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Post by brobear on Mar 18, 2018 8:49:23 GMT -5
www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/carnivores/bear_sun.html Main Characteristics The Sun Bear is the smallest species of bear. Their body length is 1.1 - 1.4 m (3.5 - 4.5 ft), their tail length is not recorded and they weigh 50 - 60 Kgs (110 - 145 lbs). They have poor eye sight but a good sense of smell which they use to detect food. They have an extremely long tongue which measures between 20 and 25 cms (8 - 10 inches) long. Sun Bears have short black or dark brown water repellent fur that covers their whole body except for a yellow/orange crescent shape on their chest. They have flexible snouts and relatively, the largest canines of all the bear species. They have large, strong paws with naked soles and long, lightweight, sickle shaped claws. Sun Bears have loose skin which enables them to turn around and defend themselves against predators. They are very aggressive bears, probably the most aggressive, and they will attack without being provoked. Habitat Sun Bears inhabit the lowland tropical forests of South East Asia. They are excellent climbers and they spend a large amount of their time in the trees. Sun Bears are thought to be solitary except those with cubs, however they have been spotted in pairs. Diet Sun Bears are omnivores and their diet mainly consists of lizards, birds, fruits, eggs, termites, berries, young tips of palm trees, insects, roots, nests of bees, cocoa and coconuts. They use their front paws to break open trees in search of insects or sap, their long tongue to get at honey and their strong jaws to crack open coconuts. Breeding After a gestation period of approximately 96 days a Sun Bear will give birth to 1 - 2 cubs on the forest floor. At birth the cubs will weigh between 280 and 340 g (10 - 12 oz) and they will be blind and helpless. The cubs will be walking about by the time they reach 2 months old and they will be weaned at 4 months. They will stay with their mother until they are aged between 18 months and 2 years so they can learn how to survive. Sun Bears reach sexual maturity when they are between 3 and 4 years old and as they don't hibernate, they reproduce all year round. They have been spotted living pairs which has lead to speculation that Sun Bears could be monogamous. Predators Predators of the Sun Bear are humans and large felines such as tigers.
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Post by brobear on Mar 12, 2019 15:50:37 GMT -5
animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/sun-bear Sun Bear Helarctos malayanus 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. 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. Each bear’s crest is individual—like fingerprints. The sun bear’s jaws provide a powerful bite force and are often used to tear into trees to get at the burrowing insects beneath the bark. They have a distinctive pigeon-toed walk, an adaptation to their arboreal lifestyle. Like other bears, sun bears have an incredible sense of smell, thought to be several thousand times better than that of humans. Tree, sweet tree: In the Malay language, the sun bear is called basindo nan tenggil, which means “he who likes to sit high.” It certainly lives up to that reputation! The sun bear likes to make its home in the branches of trees. Its small size, 4-inch-long (10 centimeters) claws, and large paws with hairless soles help the little bear move about with ease high up in trees. Those branches also make a nice place to build a nest for resting or sunbathing during the day, although in areas undisturbed by humans, sun bears are more likely to rest on the ground. Their eyes are more forward-facing than those of longer-snouted bears like polar bears, which is another adaptation thought to aid in climbing. The sun bear has all the tools necessary to protect itself. Those claws and canine teeth are handy weapons in a fight. If a predator were to latch on during a struggle, the sun bear can turn in its loose skin and bite its attacker. And even though the sun bear lives in a hot, humid climate, its short, sleek, dark-brown coat is unusually thick and dense to protect the animal against twigs, branches, falls, and heavy rain. What’s more, the sun bear can be a quick mover when it needs to be, outpacing more lumbering bears like giant pandas. The omnivorous sun bear relies primarily on fruit and insects to meet its needs. Its front paws and long claws rip open trees in search of insects or sap. Other occasional food choices include small birds, fruit, honey, lizards, rodents, and soft parts of palm trees. Strong jaws and teeth even help this bear open coconuts! The sun bear’s especially long tongue is perfectly suited for getting at honey and insects inside trees and other tight places. Its appetite for coconuts, oil palms, and other commercial crops has led to a lot of conflict between sun bears and humans. Sadly, this conflict is a significant conservation threat to the sun bear, as the little bears are often killed or confiscated for the pet trade. At the San Diego Zoo, the sun bears eat fruits, vegetables, and an omnivore pellet that’s a lot like dog kibble. They also receive bones to gnaw on twice a week and, for enrichment, an assortment of goodies like mealworms, crickets, and even peanut butter!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2019 7:23:36 GMT -5
As much as I like the info of the sun bear, I disagree with this sentence:
This is because there another account saying the sloth bear being less aboreal is more likely to fight rather than flee. The sun bear is at least more active than the giant panda.
