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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 2:32:13 GMT -5
American black bear.
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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 2:41:35 GMT -5
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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 2:45:16 GMT -5
Moon bear.
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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 2:46:57 GMT -5
Sloth bear.
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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 2:48:43 GMT -5
Sun bear; smallest bear.
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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 2:55:27 GMT -5
Bears of India:
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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 2:59:28 GMT -5
Get To Know Your Indian Bears! wildlifesos.org/animals/get-to-know-your-indian-bears/ From fairy tales like ‘Goldilocks and The Three Bears’ to stories like ‘The Jungle Book’, bears have made an appearance in literature and media throughout modern history. These are charismatic species and some of them are among the largest land animals on this planet. Today, we find a total of eight bear species in the world, out of which the Asiatic Black Bear, Himalayan Brown Bear, Sloth Bear and Sun Bear are found in India. Let’s take a deeper dive and get to know our Indian bears. The Asiatic black bear has seven subspecies, out of which we find the Himalayan Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus laniger) subspecies in India. If you ever spot a black bear in the wild and face difficulty identifying it, look for a pale yellow or whitish crescent moon-shaped patch on the chest which is its most distinguishable physical feature. The Asiatic black bear in this part of the world is spread across the Himalayas from Bhutan in the east to Pakistan in the west. In India, its range covers Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Black bears occupy a variety of habitats ranging from temperate broad-leaved and coniferous forests to alpine meadows. Black bears are omnivorous but a major part of their diet consists of fruits such as acorns, berries, cherries, peaches, apples as well as maize. These bears also have long claws which they use to find and eat termites. Today, Asiatic Black Bears are threatened by a number of factors starting with climate change, habitat loss, habitat degradation and poaching for body parts. The loss of habitat is caused by expansion of human settlements, encroachment of wild places due to roadways, infrastructure projects and so on. In India, less than 10% of the species’ range is under Protected Areas (PAs) and areas outside PAs fall victim to developmental projects, and fuelwood and timber extraction. Moreover, they are hunted for their skins, paws and especially gall bladders, which usually have demands in traditional Chinese medicine. In terms of conservation measures, this species is protected under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora & Fauna) Appendix I and Schedule II of India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Wildlife SOS has been working for the conservation of Asiatic black bears in India for nearly 15 years. Our Dachigam and Pahalgam Rescue Centres in Jammu and Kashmir are home to 6 rescued and rehabilitated black bears. Wildlife SOS has not only rescued these bears from precarious situations, but also facilitated ex-situ conservation of this species by keeping them under captive care. It is no exaggeration to say that Wildlife SOS were the pioneers in mitigating man-bear conflict in J&K. One thing which we have focused on, is working on increasing people’s tolerance towards bears. Because of that a lot of youths volunteered to work with us, involving themselves in various programs and rescues.
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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 3:02:00 GMT -5
Get To Know Your Indian Bears! - continued... Out of the four bear species found in India, Sloth Bears are the most ubiquitous and widespread. A significant part of the global sloth bear population is found in India, namely in the Western Ghats, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and north-east India. Sloth bears are indeed unique in terms of morphology and behaviour. The bear stands out because of its protruding muzzle, which is possibly the longest among all the bear species. Sloth bears give birth to a maximum of two cubs per litter and the cubs are seen riding on the mother’s backs, which is unique only to this particular species. Sloth bears are myrmecophagous, i.e half of their diet consists of ants and termites. That is why they have long claws to dig up termite mounds and have also lost their front teeth which helps them to suck up insects in an efficient manner.
Sloth bears face a lot of risks which include factors like human-wildlife conflict, habitat fragmentation, hunting and poaching. Earlier, the mother bears were killed so that poachers could sell their cubs to the nomadic tribe called the Kalandars. They were then eventually raised in captivity and used for entertainment purposes as part of this tribe’s 400-year-old ‘Dancing Bear’ tradition. Wildlife SOS has been working on sloth bear conservation for nearly 30 years and has eradicated this gruesome practice by freeing the last dancing bear in 2009. Not only have we rescued and freed these bears, but also rehabilitated them. Currently, Wildlife SOS runs the largest and second-largest sloth bear rescue centers in the world, in Agra and Bangalore respectively. Wildlife SOS has also helped in providing alternative livelihoods to the rehabilitated Kalandars and mitigated man-sloth bear conflicts through rescue operations, awareness generation and capacity building across the southern, western and central Indian landscapes. Moreover, Wildlife SOS has also undertaken a first-of-its-kind sloth bear denning project. Studying the denning pattern ecology of wild sloth bears in their natural habitats, further helped us understand their physiology and natural behaviour. ___________________________________________ There are as many as 15 subspecies of the Brown Bear, out of which we find the Himalayan Brown Bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) subspecies in India. The Himalayan brown bear is categorised as Endangered in the IUCN Red List, most likely because its wild population is estimated to be around 500-700. As is clear from their name, these bears have a thick fur which is mostly reddish-brown or sandy in colour. Himalayan brown bears are the heaviest and largest of the four bears, with weights reaching a maximum of 550 kg for males. This species is found in higher altitudes across north-western and central Himalayas including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet and west China. In India, they are only found in J&K, parts of Himachal Pradesh and northern Uttarakhand.
