Quiz: Can You Identify These Bear Subspecies?

Did you know that there are 16 subspecies of the American black bear alone? Don’t worry, we’re not going to quiz you on all of them. In fact, most are nearly impossible to tell apart without context—and some aren’t even recognized as a subspecies depending on who you’re asking. Brown bears have it much easier, although they can still be pretty hard to differentiate.

In this quiz, we’re going to test your knowledge of bear subspecies to the limit. Be warned, it’s pretty hard to get 10 out of 10 unless you’re some kind of bear expert (or really, really good at guessing). To keep things easier, we’ve decided to limit it to just North American bears. Could you imagine if we threw Himalayan browns or Formosan black bears into the mix? We would have to start grading it on a curve!

Daniel Xu

I'm the knife nut that everybody is ashamed to know. My love of sharp things extends to all kinds of edged weapons, be they small, large or on a stick.