Syrian Brown Bear

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Syrian Brown Bear

Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Ursus
Species: U. arctos
Subspecies: U. a. syriacus
Trinomial name
Ursus arctos syriacus
Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828

The Syrian Brown Bear (Ursus arctos syriacus) is the smallest subspecies of Brown Bear.

They are omnivorous, eating almost any type of food, including meat, grass, and fruits.

Contents

[edit] Geographical Distribution

This subspecies occupies a large area in western Asia, but their population is declining due to habitat destruction, poaching, and fragmentation of population.

Syrian brown bears were historically found in Anatolia (Turkey), Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Iran, and parts of Afghanistan and NW Pakistan. In the Caucasus, this species is replaced with common brown bear (Eurasian Brown Bear). In Pakistan and southern Afghanistan, Himalayan Brown Bear replaces this species. In southern and south-eastern Iran, it is replaced by Asian Black Bear. These Bears are also found at the Melbourne Zoo.

[edit] In literature

It is suggested that this species of bear is the one Yahweh sent to maul the 42 youths that insulted Elisha in the Second Book of Kings of The Bible [1].

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ken Dennis. "Animals of the Bible" The Bear Light Magazine vol. 18 [1]

[edit] External links

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