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Ursus arctos isabellinus
Also called snow bear or red bear, which are literal translations of the Hindustani names, although, apparently, this bear is never red in color. Other names are Kashmir brown bear and Tian Shan brown bear.
DESCRIPTION A smaller brown bear, with males usually about six feet (1.8 m) in length and seldom more than seven feet (2.1 m). Shoulder height "well over three feet" (91 cm) (MacIntyre). Females are much smaller.
Younger bears are usually a pale creamy brown, often with a white patch on the chest. Very young ones have a white collar. Older bears, especially males, are much darker and frequently have white-tipped hairs, which give a grizzled appearance. The winter coat is long and fine, with hairs as much as eight inches (20 cm) in length. The claws are usually pale-colored or even white, and are 3-4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm) long.
DISTRIBUTION The Tian Shan, Pamir and Himalayan mountains in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Xinjiang Province of China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, and Nepal.
TAXONOMIC NOTES Includes these races: isabellinus (Nepal), leuconyx (Naryn Valley, Kyrgyzstan), and pamirensis (Pamir Range), with isabellinus Horsfield, 1826 having priority.
STATUS Listed on Appendix I of CITES (1979).
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