Sun bear

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the author, see Sun Bear (author).

Sun bear
Temporal range: Middle
Ma
↓
Sun bear in Kaeng Krachan National Park
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Subfamily: Ursinae
Genus: Helarctos
Horsfield, 1825
Species:
H. malayanus
Binomial name
Helarctos malayanus
(Raffles, 1821)
Subspecies[3]
  • Malayan sun bear (H. m. malayanus) Raffles, 1821
  • Bornean sun bear (H. m. euryspilus) Horsfield, 1825
Distribution of the sun bear (2010)[2]
(brown – extant, black – former, dark grey – presence uncertain)
Synonyms[4]
List
  • Helarctos anmamiticus Heude, 1901
  • H. euryspilus Horsfield, 1825
  • Ursus malayanus Raffles, 1821

The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is a

Ursidae (the only species in the genus Helarctos) occurring in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is the smallest bear species, standing nearly 70 cm (28 in) at the shoulder and weighing 25–65 kg (55–143 lb). It is stockily built, with large paws, strongly curved claws, small, rounded ears and a short snout. The fur is generally short and jet black, but can vary from grey to red. The sun bear gets its name from its characteristic orange to cream-coloured chest patch. Its unique morphology
—inward-turned front feet, flattened chest, powerful forelimbs with large claws—suggests adaptations for climbing.

The most

sexually mature
at two to four years of age. Litters comprise one or two cubs that remain with their mother for around three years.

The range of the sun bear is bounded by northeastern India to the north then south to southeast through Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam in mainland Asia to Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia to the south. These bears are threatened by heavy

IUCN has listed this species as vulnerable
.

Etymology

The sun bear is named so for its characteristic orange- to cream-coloured, crescent-like chest patch.

generic name Helarctos comes from two Greek words: ήλιος (hēlios, related to the sun) and αρκτος (arctos, bear).[4][6] Another name is honey bear, beruang madu in Malay and Indonesian, in reference to its habit of feeding on honey from honeycombs.[7][8] "Honey bear" can also refer to the kinkajou.[9]

Taxonomy and phylogeny

The

scientific name Ursus malayanus was proposed by Stamford Raffles in 1821; he first described a sun bear from Sumatra.[10] In 1825, Thomas Horsfield placed the species in a genus of its own, Helarctos, when describing a sun bear from Borneo.[11]

Subspecies and distribution

Image Name Distribution Description/Comments
Malayan sun bear (H. m. malayanus) The Malayan sun bear occurs on the Asian mainland and Sumatra.[12][13] Smallest member of the bear family.[14]
Bornean sun bear (H. m. euryspilus) The Bornean sun bear occurs only in Borneo.[15] Its skull is smaller than that of the Malayan sun bear.[8][16]

H. annamiticus, described by Pierre Marie Heude in 1901 from Annam, is not considered a distinct species, but is subordinated as a junior synonym to H. m. malayanus.[12] In 1906, Richard Lydekker proposed another subspecies by the name H. m. wardii for a sun bear skull, noting its similarities to a skull from Tibet with a thicker coat, but the Tibetan specimen was later found to be an Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus).[17][18] Genetic differences between the two subspecies are obscure.[19] It is considered to be monotypic.[4]

Phylogeny

The

genetic lineage was estimated to have genetically diverged from the two black bears/sun bear lineage around 6.72 to 5.54 million years ago (mya); the sun bear appears to have diverged from the two black bears between 6.26 and 5.09 mya.[25] and 5.89–3.51 mya.[26]
monophyletic Ursus group; moreover, all relationships between the bears were well resolved.[27]


A possible phylogeny based on complete mitochondrial DNA sequences from Yu et al. (2007).[28]
Ursidae

Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus)

Ursinae

Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus)

Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus)

Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus)

American black bear (Ursus americanus)

Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

Brown bear (Ursus arctos)

The polar bear and the brown bear form a close grouping, while the relationships of the other species are not very well resolved.[29]
A more recent phylogeny based on the genetic study of Kumar et al. (2017).[30]
Ursidae

Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus)

Ursinae

Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus)

Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus)

Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus)

American black bear (Ursus americanus)

Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

Brown bear (Ursus arctos)

