Details
Ursus spelaeus
Cave bear is a mammal associated with forests and mountains. It is omnivorous and usually solitary. It is extinct, so its ecology is reconstructed from fossils and specimens.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Its range is represented here by the Palearctic, where it uses forests and mountains. Mobile species may shift habitat use with season, breeding sites, or food availability.
Typical length 210-350 cm, weight 225 kg-1 t. It has a robust bear-like build, with proportions shaped by its habitat and mode of movement.
It is active in bouts across day and night and usually solitary. Spacing, group size, and visibility can change with season, feeding conditions, and breeding activity.
It is omnivorous. Food choice and foraging style are tied to life in forests and mountains, so movements often follow available food resources.
Breeding cannot be observed directly; life history is inferred from fossils and comparison with close relatives.
Recorded scientifically as Ursus spelaeus. It is extinct, so its ecology is reconstructed from fossils and specimens. In this guide, size, habitat, and activity pattern are useful first clues for recognition.