Himalayan brown bears are omnivorous, with their diet consisting of roots, grasses, insects and small mammals such as marmots and pikas. During autumn, they descend to lower altitudes to feed on fruits and berries. Sometimes they even become opportunistic feeders and take livestock such as sheep and goats when available. Brown bears are diurnal and generally solitary, except during mating and for mothers with cubs. These bears hibernate for the most part of winter and may lose upto one-third of their weight after emerging from hibernation. Today, various hazards pose a threat to the Himalayan brown bears including climate change, habitat loss and man-bear conflicts. But these conflicts occur because their habitats are getting degraded and shrinking day by day. Since 2007, Wildlife SOS has been assisting the J&K Wildlife Protection Department in training workshops in all the divisions of Kashmir as part of capacity building of the department officials. We also conducted awareness programs on waste management since bears were spotted in human habitations, attracted by open dustbins. Lastly, Wildlife SOS also runs two facilities in Dachigam and Pahalgam, which is home to 2 brown bears.
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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 3:03:01 GMT -5
Get To Know Your Indian Bears! - continued... The Sun Bear is a very rare and elusive animal, and is only found in north-east India. Due to the limited research and study, its distribution in that region is not exactly known. However, sun bears are mostly found in the tropical evergreen forest habitat.
These bears are the smallest of all the eight species found and have short, sleek fur which is usually black, but occasionally reddish-brown or grey. Another stand out feature which can help one recognise a sun bear in the wild is the distinctive chest patch, which can be orange, yellow or white. Sun bears are omnivores, feeding primarily on ants, termites, bee larvae, beetle larvae, honey and a wide variety of fruits, especially figs. They have the longest tongue of all the bear species which helps them to feed on termites and ants. Even though sun bears are listed under CITES Appendix I, they do face a lot of threats, the major one being deforestation. Apart from that, they are often killed to prevent crop damage and for fear of bears near villages. Large-scale deforestation has dramatically reduced the suitable habitat of this species as well as habitat quality of the remaining forests. It is suspected that the global population of sun bears has drastically declined by 30% in the last three decades.
Thus, it is clear that all these four bear species are not completely exempt from human threats and need the attention of conservationists. Conservation of habitats, enforcing and implementing stricter laws to eliminate illegal trade of bear body parts and awareness generation are key to the protection of these precious animals. We have to work toward a future where this magnificent species can thrive and survive. To support the work that Wildlife SOS does for bear conservation, consider becoming a monthly donor or sponsor to support the upkeep of the rescued and rehabilitated bears.
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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 3:49:11 GMT -5
Giant Panda - Ailuropoda melanoleuca The giant panda, or panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca, literally meaning "black and white cat-foot") is a bear native to central-western and south western China. It is easily recognized by its large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the panda's diet is 99% bamboo. Pandas in the wild will occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents or carrion. In captivity they may receive honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges, or bananas along with specially prepared feed. The giant panda lives in a few mountain ranges in central China, mainly in Sichuan province, but also in the Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. The giant panda has a black-and-white coat. Adults measure around 1.2 to 1.8 meters (4 to 6 ft) long, including a tail of about 13 cm (5.1 in), and 60 to 90 centimeters (1 ft 10 in to 2 ft 10 in) tall at the shoulder. Males can weigh up to 160 kilograms (350 lb). Females (generally 10–20% smaller than males) can weigh as little as 75 kg (170 lb) but can also weigh up to 125 kilograms (280 lb). Average adult weight is 100 to 115 kilograms (220 to 250 lb).
