How does the sloth bear eat termites?

It lacks upper incisors, which lets it purse its long, mobile lips into a tube and suck up termites and ants like a vacuum after blowing debris away from the nest.

Do sloth bear cubs ride on their mother's back?

Yes, a behavior unusual among bears. Cubs cling to their mother's back as she walks, runs, or even climbs trees, until they reach roughly a third of her size, staying with her for one and a half to three years.

Is the sloth bear endangered?

The IUCN classifies it as Vulnerable, with fewer than 20,000 individuals estimated in the wild due to habitat loss, poaching for body parts, and conflict with humans.

Sloth Bearナマケグマ

Melursus ursinusVU— Vulnerable

The sloth bear is a shaggy-coated, termite-specialized bear of the Indian subcontinent, uniquely adapted with a lack of upper incisors and a mobile snout that lets it vacuum up insects from their nests. Cubs ride on their mother's back well into their second year, a striking behavior rare among bears. With fewer than 20,000 individuals estimated to remain due to habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict, it is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

Sloth Bear (reference photo) — Photo: Saumitra Newalkar / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification: Carnivora / Ursidae Source
Distribution: Native to the Indian subcontinent, inhabiting India, Nepal's Terai region, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka, in tropical forests, savannahs, and grasslands below 1,500 m elevation. Source

Did You Know?

Sloth bears uniquely lack upper incisors, allowing them to purse their elongated lips and suck up large numbers of termites and ants like a vacuum after blowing away debris. Source
Cubs stay with their mother for one and a half to three years and ride on her back as she walks, runs, or climbs trees, until they reach about a third of her size. Source
Its coat is long, shaggy, and unkempt-looking, with a mane behind the neck that can grow up to 30 cm long. Source

Where to See This Species

2 facilities · 0 individuals

横浜市立野毛山動物園 (Yokohama Shiritsu Nogeyama Doubutsuen)KanagawaOpened in 1951

横浜市立野毛山動物園のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

札幌市円山動物園 (Sapporoshimaruyama Doubutsuen)HokkaidoOpened in 1951

札幌市円山動物園のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

Conservation Story

Conservation Status

IUCNではVU。生息地の改変と人為的な捕獲が脅威です。

Habitat

インド亜大陸の森林、草原、低木地。

Threats

生息地の減少
人との軋轢
違法な捕獲

Conservation & Breeding Efforts

生息地の保護
飼育下繁殖と保全教育

Sources

ja.wikipedia.org

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FAQ

How does the sloth bear eat termites?: It lacks upper incisors, which lets it purse its long, mobile lips into a tube and suck up termites and ants like a vacuum after blowing debris away from the nest. Source
Do sloth bear cubs ride on their mother's back?: Yes, a behavior unusual among bears. Cubs cling to their mother's back as she walks, runs, or even climbs trees, until they reach roughly a third of her size, staying with her for one and a half to three years. Source
Is the sloth bear endangered?: The IUCN classifies it as Vulnerable, with fewer than 20,000 individuals estimated in the wild due to habitat loss, poaching for body parts, and conflict with humans. Source

Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org