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Post by brobear on Mar 15, 2019 10:40:38 GMT -5
As much as I like the info of the sun bear, I disagree with this sentence: This is because there another account saying the sloth bear being less aboreal is more likely to fight rather than flee. The sun bear is at least more active than the giant panda. Even a rat when cornered will fight aggressively, but a sun bear would rather scurry up a tree when threatened if there is enough time given. He is far from being the worlds's most aggressive bear. Sloth bears are also excellent tree-climbers. But old habits do not die easily. Sloth bears evidently have retained their age-old habit of stand and fight when threatened by a predator as did their brown bear ancestors. Sun bears are the leftover stock of bears which gave rise to the black bears ( both Asiatic and American ). |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2019 2:53:40 GMT -5
So are you saying the black bears are more related to the sun bear while the sloth bear is more related to the brown bear, right?
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Post by brobear on Mar 16, 2019 3:52:30 GMT -5
So are you saying the black bears are more related to the sun bear while the sloth bear is more related to the brown bear, right? Exactly... ( quick Reader's Digest version )... at some time in the distant past, one group of sun bears remained in a tropical region and remained nearly unchanged while another group whose environment changed, evolved into the two black bear species. A group of grizzlies in Asia migrated into India where they adapted to a more tropical environment; thus we have the sloth bear.  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2019 3:55:21 GMT -5
I always thought the asian black bear, sun bear, and sloth bear were related because of the v mark on their chest. Looks like I must have mistaken  . Learn something new everyday. |
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Post by brobear on Mar 16, 2019 4:42:39 GMT -5
I always thought the asian black bear, sun bear, and sloth bear were related because of the v mark on their chest. Looks like I must have mistaken . Learn something new everyday. But, the Asiatic black bear also bears that mark. All three of your smaller bear species in Asia have this mark. The Asiatic black bear, sun bear, and sloth bear. Why? The big ( usually ) white ) "V" upon the ( usually ) black chest of the bear is easily visible. This is a warning to a tiger or any other predator that says, "I am facing you and ready to fight." A tiger does not wish to go face-to-face with a bear. Basically, it is a "Stop sign". |
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Post by BruteStrength on Mar 17, 2019 10:00:41 GMT -5
Ha Ha Ha Basically it's a stop sign. Damnn you rule Brobear. One of the best quotes this year.
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Post by King Kodiak on Mar 22, 2019 4:55:03 GMT -5
Watch the world’s smallest bear copy its friends’ facial expressions By Alex FoxMar. 21, 2019 , 10:00 AM Humans are master impersonators—even infants can mimic the facial expressions of their friends and parents. Other socially sophisticated primates can copy others’ faces during play, with toothy grins bouncing from one gorilla or orangutan to the next. Now, scientists have captured video of the world’s smallest bear doing the same thing, the first time that a nonprimate has been shown to ape faces. Researchers took short videos of 22 sun bears (Helarctos malayanus) spontaneously playing together over several years at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre in Sandakan, Malaysia. This diminutive bear is elusive and solitary, spending most of its life roaming the forests of Southeast Asia. But bears at the center engaged in hundreds of mostly gentle play fights, even though the enclosure was large enough that they could have kept to themselves. The researchers divided the bears’ facial expressions into two types: an open-mouthed gape and an open mouth with a wrinkled nose and exposed teeth. Then, they watched the 3- to 5-minute videos to see whether the bears matched their playmates’ facial expressions. Thirteen of the bears mirrored the facial expression of their roughhousing partner exactly within 1 second of seeing it, the researchers report today in Scientific Reports. The bears also surprised researchers with their social sensitivity—they made roughly 85% of their facial expressions while face to face with another bear. The presence of these sophisticated social behaviors in the solitary sun bear suggests, say the researchers, that facial mimicry may be more common than previously thought. It also challenges the idea that only animals with complex social lives can be copycats. www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/03/watch-world-s-smallest-bear-copy-its-friends-facial-expressions |
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Post by brobear on Mar 22, 2019 9:34:44 GMT -5
Perhaps bears have more complex social lives than we think they do.
