Life-expectancy: 30 years. long. They perhaps remain with their mom, nonetheless, for concerning 2 years as they find out the facts of life. Sun bears are opportunistic omnivore, feeding primarily on termites, ants, beetle larvae, bee larvae and a large variety of fruit species, especially figs when available. All rights reserved. As a result of deforestation in the area, the populations of the bears has significantly decreased by over 30% in the last 3 bear generations. The sun bear has an exceptionally long tongue which measures 7.9 to 9.8 in or 20 to 25 cm. The smallest bear species in the world is known as the Sun Bear. A wild female sun bear was swallowed by a large reticulated python in a lowland dipterocarp forest in Males are 10 to 20% larger than females. Males weigh a maximum of 176 lbs. While it's easy to think of bears as fluffy cuddle monsters, there's a lot more than … In some folktales it is said that this shape represents the rising sun. The tail itself is 3 to 7 cm (1.2 to 2.7 in). They have short, sleek black fur with an orange-yellow horseshoe shape of color on their chest. The endangered sun bears, named for the golden crescent on their chest, often display their frolicsome nature. Sun bear information, pictures, video and interesting facts for kids and adults. Of the eight species of bears within the Ursidae family, it is not clear which other bear is its closest … Commercial hunting and poaching remain the biggest threat to … It helps them extract ants, termites and honey from deep cavities. During time of mating, the sun bear shows behaviours such as hugging, mock fighting, and head bobbing with its mate. Killing of sun bears is strictly prohibited under national wildlife protection laws throughout their range. Bees, beehives, and honey are important food items of sun bears. They weigh from 27 to 80 kg (60–176 lb). Its common name comes from the white or yellowish crescent marking on its chest, which many people think looks like the rising or setting sun. Interesting Facts About the Sun Bear However, many sun bears and brown bears are also victims of the bile trade. The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is the smallest species of bear.It gets its common name for the white or golden bib on its chest, which is said to represent the rising sun. Cubs are born hairless and helpless, unable to hear or smell, and are completely dependent upon their mother for food, warmth, and protection. Length: 120 – 150cm. Commercial hunting and poaching remain the biggest threat to these bears. Hibernation period: Sun Bears do not hibernate, Mass: 27-80 kg (males are 10-20% heavier than females). Interesting facts about peregrine falcons, Interesting facts about the colour yellow, Interesting facts about the colour purple. It is an Asian subspecies. This coat is usually black except for a white or yellowish chest mark and a grey to faintly orange muzzle. Gestation has been reported at 95 and 174 days. Sun bears are found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. The sun bear is nocturnal and spends much of its time living in trees, sometimes sleeping in a rough nest made of branches. These bears can extend their tongues up to 25 cm to extract honey and insects. It has the shortest coat of all bears, because it is the only member of the bear family that lives in warm, tropical climates all the time. Sun bears are omnivores and bees, beehives, and honey are their important food items. Sun bears feed on bees, beehives, honey, termites, ants, beetle larvae, figs and other fruits. and both species range between 60 – 176 lbs. Find out more about the … Cubs remain with their mothers until they are fully grown, at about 2 years of age. However, little enforcement of these laws occurs. East Kalimantan. The sun bear is the smallest, most arboreal and least studied bear. The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is a species in the family Ursidae occurring in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Adults are about 70 cm (27 in) at the shoulder and are 120 to 150 cm (47–59 in) from head to tail. Making Faces is Fun for Sun Bears April 02, 2019 Somnang, a Malayan sun bear, sticks his tongue out as he sits in its enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland July 7, 2010. They are solitary animals, except for females and their young. The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is one of the rarest bear species in the world. They have a number of adaptations for climbing. While their tongues may be extra-big, sun bears are actually the smallest bear species. They also eat small vertebrate animals, like reptiles, birds and mammals. Sun bears are also known as honey bears. The sun bear is the smallest of the world’s eight bear species. Amazing Facts About the Bear. The sun bear is also called honey bear probably because it loves to eat honey from honeycombs. It gets its name from a blond chest patch of fur that looks like a setting sun. The Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is the smallest of the bears and is about the size of a large dog. Sun bears get their name from the characteristic orange to cream coloured chest patch. Unique among its characteristics is that it has two bib-shaped golden patches which are quite visible on its shoulders. They