Which critically endangered brown bear subspecies lives in Italy's central Apennines?

The critically endangered Marsican brown bear lives in Italy’s central Apennines.

Also called the Apennine brown bear, it survives mainly in and around Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise. Its name comes from Marsica, a historic area of Abruzzo where the bears have long been present. The population is geographically isolated from the brown bears of the Italian Alps.

Marsican bears are omnivores that eat berries, plants and other foods, sometimes taking small animals or livestock. They are generally solitary and spend much of winter in dens. Their restricted range, small population and limited number of breeding females make habitat protection and conflict reduction especially important.

The taxonomic label is sometimes debated: researchers have treated the Marsican bear as a subspecies, a distinct population or a separate taxon. That scientific discussion does not change the quiz answer—the distinctive brown bears of Italy’s central Apennines are conventionally called Marsican brown bears.