scientific name

Helarctos malayanus

size

Weight: male 60-190 lbs.; female 20% less
Length: 3.5'
Shoulder Height: 2'
smallest member of bear family

adaptations/coloration

Color: deep brown to black; most have whitish or orange chest mark & muzzle (hence name "sun bear")
Coat: short; sleek; for tropical climate
Feet: disproportionately long curved claws & naked soles for tearing trees apart to get insects
Jaws. disproportionately large to break open hard fruit such as coconuts
Tongue. extraordinarily long to get insects out of logs

behavior

primarily nocturnal
Arboreal. build nests in tree branches to nap & "sunbathe" during day; does not den

reproduction/life span

Lifespan: wild unknown; captivity 12-24 yrs
Mating. thought to have only 1 mate
Birth. give birth throughout year
Cubs. 10-12 oz • usually 2 • born on ground

diet

omnivore
Wild. birds, fruit, growing tips palm trees, honey, roots, termites & small mammals
Zoo. carnivore diet, fish, fruit (apples, coconuts, dried fruit, oranges, strawberries, sweet potatoes), omnivore biscuits & raw eggs

habitat/range

tropical/subtropical forest; southeast Asia (Borneo, Burma, Kampuchea, Laos, Malay Peninsula, South China possibly, Sumatra, & Vietnam)

status

CITES App I; due to habitat destruction; Asian pet trade serious threat; also different parts are believed to be potent medicines, especially gallbladders; SSP; studbook participant; TAG

other

a.k.a. "honey bear" due to love of honey; rip into bees' nest; seemingly oblivious to stings; eats bees along with honey. Lots of pressure on wild populations of American Black Bears, Asiatic Black Bears, Sloth Bears, & Malayan Sun Bears from trade in bear parts for markets in Japan, China, & rest of Asia

SEE VIDEO

Malayan Sun Bear (1.6Mb)
Malayan Sun Bear (7.8Mb)