Why is it called the spectacled bear?

It gets its name from the pale cream or white markings that often encircle its eyes, which can resemble a pair of glasses.

What do spectacled bears eat?

Their diet is mostly plant-based, including fruit, bromeliads, palm nuts, bamboo, and bark, with meat such as insects and small vertebrates making up only about 5 to 7 percent of intake.

Are spectacled bears endangered?

The IUCN lists them as Vulnerable, with habitat loss from agricultural expansion and illegal mining posing the main threats to wild populations.

Spectacled Bearメガネグマ

Tremarctos ornatusVU— Vulnerable

The spectacled bear is South America's only bear species, found in the Andes Mountains from Venezuela to Bolivia and northern Argentina. Named for the pale markings often ringing its eyes, it is largely herbivorous, feeding on fruit, bromeliads, palm nuts, and bark, and is one of the few bear species that regularly climbs trees to feed and rest. The IUCN lists it as Vulnerable, mainly due to habitat loss from agriculture and mining.

Spectacled Bear (reference photo) — Photo: en:User:Cburnett / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification: Carnivora / Ursidae Source
Size: Body length about 120–200 cm
Weight: Males about 130–200 kg / females about 35–65 kg
Lifespan: Wild: over 20 years / captive: record of 37 years 11 months
Diet: Omnivore Omnivore with a strong herbivorous bias, eating mainly fruit as well as bromeliad and palm leaves, bark, insects, and small mammals and reptiles; meat makes up roughly 5–7% of the diet
Activity: Nocturnal; rests by day beneath large trees, in tree hollows, or in nests built in the trees
Distribution: The spectacled bear is restricted to the Andes Mountains of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, western Bolivia, and northwestern Argentina, and is the only bear species native to South America. Source
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Did You Know?

Distinctive cream or white markings around the eyes and throat, which can resemble spectacles, give the species both its English and Japanese common names. Source
It mainly inhabits Andean cloud forests at elevations of 1,800 to 3,300 meters, but also uses grasslands, deserts, and dry forests across its range. Source
One of only four arboreal bear species, its ability to climb even the tallest trees is thought to have been key to its survival alongside expanding human populations. Source

Where to See This Species

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 2

Yokohama Shiritsu Yokohama DoubutsuenKanagawaOpened in 1999

Source

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical GardensAichiOpened in 1937

Source

Conservation Story

Conservation Status

Vulnerable (VU)

Sources

ja.wikipedia.org

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FAQ

Why is it called the spectacled bear?: It gets its name from the pale cream or white markings that often encircle its eyes, which can resemble a pair of glasses. Source
What do spectacled bears eat?: Their diet is mostly plant-based, including fruit, bromeliads, palm nuts, bamboo, and bark, with meat such as insects and small vertebrates making up only about 5 to 7 percent of intake. Source
Are spectacled bears endangered?: The IUCN lists them as Vulnerable, with habitat loss from agricultural expansion and illegal mining posing the main threats to wild populations. Source
How many operating facilities are registered here?: Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 2 Source

Books & gear

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