All The Tacts & Info You Need To Know About Sloth Bear

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Sloth Bear

All The Tacts & Info You Need To Know About Sloth Bear

 

If you are looking to spot a sloth bear, you need to know some important facts about this animal. These bears can be found in tropical lowland forests, where tall grasses provide dense cover.

The best way to spot sloth bears is to look for them during the breeding season. Learn about their diet, size, and how they protect their cubs.


Breeding Season

There is a breeding season for sloth bears. Males weigh 80 to 140 kilograms, and females weigh between 50 and 90 kilograms.

sloth bear

Sloth bears are found in lowland forests and grasslands, with most occurring in India. They have been reported as far south as Nepal and Bangladesh.

Breeding season for sloth bears begins in April and continues through June. Females usually bear one to three cubs, which remain with the mother for two to three years.

During the breeding season, female sloth bears will mate and give birth to two cubs, sometimes only one. The cubs are born in an underground den, and they remain there until they are about two or three months old.

The cubs stay with their mother until they are about two or three months old when they are strong enough to leave the den and venture out on their own. Mothers will protect their cubs from humans and tigers.

While sloth bears are often shy and rarely attack humans, they have been known to kill people who enter their territories. This is partially due to the fact that they are not particularly aggressive and only attack if startled.

Despite these factors, sloth bears are still captured and danced for an audience, although this practice is becoming less popular. It is estimated that the total number of sloth bears is around 20,000.


Diet

Attempts to estimate the diet of a sloth bear largely rely on scat analysis.

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sloth bear

In such analyses, the total number of indigestible food remains is measured against the number of scats. This method is often flawed since it estimates the percentage contribution of various types of foods but fails to account for their proportions.

To obtain a more accurate estimate, the amount of indigestible food remains should be measured by weight or volume. A recent study of scavengers in the Southern Indian state of Tamilnadu found that fruits were the main part of the sloth bear’s diet.

The authors noted that the bears’ diet varied significantly based on the seasons, vegetation type, and the presence of termites.

This study also revealed that sloth bears ate ants and termites as well as various other insects. However, one of the limitations of this study was the lack of a controlled comparison of fruit and insect composition.

Sloth bears eat a wide variety of plants and animals. Their diet primarily consists of ants and termites, but they will also eat carrion when there are no other foods available.

Other food items that sloth bears eat include berries, grasses, seed pods, yams, honey, and eggs. The bears’ diets are extremely diverse and differ from those of other species.


Size

The size of a sloth bear depends on its species and location.

sloth bear

The species has a small range and is not found in many countries. An adult sloth bear measures approximately 75 centimeters (30 inches) at the shoulder and weighs between 91 and 113 kilograms (200 to 250 pounds).

Its body length is 1.5 meters (five feet) and its tail is seven to 12 centimeters long. The black shaggy coat is made up of long hairs, and the longest hair grows between the shoulders and marks the snout.

Female sloth bears give birth to one to three cubs, which remain with the mother for two or three years. The size of the sloth bear is similar to other species of bear. Their coat is usually black but can contain brown or cinnamon hairs.

Their paws are covered in hair, but the toe pads are connected by a thin, hairless web. Their tails are about six to seven inches long and their back legs are not strong.

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They can take almost any position. The ears are large and floppy and are the only bears in the world with long hair on their ears.

The snout of the sloth bear is thick and bulbous, which helps it suck insects. The tongue is long, allowing it to extend beyond the nose and close its nostrils at will.

Its teeth are much smaller than those of other bears, and its molars and incisors are in poor condition. They supplement their diet with grains, honey, and small vertebrates.


Protective Of Cubs

Mother sloth bears are fiercely protective of their cubs, even going to great lengths to protect them.

They will fight fiercely to protect their cubs from predators, and they will often attack intruders to kill them in cold blood. The survival rate of sloth bears is about 20 to 25 years.

In Sri Lanka, sloth bears are protected under the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance, and their population is decreasing. However, there is still plenty of danger to sloth bears, including farmers.

Although their appearance looks like a normal bear, their behavior is anything but. Sloth bears protect their cubs fiercely. Mothers often carry their cubs in a high-pitched voice, and sloth bears can attack at any time.

When they do attack, they often leave their victims terribly disfigured. William Thomas Blanford, a naturalist, once declared bears to be more dangerous than tigers.

Mothers normally give birth to a litter of two. The cubs typically ride their mother’s back for the first two weeks.  Mothers protect their cubs for three to eight weeks, but they do occasionally interact with each other.

Habitat loss threatens sloth bears’ survival, and their species is at risk. Sometimes they are captured for performances or are hunted for their aggressive behavior and destruction of crops.


Capable Of Climbing Trees

Sloth bears are the only bears that are capable of climbing trees, and their ability to climb is an incredible feature of their species.

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Their nocturnal breeding season occurs from May to July, with females usually giving birth in caves or under boulders. After the pregnancy, the female bear gives birth to one to three cubs, which usually ride on the mother’s back until they are about nine months old.

The young begin to walk and run when they are just one month old, but they become fully independent by the time they are two to three years old.

Because of their exceptional balance and ability to climb, sloth bears are commonly found in trees, where they are able to access fruit, berries, and insects that may be high in the tree.

They also use these trees to attack bee hives, digging five feet into the tree and eating the honeycomb until all the hives are empty. The bears are not known to hunt, graze, or fish.

Sloth bears are surprisingly agile, capable of climbing both trees and smooth surfaces, and are capable of hanging upside-down on a tree.

Though they may appear slow when they are at leisure, they are quick to turn around and display their enormous claws. They also are excellent swimmers and enter the water for play, which helps them to hide when it is dangerous.

They can make over 25 different sounds, including threatening or angry cries, and even loud sucking noises that can be heard over 100 meters away.


Relatively Harmless To Humans

Some pesticides, like DDT and Dicamba, are relatively harmless to humans.

However, others are extremely toxic and pose an even greater risk of harm. The amount of exposure required to cause damage depends on the chemical and the age and weight of the individual.

The most common route of absorption is the skin. Fortunately, there are ways to protect your family from the possibility of being bitten or poisoned by a pesticide.


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