The study concludes that Ursine bears originated around 5 million years ago and show extensive hybridization of species in their lineage.[30]


Characteristics

Skull, showing short snout

The sun bear is the smallest of all bear species.

sympatric Asian black bear has cream-coloured chest markings of a similar shape as those of sun bears and different claw markings.[5][36]

During feeding, the sun bear can extend its exceptionally long tongue to extract insects and honey.[32][37] The teeth are very large, especially the canines, and the bite force quotient is high relative to its body size for reasons not well understood; a possible explanation could be its frequent opening of tropical hardwood trees with its powerful jaws and claws in pursuit of insects, larvae, or honey.[38] The head is large, broad and heavy in proportion to the body, but the ears are proportionately smaller; the palate is wide in proportion to the skull.[5][31] The overall unique morphology of this bear, such as its inward-turned front feet, flattened chest, and powerful fore limbs with large claws, indicates adaptations for extensive climbing.[31]

Ecology and behaviour

arboreal
of bears.

Sun bears lead the most

arboreal (tree-living) lifestyle among all bears.[4][39] They are mainly active during the day, although nocturnality might be more common in areas frequented by humans.[8][40][41] The sun bear is an excellent climber; it sunbathes or sleeps in trees 2 to 7 m (6 ft 7 in to 23 ft 0 in) above the ground. Bedding sites consist mainly of fallen hollow logs, but they also rest in standing trees with cavities, in cavities underneath fallen logs or tree roots, and in tree branches high above the ground.[8][42][43] It is also an efficient swimmer.[5] Sun bears are noted for their intelligence; a captive bear observed sugar being stored in a cupboard locked by a key, and later used its claw to open the lock.[43] A study published in 2019 described skillful mimicry of facial expressions by sun bears, with precision comparable to that seen in gorillas and humans.[44][45]

Sun bears are shy and reclusive animals, and usually do not attack humans unless provoked to do so, or if they are injured or with their cubs; their timid nature led these bears to be often

tamed and kept as pets in the past.[4][32] Other sources, though, state that sun bears are known as very fierce animals when surprised in the forest.[46] They are typically solitary but are sometimes seen in pairs (such as mothers and cubs).[8][43] Sun bears stand on their hind feet for a broader view of their surroundings or smell far-off objects; they try to intimidate their enemies by displaying their chest patch if threatened.[4][8] Vocalisations include grunts and snuffles while foraging for insects, and roars similar to those of a male orangutan during the breeding season; less commonly, they may give out short barks (like a rhinoceros) when they are surprised.[4][8] Sun bears do not seem to hibernate, possibly because food resources are available the whole year throughout the range.[2] They occupy home ranges of varying sizes in different areas, ranging from 7 to 27 km2 (2.7 to 10.4 sq mi) in Borneo and peninsular Malaysia; and 8.7 to 20.9 km2 (3.4 to 8.1 sq mi) in Ulu Segama Forest Reserve in Sabah.[42] Tigers are their major predators; dholes and leopards have also been recorded preying on sun bears, but cases are relatively few.[47] In one incident, a tiger-sun bear interaction resulted in a prolonged altercation and in the death of both animals.[48] In another incident, a wild female sun bear was swallowed by a large reticulated python in East Kalimantan.[49]

Diet

Sun bears have a broad, omnivorous diet, including plants.

Sun bears are omnivores and feed on a broad variety of items, such as ants, bees, beetles, honey, termites, and plant material such as seeds and several kinds of fruits.

coconut palms, and crush oil-rich seeds such as acorns.[43] Oil palms are nutritious but not enough for subsistence.[56]

Reproduction

Sun bears are

delay in implantation or fertilisation.[39] Births occur inside hollow tree cavities.[2] A litter typically comprises one or two cubs weighing around 325 g (11.5 oz) each.[43] Cubs are born deaf with eyes closed. The eyes open at nearly 25 days, but they remain blind till 50 days after birth; the sense of hearing improves over the first 50 days. Cubs younger than two months are dependent on external stimulation for defecation. Cubs are kept on buttress roots at the base of trees until they learn how to walk and climb properly. Mothers protect their cubs aggressively. Offspring remain with their mother for nearly the first three years of their lives. Lifespan in captivity is generally over 20 years; one individual lived for nearly 31 years.[4][43]

