Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758 . Syst. Nat., 10th ed., 1:47.

TYPE LOCALITY: "sylvis Europae frigidae" restricted by Thomas (1911a) to, "Northern Sweden."

DISTRIBUTION: Formerly, NW Africa, all of the Palearctic from W Europe, Near and Middle East through N Himalayas to W and N China and Chukot (Russia); Hokkaido (Japan); W North America, north from N Mexico.

STATUS: CITES - Appendix I as U. arctos (Mexico, Bhutan, China, and Mongolia populations), U. a. isabellinus, and U. a. pruinosus; otherwise Appendix II. U.S. ESA - Endangered as U. a. arctos in Italy, U. a. nelsoni in Mexico, and U. a. pruinosus; Threatened as U. a. horribilis in the USA (48 conterminous states); IUCN - Extinct as U. a. nelsoni .

SYNONYMS: absarokus Merriam, 1914; alascensis Merriam, 1896; albus Gmelin, 1788; alexandrae Merriam, 1914; alpinus Fischer, 1814; andersoni Merriam, 1918; annulatus Billberg, 1827; apache Merriam, 1916; argenteus Billberg, 1827; arizonae Merriam, 1916; atnarko Merriam, 1918; aureus Fitzinger, 1855; badius Schrank, 1798; baikalensis Ognev, 1924; bairdi Merriam, 1918; beringiana Middendorff, 1853; bisonophagus Merriam, 1918; bosniensis Bolkay, 1925; brunneus Billberg, 1827; cadaverinus Eversmann, 1840; californicus Merriam, 1896; canadensis Merriam, 1914; candescens Hamilton-Smith, 1827; caucasicus Smirnov, 1919; caurinus Merriam, 1914; cavifrons Heude, 1901; chelan Merriam, 1916; chelidonias Merriam, 1918; cinereus Desmarest, 1820; collaris Cuvier and Geoffroy Saint-Hilarie, 1824; colusus Merriam, 1914; crassodon Merriam, 1918; crassus Merriam, 1918; cressonus Merriam, 1916; crowtheri Schinz, 1844; dalli Merriam, 1896; dusorgus Merriam, 1916; eltonclarki Merriam, 1914; ereunetes Merriam, 1918; eulophus Merriam, 1904; euryrhinus Nilsson, 1847; eversmanni Gray, 1864; eximius Merriam, 1916; falciger Reichenbach, 1836; ferox Temminck, 1844; formicarius Billberg, 1828;/mscms Gmelin, 1788; grandis Gray, 1864; griseus Kerr, 1792; gyas Merriam, 1902; henshawi Merriam, 1914; holzworthi Merriam, 1929; hoots Merriam, 1916; horriaeus Baird, 1858; horribilis Ord, 1815; hylodromus Elliot, 1904; idahoensis Meriam, 1918; imperator Merriam, 1914; impiger Merriam, 1918; innuitus Merriam, 1914; inopinatus Merriam, 1918; insularis Merriam, 1916; internationalis Merriam, 1914; isabellinus Horsfield, 1826; jeniseensis Ognev, 1924; kadiaki Kleinschmidt, 1911; kenaiensis Merriam, 1904; kennerleyi Merriam, 1914; kidderi Merriam, 1902; klamathensis Meriam, 1914; kluane Meriam, 1916; kodiaki Kleinschmidt, 1911; kolymensis Ognev, 1924; kwakiutl Merriam, 1916; lagomyiarius Przewalski, 1883; lasiotus Gray, 1867; lasistanicus Satunin, 1913; latifrons Merriam, 1914; leuconyx Severtzov, 1873; macfarlani Merriam, 1918; machetes Elliot, 1903; macrodon Merriam, 1918; magister Merriam, 1914; major Nilsson, 1820; mandchuricus Heude, 1898; marsicanus Altobello, 1921; melanarctos Heude, 1898; mendocinensis Merriam, 1916; meridionalis Middendorff, 1851; merriamii J. A. Allen, 1902; middendorffi Merriam, 1896; minor Nilsson, 1820; mirabilis Merriam, 1916; mirus Meriam, 1918; myrmephagus Billberg, 1827; navaho Merriam, 1914; neglectus Merriam, 1916; nelsoni Merriam, 1914; niger Gmelin, 1788; normalis Gray, 1864; nortoni Merriam, 1914; norvegicus Fischer, 1829; nuchek Merriam, 1916; ophrus Merriam, 1916; orgiloides Merriam, 1918; orgilos Merriam, 1914; oribasus Merriam, 1918; pallosi Merriam, 1916; pamirensis Ognev, 1924; pellyensis Meriam, 1918; persicus Lönnberg, 1925; perturbons Merriam, 1918; pervagor Merriam, 1914; phaeonyx Merriam, 1904; piscator Pucheran, 1855; planiceps Merriam, 1918; polonicus Gray, 1864; pruinosus Blyth, 1854; pulchellus Merriam, 1918; pyrenaicus Fischer, 1829; richardsoni Swainson, 1838; rogersi Merriam, 1918; rossicus Gray, 1864; rufus Borkhausen, 1797; rungiusi Merriam, 1918; russelli Merriam, 1914; sagittalis Merriam, 1918; scandinavicus Gray, 1864; schmitzi Matschie, 1917; selkirki Merriam, 1916; shanorum Thomas, 1906; sheldoni Merriam, 1910; shirasi Merriam, 1914; shoshone Merriam, 1914; sibiricus Gray, 1864; sitkeenensis Merriam, 1914; sitkensis Merriam, 1896; smirnovi Lönnberg, 1925; stenorostris Gray, 1864; syriacus Hemprich and Ehrenberg, 1828; tahltanicus Merriam, 1914; texensis Merriam, 1914; toklat Merriam, 1914; townsendi Merriam, 1916; tularensis Merriam, 1918; tundrensis Merriam, 1914; ursus Boddaert, 1772; utahensis Merriam, 1914; warburtoni Merriam, 1916; washake Merriam, 1916; yesoensis Lydekker, 1897.

COMMENTS: Reviewed by Couturier (1954), Rausch (1963a), Kurtén (1973), and Hall (1984). Ognev (1931) and Allen (1938) recognized If. pruinosus as distinct; not followed by Ellerman and Morrison-Scott (1951), Gao (1987), and Strognov (1962). Lönnberg (1923b) believed that differences between pruinosus and arctos warranted subgeneric distinction as (Mylarctos) pruinosus; however, this was not supported by Pocock's (1932a) thorough revision.