Amur Brown Bear

lat.  Ursus arctos lasiotus

Locals call it the dog bear, because of the aspect of its teeth. Also called Ussuri brown bear, black grizzly or horse bear.

Description Smaller and darker than the Kamchatka brown bear, with a differently shaped skull and much larger teeth. The coat is often almost black in color. The skull is longer and narrower, with especially long nasal bones and it is flatter in profile, being less elevated over the nose. The ears are noticeably hairy.

Distribution Russia: Southern Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, Maritime Territory, and the Ussuri/Amur river region south of the Stanovoy Range. China: Northeastern Heilongjiang. Japan: Hokkaido.

Taxonomic notes Consists of the following races listed by various authorities: lasiotus (northern China), cavifrons (northwestern Manchuria), mandchuricus (Maritime Territory), jessoensis (Sakhalin), yesoensis (Hokkaido), and melanarctos (Hokkaido), with lasiotus Gray, 1867 having priority.

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