Ursus americanus

Pallas, 1780

American Black Bear

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Placentalia
Magnorder : Boreoeutheria
Superorder : Laurasiatheria
Order : Carnivora
Suborder : Caniformia
Infraorder : Arctoidea
Superfamily : Ursoidea
Family : Ursidae
Subfamily : Ursinae
Genus : Ursus

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Pallas, P.S. 1780. Spicilegia Zoologica. Fasciculus XIV. Joachim Paulus, Berlin, 94 pp.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/27823479

Original name as described

Ursus americanus

Type locality

eastern North America.

Biogeographic realm

Nearctic

Country distribution

Canada · United States · Mexico

Subregion distribution

USA(AK,WA,OR,ID,MT,WY,CA,NV,UT,CO,AZ,NM,TX,OK,MO,AR,LA,MS,AL,GA,FL,TN,KY,WV,SC,NC,VA,MD,NJ,MN,WI,MI,PA,NY,CT,RI,MA,NH,VT,ME)

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Species Permalink

https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1005934

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Ursus americanus gentryi

Skinner, 1942

Family

Ursidae

Root name

gentryi

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

AMNH F:AM 42791

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

162

Authority publication

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History

Ursus americanus kenaiensis

J. A. Allen, 1910

Family

Ursidae

Root name

kenaiensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

preoccupied

Type

AMNH M-17790

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://portal.vertnet.org/o/amnh/mammals?id=urn-catalog-amnh-mammals-m-17790

Authority page

6

Authority publication

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Ursus americanus perniger

J. A. Allen, 1910

Family

Ursidae

Root name

perniger

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_novum

Type

AMNH M-17790

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://portal.vertnet.org/o/amnh/mammals?id=urn-catalog-amnh-mammals-m-17790

Authority page

115

Authority publication

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History

Name usages

  1. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  2. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:491) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)

Ursus amplidens

Leidy, 1853

Family

Ursidae

Root name

amplidens

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

ANSP 11619

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

303

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1779839

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

Euarctos randi

(R. M. Anderson, 1945)

Family

Ursidae

Root name

randi

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

CMN 17957

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

19

Authority publication

Annual Report of the Provancher Society of Natural History, Québec

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Ursus americanus hamiltoni

A. W. Cameron, 1956

Family

Ursidae

Root name

hamiltoni

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

CMN 19818

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

538

Authority publication

Journal of Mammalogy

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Euarctos hunteri

(R. M. Anderson, 1945)

Family

Ursidae

Root name

hunteri

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

CMN 9577

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

22

Authority publication

Annual Report of the Provancher Society of Natural History, Québec

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Ursus machetes

D. G. Elliot, 1903

Family

Ursidae

Root name

machetes

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

FMNH:Mamm:19064

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://portal.vertnet.org/o/fmnh/mammals?id=7542932d-7df5-425d-ba1a-3f08c1f6118b

Authority page

235

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2644925

Authority publication

Field Columbian Museum, Zoölogical Series

Ursus altifrontalis

D. G. Elliot, 1903

Family

Ursidae

Root name

altifrontalis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

FMNH:Mamm:7053

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://portal.vertnet.org/o/fmnh/mammals?id=58b91bba-c7e5-49e6-a7fb-3a3993d0ea8d

Authority page

234

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2644924

Authority publication

Field Columbian Museum, Zoölogical Series

Ursus optimus

Schultz, 1938

Family

Ursidae

Root name

optimus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

LACM:CIT-VP:2090

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

178

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/62672045

Authority publication

Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication

Ursus (Euarctos) americanus sornborgeri

Bangs, 1898

Family

Ursidae

Root name

sornborgeri

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

MCZ:Mamm:BANGS-7411

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:Mamm:BANGS-7411

Authority page

500

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41389194

Authority publication

The American Naturalist

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Ursus americanus vancouveri

E. R. Hall, 1928

Family

Ursidae

Root name

vancouveri

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

MVZ:Mamm:12461

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://arctos.database.museum/guid/MVZ:Mamm:12461

Authority page

231

Authority publication

University of California Publications in Zoology

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Ursus americanus pugnax

Swarth, 1911

Family

Ursidae

Root name

pugnax

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

MVZ:Mamm:8332

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://arctos.database.museum/guid/MVZ:Mamm:8332

Authority page

141

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29510865

Authority publication

University of California Publications in Zoology

Name usages

  1. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  2. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:491) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)

Ursus (Euarctos) americanus kermodei

Hornaday, 1905

Family

Ursidae

Root name

kermodei

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

RBCM 1369

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

82

Authority publication

Annual Report of the New York Zoological Society

Name usages

  1. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  2. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:491) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)

Ursus arctos schwenkii

Shoemaker, 1913

Family

Ursidae

Root name

schwenkii

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

USNM (number not known)

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

25

Authority publication

book

Ursus americanus eremicus

C. H. Merriam, 1904

Family

Ursidae

Root name

eremicus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

USNM:MAMM:116952

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3f3f7c45a-23e8-4ced-be9c-f4f0bdf37483

Authority page

155

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2345570

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington

Name usages

  1. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  2. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:491) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)

Ursus americanus, var. cinnamoneus

S. F. Baird, 1857

Family

Ursidae

Root name

cinnamoneus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

USNM:MAMM:2334

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

228

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/58487780

Authority publication

Washington

Ursus (Euarctos) carlottae

Osgood, 1901

Family

Ursidae

Root name

carlottae

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

USNM:MAMM:87620

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/394fd5cf9-b419-4ae3-a651-473381bd1826

