Sloth Bear
Sloth Bears or Melursus Ursinus, is found
throughout India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and
Bhutan. About 20 years ago, these species were fairly
common in India and Sri Lanka, but are harder to see
now-a-days. Heir range is widely spread from grasslands
to forests; however, prefer drier areas or forests on
lower elevations. Two sub-species of Sloth bear are
recognized, namely the Sri Lankan Sloth Bear and the
Indian Sloth Bear.
Sloth bears have a shaggy black coat of fur, especially
over the shoulders, and some individuals have an appearance
of a cinnamon color due to the presence of brown and
grey hair on the coat. The face of sloth bears is rather
naked as compared to the rest of the body. These bears
have a U or Y shaped marking on the chest, and the color
of these markings may vary from white to Yellow. The
sloth bears are not as slow as the sloths, i.e., these
can outrun a human easily!
Sloth bears have long snout, flat and broad molars,
extremely large tongues, and are capable of voluntarily
open and close their nostrils. Their forepaws are turned
inwards, which help them a lot in digging. These also
have a distinction to other bears, as they feed mostly
on insects, and that is why they have such an awkward
physical structure so as to adapt the diet! The weight
of a female sloth bear may range from 55 to 95 kg, while
an adult male may weigh from 80 to 140 kg. The height
up to the shoulders ranges from 60 to 90 cm for an adult
sloth bear. These species are mainly nocturnal. They
have a very good smelling sense, while their sight and
hearing abilities are little poor, which helps humans
to draw nearer.
The sloth bear is normally a solitary animal except
for breeding and the mothers with their cubs. The mating
period varies with the location; however, it occurs
usually from May to June and the gestation period lasts
for about 6 to 7 months. The mating lasts a little,
but a number of males run around an active receptive
female for mating. The birth of cubs takes place in
the caves in the base of some hollow trees. Adult bars
are active throughout day and night, while the mothers
with their cubs restrict their movement during the daytime,
as a matter of safety to the little cubs.
Generally, in a litter a sloth bear gives birth to
one to two cubs and rarely these are three. The little
cubs are blind at the time of birth and remain in such
condition for almost three weeks, and as they emerge
from the cave they mostly spend their time riding on
the back of their mothers. The cubs stay under the care
of their mother for about 2.5 years before being independent,
which clearly means that a female sloth bear breeds
only every two to three years. In wild, the lifespan
may reach up to an age of 40 years.
Further Reading
Animal Diversity Web
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Melursus_ursinus.html
Arkive
http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/mammals/Melursus_ursinus/index.html
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