weigh from 27 to 80 kg (60–176 lb). Animal Facts - Sun Bear Sun Bear Diet. They are also known as honey bears and Malayan sun bears. Amazing Facts About the Sun Bear. These bears can extend their tongues up to 25 cm to extract honey and insects. Bears are extraordinarily intelligent animals. Find out interesting facts all about the spectacular Sun Bear. They have far superior navigation skills to humans; excellent memories; large brain to body ratio; and use tools in various contexts from play to hunting. They also feed primarily on termites, ants, beetle larvae, bee larvae and a large variety of fruit species, especially figs when available. Other occasional food choices include small birds, lizards, rodents, and soft parts of palm trees. “Dog-face bear,” “Malay bear,” and “honey bear” are common nicknames for the sun bear. Average number of cubs: one. ... We do everything we can to provide as natural and interesting an environment as possible where they can climb trees, swim in pools or simply lie on the grass in the sun. Sun bears are active at night and are excellent and agile climbers. The sun bear is the smallest bear in the world. They lumber through the forests by night, snacking on fruits, berries, roots, insects, small birds, lizards, and rodents. These laws, however, are rarely enforced. Extremely agile and often comical, sun bears are great tree climbers and make excellent use of their enclosure’s climbing structures. Bears grieve deeply for others. On average, adult sun bears have a length of between 47 and 59 inches with a weight of between 60 an… Males are slightly larger than females. Ironically, sun bears are nocturnal. Sun bears are the smallest of bears and among the most enjoyable animals to observe. Quick Facts. The sun bear can be found in tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Males are 10 to 20% larger than females. Sun Bear Facts & Tidbits: Sun bears feed on bees, beehives, honey, termites, ants, beetle larvae, figs and other fruits. The lifespan is about 25 years in the wild and up to 30 years in captivity. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Its common name comes from the white or yellowish crescent marking on its chest, which many people think looks like the rising or setting sun. Interesting Sun Bear Facts: Sun bear can reach 4 to 5 feet in length and 60 to 150 pounds in weight. SUN BEAR. Sun bears can be found in tropical forests in Southeast Asia. Weight: 20 – 70kg. A full grown male may tip the scales at barely 66-154 pounds while females are even smaller, ranging 44-88 pounds. They eat a wide variety of things including: Fruit; Berries; Roots; Nuts; Sprouts; Tips of young palm trees; Honey; Bees; Eggs; Termites; Lizards; Small birds; Cocoa ; Coconuts. Small but mighty: The sun bear is the smallest of the world's eight bear species, about half the size of the American black bear. They get their name from the yellow-orange crescent marking that they have on their chest, which some people think looks like a rising sun. The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) or Malayan sun bear is the smallest of all bears. © 2021 SEEtheWILD.org. Sun bears usually have jet-black fur with some of them being gray or reddish. Sun bear, also called bruang, honey bear, or Malayan sun bear, smallest member of the family Ursidae, found in Southeast Asian forests.The bear (Helarctos, or Ursus, malayanus) is often tamed as a pet when young but becomes bad-tempered and dangerous as an adult.It weighs only 27–65 kg (59–143 pounds) and grows 1–1.2 m (3.3–4 feet) long with a 5-centimetre (2-inch) tail. After one to three months, the young can run, play, and forage near their mothers. Its front paws and long claws rip open trees in search of insects or sap. Adult bears measure 120–150 cm in head-body length and weighs up to … Diet: Omnivorous. The paws are large, and the soles are naked, which is thought to be an adaptation for climbing trees. The morphology of these bears is thought to be the result evolution for extensive climbing. Sun Bears are omnivores, meaning they eat both plant and animal food. Cubs are known to moan and cry when separated from their mothers. Like other bear species, sun bears have a keen sense of smell, thought to be several thousand times better than that of humans. It is stockily built, with large paws, strongly curved claws, small rounded ears and a short snout. The main predator of sun bears throughout its range by far is man. Sun Bears mostly live in tropic rainforests. Sun bears are found in Southeast Asia, particularly in northeastern India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia. Its unique morpholo… However, the American black bear is the world’s most common bear species. Sun bear children manage to play and also run at approximately 4 to 5 months old, as well as they are probably normally discouraged at approximately 18 months of age. Though small, they have an exceptionally lengthy tongue, which measures 8 – 10 in. These big bears have a very good sense of smell and can often be seen standing on their hind legs, … The Sun bear has many different nicknames including “malay bear”, “dog bear” and “honey bear”. The animal is also known as the honey bear, reflecting its love of honey, or the dog bear… and measure just 47 – 59 in. It is the