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Sloth Bears are omnivorous mammals.
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Sloth Bear
Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Ursus
Species: Ursinus
Melursus ursinus or Ursus ursinus
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Other Names: Aswail Baloo,
Honey Bear, Jungle Joker, Lip Bear,
and Labiated Bear
Sub-species: There are two
subspecies of sloth bears:
Sri Lankan sloth bear - Melursus
ursinus inornatus
Common sloth bear - Melursus ursinus
ursinus |
Size: Adult sloth bears weigh
from 120 to 310 lbs. Sloth bears are
on average 5 to 6 feet tall. Female
sloth bears are signifcantly smaller
than their male counterparts (usually
females are 2/3 the size of the males).
Habitat: Sloth bears are
found on the Indian sub-continent.Sloth
bears are found in the forested and
grassland regions of India, Bangladesh,
Nepal, and Bhutan as well as the island
of Sri Lanka.
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Sloth Bear
Conservation Classification:
Vulnerable
There are an estimated 7000 and
10,000 sloth bears in the world.
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Territories: Sloth bears are territorial,
they will leave markings on trees with their
claws and teeth, as well as excrement to
mark their domain. A female sloth bears
territory is usually around 3 square miles,
and the average range of male sloth bear
is about 5 miles.
Diet: Sloth bears primarily eat
termites and ants. Sloth bears have a gap
in their front teeth through which they
suck in the insects. The sloth bear closes
their nostrils and use their lips like a
vacuum nozzle. Sloth bears will turn over
rocks and logs and dig as deep as 5 feet
to feed on large underground insect colonies.
Sloth bears will also eat flowers, and
fruit. The will occasionally knock down
a honeycomb from a tree, hence the "honey
bear" reference.
Senses: Sloth bears have an excellent
sense of smell, but relatively poor hearing
and vision.
Behavior: Sloth bears are nocturnal.
Sloth bears are not known to be aggressive,
however female sloth bears can be extremely
vicious when protecting their young.
Description: Sloth bears have long,
curved claws that are up to 3 inches in
length. The claw are incredibly strong and
are used to penetrate the rock hard insect
mounds and nests. Sloth bears have a shaggy
black coat and a cream-colored snout. The
sloth bear has a distinctive "v"
or "y" design of whitish or cream
fur on their chest. The front legs of a
sloth bear are longer than the bear's hind
legs. The sloth bear's paws are turned inward,
and they have webbed toes. Sloth bears have
a long narrow tongue and long lower lip,
that are also used to retrieve insects.
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Birth: Sloth bears will give
birth to a litter of two cubs. The
newborn cubs are 10.5 and 17.5 ounces
at birth, they are born hairless.
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Did You Know?
Sloth bears
are the only bears that carry
their young on their back.
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Gestation: Sloth bears typically
carry their young for 6-7 months.
Cubs: Sloth bear cubs will remain
with their mother for the first 2-3 years
of life.
Sexual Maturity: Sloth bears reach
sexual maturity at 3 to 4 years of age.
Life Span: Sloth bears live on average
up to 20 years, though they can live up
to 40 years in captivity. .
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Social Structure: Sloth bears are
solitary creatures. The only time they
are not alone is when mating or when
a mother has young. |
Did You Know?
The sloth
bear makes so much noise sucking
up insects that it can be
heard up to 300 yards away.
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Athleticism: Sloth bears are excellent
climbers.
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