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Fast Facts:

  • . The long pointed claws are used for ripping into the bark of trees for insects and honey

  • . They have extremely long tongues and mobile snouts to help them eat insects and get honey from beehives.

  • . They walk up trees and descend backwards.

Malayan Sunbear

Scientific Name: Helarctos malayanus
Classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae
Status: Endangered
Range: Burma, Sumatra, Borneo, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical forests
Diet: Omnivores, fruit, honey, insects, small mammals, birds, eggs
Size: Height: 2.5 feet
Length: 3-4.5 feet
Weight: 60-150 pounds
Lifespan: 20-30 years
Location:
Print Fact Sheet Sun Bear

Special Features:

  • Also known as the Malayan bear, it is the smallest of the bear family.
  • You can count the rings of a Sun Bear's tooth to tell its age.
  • It has a highly developed sense of smell and will sit up to sniff the air.
  • They do not hibernate
  • When it walks all four feet are turned inward.
  • Active at night, they like to sleep in trees during the day.
  • The gall bladders and other body parts of Sun Bears are used in folk medical practices.
  • They are plantigrade, meaning they walk on their entire foot like a human.


Social Structure & Behavior:

Reproduction:
Sexual maturity at 3 years for females and 6 years for males.
They mate throughout the year and mate for life. Gestation 96 days resulting in a litter size of 2 cubs.

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