second rarest bear species, after the giant panda. Bears tend to use their senses of smell and touch to find and manipulate food. The Sun Bear is the smallest species of bear in the world and it is also one of the most unique, being the only member of its family that has not only adapted to living in the jungle but also leads an exclusively tree-dwelling life. These bears have an interesting walk, with all four legs turned in while walking. During feeding, the Sun bear can extend its exceptionally long tongue 20-25 cm (7.9-9.8 in) to extract insects and honey. Litters consist of one or two cubs. Amazing Facts about Sun Bears | OneKindPlanet Animal Education. The population of this rare bear is thought to have declined more than 30% in the last 30 years. The animals have long tongues that are capable of extending up to 9.8 inches during feeding. Sun bears are considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due mainly to habitat loss from farming and logging, and poaching (both for meat and use in medicines). Web Design Vancouver by Nirvana Canada, For more general info on bears, and the best in-the-wild experiences. Discover this threatened species of bear. Because they live in a tropical climate they do not hibernate like most other bears do. Sun bears are found in the tropical rainforest of Southeast Asia ranging from northeastern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam to southern Yunnan Province in China, and on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia. They are particularly aggressive when surprised in the wild. The sun bear is one of the smallest bears, at around 1.4 meters (4.5 ft long) and weighing up to 100 lbs. The world’s most widely distributed bear is the brown bear. Each bear’s chest mark is individual — like fingerprints. Except for females with their offspring, they are usually solitary. Adults are about 70 cm (27 in) at the shoulder and are 120 to 150 cm (47–59 in) from head to tail. Nests have been observed in leafy vegetation on the ground or in hollow logs. It eats a lot of different things: fruit and other plants, eggs, honey and insects. The Sun Bear is a small species of bear that is found inhabiting the dense, tropical forests of south-east Asia. Sun bears probably use olfactory cues to find potential mates and use some vocalizations. The fur is generally jet-black, but can vary from grey to red. Sun bears have loose skin that allows them to twist when being bitten, so as to bite an attacker. Of all the bear species, sun bears are the smallest. Their fur is rather coarse but appears sleek. They sleep and sun bath in trees at heights from 2 to 7 m (6.5 to 23 ft). Regarding size, sun bears are the smallest among the eight extant species. Sun bears are known as very fierce animals when surprised in the forest. They also have ver… Animal Fact Files are a great way to get children interested in specific species. They are mostly active at night, and they stay in trees a lot of the time. Layers on layers. Habitat: Tropical lowland areas, SE Asia. This bear is often referred to as the “honey bear” due to its insatiable appetite for honeycombs and honey. The sun bear is the smallest of the world’s eight bear species. They have short, wide, flat heads with short muzzle and small round ears. They are the smallest of all bears. IUCN Status: Vulnerable due to deforestation, illegal poaching and the Asian bile trades. … It is the smallest bear, standing nearly 70 centimetres (28 inches) at the shoulder and weighing 25–65 kilograms (55–143 pounds). Sun bears are recognised by their short black fur, small round ears, bowed front legs and cream coloured curved claws. It is the smallest species of bear, with a length ... What is the diet of the sun bear? long. The sun bear is, by nature, a long-living animal. During feeding, the sun bear can extend the exceptionally long tongue 20–25 cm (7.9–9.8 in) to extract insects and honey. Tigers, leopards and clouded leopards are potential predators, although the clouded leopard could be too small to kill an adult sun bear. This species does not go through periods of hibernation, probably because they live in tropical areas and their food sources are present year round. Strong jaws and teeth even help this bear open coconuts! What is the habitat of the sun bear? The python possibly had come across the sleeping bear. It grows to be 1.2 to 1.5 meters (4 to 5 feet long) and weighs 30 to 70 kilograms (66 to 154 pounds). Sun Bears have dark black or brown-black fur with a orange-yellow horseshoe shape in the chest characteristic of this species. Named after the sun-shaped mark on their chests, sun bears are found in ... Sun bears are the world's smallest bears; they may also be the world's rarest bears. The tail itself is 3 to 7 cm (1.2 to 2.7 in). The canines are huge with an exceptionally strong bite-force that is strengthened every day through activities such as crushing the trunks of tropical hardwoods. Body of sun bear is covered with short, but coarse fur that can be brown, black or grey in color. In the Malay language, the sun bear is called basindo nan tenggil, which means “he who likes to sit high.”. The killing of these bears is prohibited under national laws that support wildlife protection. 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