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Sloth Bear
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sloth
Bear
Sloth Bear in
captivity at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington, DC
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Carnivora
Family:
Ursidae
Genus:
Melursus
Species:
M. ursinus
Binomial name
Melursus
ursinus
(Shaw, 1791)
The Sloth Bear (Melursus
ursinus) is a nocturnal bear, inhabiting the lowland forests of India, Nepal,
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. There have also been some sightings in Bhutan.[citation
needed] The Sloth Bear is the only bear species classified in genus
Melursus.
Its body is covered in
long, shaggy fur, ranging from auburn to black, with a distinctive
"V"-shaped white mark on the chest, a whitish snout and black nose. The
snout is long with bare lips and a lack of upper incisors, adaptations for its insect-based
diet. The front feet are turned inwards and have non-retractable, curved ivory
claws that are adapted for digging. The males are larger than the females;
reaching a height of 6 feet (1.8 m) and a weight of 300 pounds (140 kg).
The Sloth Bear does not
move as slowly as a sloth, and can easily outrun a human. One theory has it
that early explorers saw these bears lying upside down in trees and gave them
their common name for the similarity to the way a sloth hangs in trees. Another
claims that the Sloth Bear gets its name because its normal walk is more of a
meandering shuffle.
Its pugmarks are very
similar to a human footprint.
Diet
It primarily eats ants and termites.
If needed, it will also eat honey, eggs, birds, flowers, tubers, fruits, grains
and meat.
A wild
Sloth Bear atop a tree in Sri Lanka
Habitat
It is found in a variety of
habitats - from dry grassland to evergreen forests - but has a preference for
tropical deciduous forests. Within that category, the Sloth Bear prefers dry
deciduous forests and rocky outcrops to wet deciduous forests.
[Conservation
Poaching and loss of this habitat
and fragmentation of available habitat are the primary threats to the survival
of the Sloth Bear on the Indian subcontinent. Predators such as the Leopard, wolves,
and the Tiger may attempt to prey on the young, though the female Sloth Bear
with young is exceptionally vicious regarding any threats to her young. Adults
defend themselves quite well with their claws. Humans hunt the Sloth Bear
primarily for its gall bladder, which is valued in eastern medicine. The Sloth
Bear's current status is VU-Vulnerable.[1]
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sloth_Bear&action=history
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Sloth
Bear |
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Sloth Bear in
captivity at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington, DC |
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Scientific classification |
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Binomial name |
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Melursus
ursinus |
The Sloth Bear (Melursus
ursinus) is a nocturnal bear, inhabiting the lowland forests of India, Nepal,
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. There have also been some sightings in Bhutan.[citation
needed] The Sloth Bear is the only bear species classified in genus
Melursus.
Its body is covered in
long, shaggy fur, ranging from auburn to black, with a distinctive
"V"-shaped white mark on the chest, a whitish snout and black nose. The
snout is long with bare lips and a lack of upper incisors, adaptations for its insect-based
diet. The front feet are turned inwards and have non-retractable, curved ivory
claws that are adapted for digging. The males are larger than the females;
reaching a height of 6 feet (1.8 m) and a weight of 300 pounds (140 kg).
The Sloth Bear does not
move as slowly as a sloth, and can easily outrun a human. One theory has it
that early explorers saw these bears lying upside down in trees and gave them
their common name for the similarity to the way a sloth hangs in trees. Another
claims that the Sloth Bear gets its name because its normal walk is more of a
meandering shuffle.
Its pugmarks are very
similar to a human footprint.
Diet
It primarily eats ants and termites.
If needed, it will also eat honey, eggs, birds, flowers, tubers, fruits, grains
and meat.
A wild
Sloth Bear atop a tree in Sri Lanka
Habitat
It is found in a variety of
habitats - from dry grassland to evergreen forests - but has a preference for
tropical deciduous forests. Within that category, the Sloth Bear prefers dry
deciduous forests and rocky outcrops to wet deciduous forests.
[Conservation
Poaching and loss of this habitat
and fragmentation of available habitat are the primary threats to the survival
of the Sloth Bear on the Indian subcontinent. Predators such as the Leopard, wolves,
and the Tiger may attempt to prey on the young, though the female Sloth Bear
with young is exceptionally vicious regarding any threats to her young. Adults
defend themselves quite well with their claws. Humans hunt the Sloth Bear
primarily for its gall bladder, which is valued in eastern medicine. The Sloth
Bear's current status is VU-Vulnerable.[1]
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sloth_Bear&action=history