|
So, who is this Sun Bear anyway?
Packin' a Powerful Punch-
The Malayan Sun Bear, or Helarctos malayanus, is the smallest bear of the Ursidae family. Covered in short, course, black fur, the bear earned its name from the golden crescent shaped patch of fur on its chest that resembles a rising sun.
They are increasingly rare residents of tropical rain forests in southern China, Burma, Malaysia, Sumatra, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Borneo.
An adult male stands about 4 feet tall and weighs up to 140 pounds, but don't let their small size fool you, these bears can be dangerous.
I'm Just Hanging Around-
Sun Bears have a great sense of smell but horrible eyesight. These omnivores diet on fruit, honey, insects, larvae, small rodents, lizards, birds, earthworms, green vegetation, and roots.
If you're looking for one, you better look up. Most of the time, Sun Bears use their 6 inch long, agile, hooked claws and bowed legs to climb around in the tree tops on their endless search for food. The bear is mostly active at night, resting and sunbathing in makeshift nests in the trees during the day.
Oh Baby-
Sun Bears will mate at any time of the year since their habitat is warm and they don't have to hibernate. Hairless and unable to hear or smell, one or two cubs will be born in every litter.
The babies remain with their mother for quite some time, learning how to find food and fend for themselves. They reach sexual maturity between three and four years of age. In terms of life span, Sun Bears have been known to live up to 25 years in captivity, but it is not known how long they live in the wild.
And Now for the Fun!
This is one interesting bear!
Fun and Interesting Facts:
- The Sun Bear's Malayan name, basindo nan tenggil, means "he who likes to sit high"
- The bears have an especially long tongue for extracting honey from bee nests, giving them their other nickname, the "honey bear"
- Many researchers believe the Sun Bear may be monogamous
- Mother Sun Bears, known as Sows, sometimes walk upright and carry their babies in their arms to move them from place to place
- The bottom of the Sun Bear's pigeon-toed feet are hairless, a characteristic that makes it as agile as a monkey when it climbs trees
The Sun Bear has very loose skin around its neck. If grabbed from behind by predators like Tigers and Leopards, the bear can wriggle its body inside its skin far enough to turn around and bite back!
-
- Sun Bears are very intelligent. For example, one Sun Bear in captivity took the rice that was given to him for food and scattered it on the ground, luring in the chickens that shared his exhibit. The bear then captured and ate them.
So why exactly are these bears endangered you ask?
|
