Bears are mammals belonging to the order Carnivora. We differentiate between bears and their smaller cousins in the raccoon family. Both families developed from common ancestors roughly 25 million years ago. The dog family (Canidae), including wolves, foxes and coyotes, are also closely related to bears and raccoons.

Great bears – Ursidae

The bear family consists of eight species. Its most famous members are brown bears – the largest land predators on earth.

Some scientists divide the Ursidae bear family into three subfamilies as the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) differ from other bears with regard to physique and genetic makeup. They constitute the Ailuridae and Tremarctinae subfamilies.The third subfamily, the so-called real bears belonging to the Ursus genus, is the most widespread today. It consists of of six species: the brown bear (Ursus arctos), the American black bear (Ursus americanus), the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), the Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus), the sloth bear (Ursus ursinus) and the Malayan sun bear (Ursus malayanus).

The raccoon family – Procyonidae

The family of raccoons consists of 18 species, almost all of which are native to North, Central and South America. The Procyonidae include different species of coati (Nasua) and raccoon (Procyon) as well as the kinkajou (Potos flavus), olingos (Bassaricyon), ringtails (Bassariscus) and the lesser panda (Ailurus fulgens) which some scientists place in a separate family together with the giant panda.