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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 4:00:06 GMT -5
Spectacled Bear - Tremarctos ornatus The spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), also known as the Andean bear and locally as ukuko, jukumari or ucumari, is the last remaining short-faced bear (subfamily Tremarctinae) and the closest living relative to the Florida spectacled bear and short-faced bears of the Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene age. The spectacled bear is a relatively small species of bear native to South America. It has black fur with a distinctive beige-coloured marking across its face and upper chest, though not all Andean bears have "spectacle" markings. Males are a third larger than females in dimensions and sometimes twice their weight. Males can weigh 100 – 200 kilograms (220 – 440 lb), and females 35 –82 kilograms (77 – 181 lb). Length can range from 120 to 200 cm (47–79 in) long and shoulder height from 60 to 90 cm (24–30 in). They are found in several areas of northern and western South America, including eastern Panama, western Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, western Bolivia, and northwestern Argentina. Spectacled bears are the only surviving species of bear native to South America, and the only surviving member of the subfamily Tremarctinae.
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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 4:18:45 GMT -5
Asiatic Black Bear - Ursus thibetanus The Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus), also known as the Tibetan black bear, the Himalayan black bear, or the moon bear, is a medium sized, sharp-clawed, black-coloured bear with a distinctive white or cream "V" marking on its chest. It is a close relative of the American black bear with which it is thought to share a European common ancestor. Adults measure 70–100 cm (28–39 in) at the shoulder, and 120–190 cm (47–75 in) in length. Adult males weigh 60–200 kg (130–440 lb) with an average weight of about 135 kg (298 lb). Adult females weigh 40–125 kg (88–276 lb), and large ones up to 140 kg (310 lb).
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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 4:21:38 GMT -5
Sloth Bear - Melursus ursinus The sloth bear, also known as the labiated bear, is a nocturnal insectivorous species of bear found wild within the Indian subcontinent. The sloth bear evolved from ancestral brown bears during the Pleistocene and shares features found in insect-eating mammals through convergent evolution. The population isolated in Sri Lanka is considered as a subspecies. Unlike brown and black bears, sloth bears have lankier builds, long shaggy coats that form a mane around the face, long sickle shaped claws, and a specially adapted lower lip and palate used for sucking insects. Sloth bears breed during spring and early summer and give birth near the beginning of winter. They feed on termites, honeybee colonies and fruits. Sloth bears sometimes attack humans that encroach on their territory. Sloth bears adults are a medium-sized species though weight can range variously from 55 to 105 kg (121 to 231 lb) in typically-sized females and from 80 to 145 kg (176 to 320 lb) in typically-sized males. Exceptionally large specimens of females can scale up to 124 kg (273 lb) and males up to 192 kg (423 lb).
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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 4:29:46 GMT -5
American Black Bear - Ursus americanus The American black bear or North American black bear (Ursus americanus) is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in search of food. Black bear weight tends to vary according to age, sex, health, and season. Seasonal variation in weight is very pronounced: in autumn, their pre-den weight tends to be 30% higher than in spring, when black bears emerge from their dens. Black bears on the East Coast tend to be heavier on average than those on the West Coast. Adult males typically weigh between 57–250 kg (130–550 lb), while females weigh 33% less at 41–170 kg (90–370 lb). Large male Black Bears may reach 800 lbs. Adults have a typical size range of 120–200 cm (47–79 in) in length, and 70–105 cm (28–41 in) in shoulder height. The tail is 7.7–17.7 cm (3.0–7.0 in) long. Up to 85% of the black bear's diet consists of vegetation, though they tend to dig less than brown bears, eating far fewer roots, bulbs, corms and tubers than the latter species. _______________________________________________________________ *Note: American black bears weighing within the 400-pound range are uncommon west of the Mississippi River. There is very little difference in the size of American black bears west of the Mississippi River as compared to the giant panda, the Andean bear, the sloth bear, and the moon bear. There is very little difference in the size of these five bear species.
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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 5:53:21 GMT -5
Giant panda.