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Post by BruteStrength on Mar 23, 2019 21:48:02 GMT -5
I think bears are close to primates in terms of intelligence.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2019 21:48:59 GMT -5
I think bears are close to primates in terms of intelligence. Bears are among the most intelligent mammals in the world. |
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Post by BruteStrength on Mar 27, 2019 17:15:20 GMT -5
I agree I rank bears pretty high among other animals. I don't know which are smarter wolves or bears. Wolves are really smart.
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Post by brobear on Mar 28, 2019 4:25:47 GMT -5
I agree I rank bears pretty high among other animals. I don't know which are smarter wolves or bears. Wolves are really smart. Not even a contest. Wolves are smart, high up the ladder. But, when it comes to problem solving, bears have them beat by miles. There remains no slightest doubt in my mind that dogs are much smarter than cats. There also is no lingering doubts that bears are much smarter than dogs. What dog would ever conceive of the idea to back-track, carefully placing each foot into another footprint, while walking backwards, so as to fool someone following him? What dog might conceive of the idea of placing his feet upon logs, stumps, etc. where there is no snow, to hide his tracks by not making any? The bear is probably the only animal other than a human to ever do this. |
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Post by BruteStrength on Mar 28, 2019 12:06:55 GMT -5
I agree I rank bears pretty high among other animals. I don't know which are smarter wolves or bears. Wolves are really smart. Not even a contest. Wolves are smart, high up the ladder. But, when it comes to problem solving, bears have them beat by miles. There remains no slightest doubt in my mind that dogs are much smarter than cats. There also is no lingering doubts that bears are much smarter than dogs. What dog would ever conceive of the idea to back-track, carefully placing each foot into another footprint, while walking backwards, so as to fool someone following him? What dog might conceive of the idea of placing his feet upon logs, stumps, etc. where there is no snow, to hide his tracks by not making any? The bear is probably the only animal other than a human to ever do this. Great point Brobear. I agree. When it comes to intelligence though it's many variables that also come into play. |
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Post by brobear on Mar 29, 2019 5:36:43 GMT -5
Quote: When it comes to intelligence though it's many variables that also come into play.
True; but ( IMO ) the best measuring stick is problem solving. Another example: A grizzly she-bear with cubs was walking along a dried-up creek bed. She decided to leave, so climbed up the steep side of the creek bed. The cubs were unable to follow. So she went back in, after a moment of thought, she used her long claws to cut deep horizontal grooves along the creek bed wall. The cubs used these grooves as a ladder.
But make no mistake that wolves are smart predators. Studies show that grey wolf hunting tactics are far more complex that the hunting strategies of lions.
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Post by BruteStrength on Mar 29, 2019 16:56:30 GMT -5
Wow this goes to show that bears really are smart then. I put bear intelligence above the wolf now. I also read somewhere that bear intelligence may be on the level of great apes.
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Post by brobear on Mar 30, 2019 6:46:33 GMT -5
Wow this goes to show that bears really are smart then. I put bear intelligence above the wolf now. I also read somewhere that bear intelligence may be on the level of great apes. I am not alone in ranking bears on an equal level with the great apes and elephants. |
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Post by BruteStrength on Mar 30, 2019 20:19:48 GMT -5
Some bears can even be taught to ride bikes in my opinion this takes some serious intelligence for this.
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. Learn something new everyday.