Authority page

30

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25800279

Authority publication

North American Fauna

Ursus floridanus

C. H. Merriam, 1896

Family

Ursidae

Root name

floridanus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

USNM:MAMM:A3484

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/386f210dc-d275-4ea9-ad9b-88edd54bb1c4

Authority page

81

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2328763

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington

Ursus amblyceps

S. F. Baird, 1859

Family

Ursidae

Root name

amblyceps

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

USNM:MAMM:A992

Type kind

lectotype

Type specimen URI

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/380a6e7ed-2571-4756-a8ff-83f681835bc8

Authority page

29

Authority publication

Washington

Euarctos americanus altifrontalis

(V. O. Bailey, 1936)

Family

Ursidae

Root name

altifrontalis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

321

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25806252

Authority publication

North American Fauna

Name usages

Bailey (1936:321, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25806252) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/35313)

Euarctos americanus

(V. O. Bailey, 1936)

Family

Ursidae

Root name

americanus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

319

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25806250

Authority publication

North American Fauna

Name usages

Bailey (1936:319, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25806250) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/35313)

Euarctos americanus cinnamomum

(V. O. Bailey, 1936)

Family

Ursidae

Root name

cinnamomum

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

319

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25806250

Authority publication

North American Fauna

Name usages

Bailey (1936:319, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25806250) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/35313)

Ursus americanus altifrontalis

Wozencraft, 2005

Family

Ursidae

Root name

altifrontalis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

  1. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  2. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:491) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)

Ursus americanus amblyceps

Wozencraft, 2005

Family

Ursidae

Root name

amblyceps

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

  1. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  2. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:491) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)

Ursus americanus americanus

Wozencraft, 2005

Family

Ursidae

Root name

americanus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

  1. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  2. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:491) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)

Ursus americanus californiensis

Wozencraft, 2005

Family

Ursidae

Root name

californiensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

  1. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  2. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:491) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)

Ursus americanus carlottae

Wozencraft, 2005

Family

Ursidae

Root name

carlottae

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

  1. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  2. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:491) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)

Ursus americanus floridanus

Wozencraft, 2005

Family

Ursidae

Root name

floridanus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

  1. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  2. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:491) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)

Ursus americanus luteolus

Wozencraft, 2005

Family

Ursidae

Root name

luteolus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

  1. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  2. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:491) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)

Ursus americanus machetes

Wozencraft, 2005

Family

Ursidae

Root name

machetes

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

  1. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  2. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:491) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)

schwenki

Wozencraft, 2005

Family

Ursidae

Root name

schwenki

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

588

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005:588) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Ursus americanus

Pallas, 1780

Family

Ursidae

Root name

americanus

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

5

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/27823479

Authority publication

Berlin

Name usages

  1. Daudin (1802:153, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42033403) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/64044)
  2. Fischer (1814:x, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29130071) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/12226)
  3. Illiger (1815:109, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11080965) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/38688)
  4. Illiger (1815:64, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11080920) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/38688)
  5. Godman (1826:114, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49165402) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67289)
  6. Lesson (1827:131, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207599) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36839)
  7. Fischer (1829:143) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59856)
  8. Cuvier (1842:3, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/44518526) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/60227)
  9. Smith (1842:239) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67141)
  10. True (1885:608, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7306402) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/35039)
  11. Ward (1910:511, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15016154) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/39628)
  12. Orr (1949:29) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67164)
  13. Corbet & Hill (1980:94) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
  14. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:251) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
  15. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  16. O'Brien, Menninger & Nash (2006:474) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/7321)
  17. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:491) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)
  18. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #41687) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  19. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #41687) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  20. Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1005934) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)
  21. Schmidly, Bradley, Yancey & Bradley (2024:27) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67259)
  22. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41687/114251609) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Ursus gularis

É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1803

Family

Ursidae

Root name

gularis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

82

Authority publication

Paris

Ursus niger

Rafinesque, 1817

Family

Ursidae

Root name

niger

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_nudum

Authority page

437

Authority publication

American Monthly Magazine and Critical Review

Ursus luteolus

Griffith, 1821

Family

Ursidae

Root name

luteolus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

236

Authority publication

London

Ursus americanus var. cinnamomum

Audubon & Bachman, 1854

Family

Ursidae

Root name

cinnamomum

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

125

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53706579

Authority publication

New York

Name usages

  1. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  2. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:491) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)

Ursus americanus fossilis

Leidy, 1856

Family

Ursidae

Root name

fossilis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

preoccupied

Authority page

169

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36848154

Authority publication

Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

Ursus cinnamomeus

A. E. Brown, 1893

Family

Ursidae

Root name

cinnamomeus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

519

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/46449245

Authority publication

Forest and Stream

Emmonsii

Dall, 1895

Family

Ursidae

Root name

emmonsii

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

87

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/31172512

Authority publication

Science

Name usages

  1. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  2. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:491) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)

Ursus emmonsi

C. H. Merriam, 1896

Family

Ursidae

Root name

emmonsi

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

unjustified_emendation

Authority page

82

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2328762

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington

Ursus glacilis

Kells, 1897

Family

Ursidae

Root name

glacilis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

12

Authority publication

Canadian Nat. Sci. News

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Ursus californiensis

J. Miller, 1900

Family

Ursidae

Root name

californiensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

250

Authority publication

book

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