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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 6:02:22 GMT -5
Comparative morphology of the muscles of mastication in the giant panda and the Asiatic black bear - credits to King Kodiak. Abstract The morphological differences in the muscles of mastication between the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) were sought to confirm the adaptational strategy of these muscles in the giant panda. We measured some skull characteristics and weighed the muscles of mastication, and macroscopically observed the muscles of mastication in the two species. The noticeable differences between the two species are classified as follows: (1) The size ratio of the zygomatic width was much larger in the giant panda than in the Asiatic black bear. (2) The weight ratio of the two pterygoid muscles was also much larger in the giant panda than in the Asiatic black bear. (3) The lateral slips of the temporal muscles are thicker and stronger in the Asiatic black bear than in the giant panda. (4) The deep layer of the masseter muscle was rostrocaudally divided, and a complicated running of tendons is observed in the giant panda. (5) The two pterygoid muscles were much larger and well-developed in the giant panda than in the Asiatic black bear. The points (1) and (4) may be related to the generation of the force necessary to chew the bamboo in the giant panda. We thought that the large mass of the masseter and temporal muscles are needed in this species. In the points of (2) and (5), the two pterygoid muscles were obviously different in form and weight ratio between the two species. We suggest that the two pterygoid muscles may act as an additional force generator to dorsoventrally press and crush bamboo stems. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12801094/
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Post by brobear on Nov 26, 2022 6:14:04 GMT -5
The ideal weight of a sloth bear should be well below the ideal weight of a giant panda, moon bear, or American black bear at equal head-and-body length. Sloth bears and sun bears normally carry less body fat than other bear species.
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Post by brobear on Nov 27, 2022 2:59:33 GMT -5
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_black_bear#:~:text=The%20famed%20British%20sportsman%20known,200%20kg%20(440%20lb). The famed British sportsman known as the "Old Shekarry" wrote of how an Asian black bear he shot in India probably weighed no less than 363 kg (800 lb) based on how many people it took to lift its body. The largest Asian black bear on record 'allegedly' weighed 200 kg (440 lb). Zoo-kept specimens can weigh up to 225 kg (496 lb). _______________________________________________________________________________ *Note: First of all, I would never consider the estimations of a sport hunter. Is it possible that in the wilds of northern Asia that moon bears weighing 440 pounds or more are common? Yes, it's theoretically possible. However; the 'alleged' 440-pounds is likely their upper and extremely rare limit. However, with all of these maybes, might bes, and guesses being said, what we actually have is one "allegedly weighed" 440-pound moon bear. So, until we have a moon bear weighed above this one particular bear, by a reliable source, 440-pounds stands as being the weight of a single uncommonly large moon bear. _______________________________________________________________________________ So, we do not have single reliable source, paper, whatever about Ussuri* black bear morphometry (i.e shoulder height, body length, body mass, etc.)
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Post by brobear on Nov 27, 2022 4:06:38 GMT -5
Average weight of an adult male moon bear: (Sergey Kolchin) 130 to 140 kg or 287 to 309 pounds. Average weight of an adult male moon bear: (our findings) 270 pounds. *Note: No average weight for any wild animal, no matter what methods are used to produce an answer, can be carved in stone and called accurate. As you can see, all of these figures are within the same ballpark. ________________________________________________ Sun bear - sow: 98 pounds. Sun bear - boar: 120 pounds.
Sri Lankan sloth bear - sow: 128 pounds. Sri Lankan sloth bear - boar: 165 pounds.
Indian sloth bear - sow: 165 pounds Indian sloth bear - boar: 242 pounds.
Andean bear - sow: 165 pounds. Andean bear - boar: 308 pounds.
Giant panda - sow: 220 pounds. Giant panda - boar: 250 pounds
Asiatic black bear - sow: 157 pounds. Asiatic black bear - boar: 270 pounds.
American black bear - sow: 162.13 pounds American black bear - boar: 272.03 pounds
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Post by brobear on Nov 27, 2022 15:25:57 GMT -5
brobear There only is a handful of Ussuri black bears weighed; 3 adult males caught in January/February/November averaged 124.67kg or 274.85lbs while 3 adult females caught in May/October/November averaged 71.33kg or 157.26lbs. For the largest subspecies of this bear species these weights are rather low. 125kg average and 200kg maximum are the numbers of a medium-sized American black bear population. And I wouldn't freak out at a tiger being able to hunt them as they are smaller in all dimensions. The Ussuri black bears are the largest subspecies of moon bear. The three adult males caught and weighed averaged 124.67kg or 274.85lbs. The 440-pound moon bear actually remains unconfirmed. Who measured and weighed a 440-pound moon bear? What was the mans name? Was he a hunter, a biologist, park ranger, or other? Where was this bear captured or shot? Where was this bear weighed? On what kind of scale? During what month? How old was this bear?
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