| Sun Bear | |
|---|---|
 At Oregon Zoo. | |
| Information | |
| Common Name | Honey Bear |
| Range | Asia |
| Scientific Classification | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Carnivora |
| Family | Ursidae |
| Genus | Helarctos |
| Species | Helarctos malayanus |
| Conservation Status | |
 Vulnerable | |
The Sun Bear is a species from the Helarctos genus. It is found in south east Asia, Sumatra, and Borneo.
Appearance
It does not have a tail. It has a stocky body and powerful paws. It is fully black with a orangeish collar. It is 3-5 ft. long and weighs 44-154 lbs. Its powerful jaws can crack open nuts. Its long, powerful claws are used to break into tree trunks and fallen logs to access honey, grubs and termites. Much of the sun bear's food must be detected using its keen sense of smell, as its sight is poor.
Behaviour
It spends the day high in the trees. Being a primarily nocturnal creature, the sun bear tends to rest during the day on lower limbs not far above the ground. Because it spends so much time in trees, the sun bear can sometimes cause damage to property. It has been known to destroy coconut palms and
Diet
It eats termites, larvae, grubs, fruit, and bark. It also eats fowl and rodents. There are usually two young. They're cared for by both parents.
Lifespan
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The sun bear does not hibernate, and, as a result, it can reproduce year-round. The offspring reach sexual maturity after 3–4 years and may live up to 30 years in captivity. A female sun bear can produce 1 to 2 cubs per year. Sun bears undergo a roughly 96 day gestation period after which the 300 to 400 g cub is born blind and hairless. The cub is initially totally dependent on its mother and suckling can continue for about 18 months. After 1 to 3 months, the young cub can run, play and forage near its mother. Females are observed to mate at about 3 years. During time of mating, the sun bear will show behaviour like hugging, mock fighting and head bobbing with its mate.
Gallery
Facts
- The Sun Bear is the smallest bear species.