The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is an omnivorous mammal of the order carnivora, distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It weighs between 130–700 kg (290-1,500 pounds) and its larger populations match the Polar bear as the largest extant land carnivores. While the brown bear's range has shrunk, and it has faced local extinctions, it remains listed as a least concern species with a total population of approximately 200,000. Its principal range countries are Russia, the United States (especially Alaska), and Canada.
The species primarily feeds on vegetable matter, including roots and fungi. Fish are a primary source of meat, and it will also kill small mammals on land. Larger mammals, such as deer, are taken more occasionally. Adult brown bears face no serious competition from other predators and can match wolf packs and large felines, often driving them off their kills.
It is sometimes referred to as the bruin, from Middle English, based on the name of the bear in History of Reynard the Fox, translated by William Caxton, from Middle Dutch bruun or bruyn.
