FORMOSAN BLACK BEAR

[King Kodiak]

FORMOSAN BLACK BEAR (URSUS THIBETANUS FORMOSANUS)

The Formosan black bear (臺灣黑熊, Ursus thibetanus formosanus), also known as the white-throated bear, is a subspecies of the Asiatic black bear. Formosan black bears are endemic to Taiwan. In 2001, they were voted the most representative wildlife of Taiwan in a half-year-long countrywide voting campaign. They are also the largest land animals and the only native bears (Ursidae) in Taiwan.

Because of severe exploitation and habitat degradation in recent decades, populations of wild Formosan black bears have been declining. This species was listed as "endangered" under Taiwan's Wildlife Conservation Act (Traditional Chinese: 野生動物保育法) in 1989. Their geographic distribution is restricted to remote, rugged areas at elevations of 1,000–3,500 metres (3,300–11,500 ft).

Physical characteristics

The Formosan black bear is sturdily built and has a round head, short neck, small eyes, and long snout. Its head measures 26–35 cm in length and 40–60 cm in circumference. Its ears are 8–12 cm long. Its snout resembles a dog's, hence its nickname is "dog bear". Its tail is inconspicuous and short — usually less than 10 cm long. Its body is well covered with rough, glossy, black hair, which can grow over 10 cm long around the neck. The tip of its chin is white. On the chest, there is a distinctive yellowish or white mark that is shaped like a "V" character or a crescent moon. This earns it another nickname — "moon bear".

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formosan_black_bear

[King Kodiak]

FORMOSAN BLACK BEAR

[King Kodiak]

CHARACTERISTICS
Formosan black bears range in size from 47" to 75" in height and weigh from 110 lbs. to 440 lbs., having long thick brownish-black fur.

They are very territorial creatures and mark their territory with scratches on trees or urinating on the ground. They are also very solitary creatures except during mating season or when caring for their offspring. Like most Asiatic black bears, the Formosan black bear is nocturnal, feeding at night and spending the day resting in hollow trees or caves.

www.bearsoftheworld.net/formosan_black_bears.asp

[brobear]

www.bearsoftheworld.net/formosan_black_bears.asp 
 
The Formosan black bear Selenarctos thibetanus formosanus is a subspecies of the Asiatic black bear. It is also known as the white-throated bear because of the markings on its chest, and the dog bear because they are known to bark like dogs and have long muzzles similar to dogs. It is the largest mammal in Taiwan

Formosan Black Bear Loafing
HABITAT
Formosan black bears are found in mountainous forests in the eastern two-thirds of Taiwan at elevations of 3,300 to10,000 feet. In the Winter, rather than hibernating, they will simply move to lower elevations in search of food.

CHARACTERISTICS
Formosan black bears range in size from 47" to 75" in height and weigh from 110 lbs. to 440 lbs., having long thick brownish-black fur.

They are very territorial creatures and mark their territory with scratches on trees or urinating on the ground. They are also very solitary creatures except during mating season or when caring for their offspring. Like most Asiatic black bears, the Formosan black bear is nocturnal, feeding at night and spending the day resting in hollow trees or caves.
  
DIET
Formosan Black Bears are omnivorous creatures, feeding primarily on leaves, buds, fruits, roots, insects, and small animals. They will also eat carcasses and carrion and just about anything they can find.

BREEDING
Mating season is in the Winter. After a gestation period of about eight months, the female will have typically one to three cubs which remain with their mother for one to two years.

STATUS
The Formosan black bear was listed as an endangered species under Taiwan's Culture Heritage and Conservation Law in 1989. They are also protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), banning all international trade of any products derived from the species. Formosan Cub In TreeHowever, illegal hunting and destruction of the bear's habitat have still continued to threaten the bear's existence. The natural life span of Formosan black bears is 25 to 30 years.

[King Kodiak]

YOUNG FORMOSAN BLACK BEAR




www.researchgate.net/figure/Young-Formosan-black-bear_fig1_228449594

[King Kodiak]

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Formosan black bear (Ursus thibetanus formosanus)


A complete mitochondrial genome of the Formosan black bear (Ursus thibetanus formosanus) was obtained by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. The genome spans 17,044 bp that includes 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, and two rRNA genes. The base composition of the heavy strain is 31.0% A, 25.6% C, 15.7% G, and 27.7% T. The control region (CR) is located between tRNA-Pro and tRNA-Phe, consists of 1,595 bp, and comprises 9.4% of the whole genome. The DNA sequence shares 98.7%, 96.3%, 91.0%, 91.8%, and 91.7% similarity with those of U. t. thibetanus, U. t. mupinensis, U. americanus, U. arctos, and U. maritimus respectively. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that the Formosan black bear is more closely related to U. t. thibetanus than to U. t. mupinensis.


www.researchgate.net/publication/289110051_The_complete_mitochondrial_genome_of_the_Formosan_black_bear_Ursus_thibetanus_formosanus

[brobear]

Reply #5:
1- Ursus thibetanus thibetanus ... Tibetan black bear.
2- Ursus thibetanus mupinensis ... Indochinese black bear.
3- Ursus Americanus ... American black bear.
4- Ursus arctos ... brown bear.
5- Ursus maritimus ... polar bear.

[King Kodiak]

Those 5 bears share DNA ranging from 98.7% to 91.7% with the Formosan black bear. 

[Deleted]

Younger one

Adult

[OldGreenGrolar]

So this is the Taiwanese black bear. Interesting.

[OldGreenGrolar]

[OldGreenGrolar]

[brobear]

Ursus thibetanus

Currently there are 7 Ursus thibetanus sub-species distributed around 18 countries in Asia.

www.ysnp.gov.tw/En/StaticPage/BSE01Copy

Ursus thibetanus formosanus/Formosan black bear

The Formosan black bear is one of the 7 sub-species of Ursus thibetanus. It is the only bear species originated from Taiwan and is being listed as an endangered wildlife species. The Formosan black bear matures at 3-4 years of age. Their metoestrus period occurs between June to August and the pregnancy period lasts 6-7 months. The mother bears usually give birth to a baby between December to February of the next year. Each time they give birth to 1-3 young bears. Their lactation period is approximately half a year.

The Formosan black bear are forest animals that are widely distributed in the Central Ra. The most suitable growth environment is the forests situated in the altitude between 1,000-2,500m. 

[brobear]

The research data of the Yushan National Park wireless communication follow-up had revealed that the Formosan black bears were mainly active during the day, with peak activity at dusk. During Autumn and Winter, where food is more abundant, they will be active for the whole day.

The Formosan black bear is Omnivorous, with more than 80% of their food coming from plants and the remaining 20 % were animals or insects.
During Spring and Summer, they usually feast on berries, sprouts, roots and tree leaves. During Autumn and Winter, they feed on nuts as their main staple. Occasionally they hunt for goat, Reeves' muntjac or search for honey, ants’ nest, carrion and so forth. 

[brobear]

How many Formosan black bear are there remaining in Taiwan?

There are only 200-600 Formosan black bears remaining in Taiwan. The animals are listed as among the endangered protected species according to the “Wildlife Conservation Act”. Threats which Formosan black bears are faced with: Illegal hunting, trading, fragmentation of their habitat, land exploitation for recreation and so forth.