitar ainimals.Thay mey bediurnalornocturnalan hae an excellentsense o smell.Despite thair hivy big an ackwart gait, thay are adept runners, climmers, an soummers. Beirs uise shelters, sic as caves an logs, as thair dens; maist species occupy thair dens in the winter for a lang period ohibernation,up tae 100 days.

Bears hae been huntit syneprehistorictimes forthair meatan fur; thay hae been uised forbeir-baitinan ither forms o enterteenment, sic as beinmade tae dance.Wi their pouerfu pheesical presence, thay play a prominent role inthe airts,meethologie,an ither cultural aspects o various human societies. In modren times, beirs hae come unner pressur throu encroachment on thair habitats an illegal tred in beir pairts, includin the Asiebile bearmervat. TheIUCNleets sax beir speshies asvulnerableorendangered,an evenleast concernspecies, sic as thebroun beir,are at risk oextirpationin certain kintras. The poachin an internaitional tred o thir maist threatened populations are prohibitit, but still ongaein.