Distribution and habitat

Sun bear in the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (Malaysia)

The sun bear is native to the

extinct in Singapore.[2]

These bears dwell primarily in two main types of forests throughout their range -

dipterocarp forests. Mangroves may be inhabited, but usually only when they are close to preferred habitat types.[2][4]

The sun bear tends to avoid heavily logged forests and areas close to human settlement.[60][61][62] However, sun bears have been seen in farmlands, plantations and orchards, where they may be considered vermin.[63][64] A survey in Lower Kinabatangan Segama Wetlands showed that sun bears were feared but were not common in oil palm plantations; Bornean bearded pigs, elephants and macaques were far more damaging to crops.[56] Sun bears have been reported preying on poultry and livestock.[65]

Fossil remains suggest its occurrence farther north during the Pleistocene; it may have occurred as far south as Java in the middle to Late Pleistocene. Fossils also known from the Middle Pleistocene of Thailand along with Stegodon, gaur, wild water buffalo, and other living and extinct mammals.[66] Today, it has been eliminated from the majority of its erstwhile range, especially in Thailand; populations are declining in most of the range countries. It disappeared from Singapore during the 1800s and 1900s, possibly due to extensive deforestation. Sun bear populations appear to decrease in size northward from Sundaland, and numbers are especially low in the northern and western extremes of the range. This has possibly been the case since prehistoric times, and is not a result of human interference.[2] The population density varies from 4.3 and 5.9 individuals/km2 (11 and 15 individuals/sq mi) in Khao Yai National Park to 26 individuals/km2 (67 individuals/sq mi) in the Harapan Rainforest in southern Sumatra.[2][67]

Threats

According to the

El Niño.[70] With lack of research in predation, sources have documented very few predation events. In the island of Borneo sun bears were found to be hunted by python in their most vulnerable state.[71] Pythons are successfully able to attack by taking advantage of the nighttime when the sun bears are sleep or nursing their cub. In Southeast Asia, the Panthera pardus (male leopard) has been photographed with a sun bear cub being held by the throat. This reported case has been reported to be the second confirmed predator as of 2019.[72]
During surveys in Kalimantan between 1994 and 1997, interviewees admitted to hunting sun bears and indicated that sun bear meat is eaten by indigenous people in several areas there. Studies have found evidence of pet trade and sale of sun bear parts such as
snakefruit plantations in east Kalimantan.[75] A report published by TRAFFIC in 2011 showed that sun bears, along with Asian black bears and brown bears, are specifically targeted for the bear bile trade in Southeast Asia, and are kept in bear farms in Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar. Poaching is common in several countries in the region.[76] Hunting pressure is rising even in some protected areas; in the Nam Ha National Protected Area in Laos, hunter snares have been found that specifically target bears.[77] A study in Nagaland (northeastern India) recorded a sparse distribution of sun bears in the Fakim and Ntangki National Parks, and reported extensive illegal hunting for food and trade in bear parts.[78] Protective laws have shown little success in controlling these threats, especially due to poor execution and high potential for gains by the trade.[76][79]

Conservation measures

A sun bear in Surabaya Zoo

The sun bear is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and is included in CITES Appendix I.[2] With the exception of Sarawak (Malaysia) and Cambodia, the sun bear is legally protected from hunting in its whole range. A 2014 report documented rampant poaching and trade in sun bear parts in Sarawak, more than anywhere else in Malaysia; the researchers recommended stricter legislations in the state to protect local sun bears.[80]

The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, founded by Wong Siew Te in Sabah (Malaysia) in 2008, aims to work for the welfare of sun bears rescued from poor conditions in captivity and spread awareness about their conservation.[81] The Malayan sun bears are part of an international captive-breeding program and a species survival plan under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since late 1994.[82] Since that same year, the European breed registry for sun bears is kept in the Cologne Zoological Garden, Germany.[83]

References

  1. ^ J. H. Schwartz, T. H. Vu, L. C. Nguyen, K. T. Le, and I. Tattersall. 1994. A diverse hominoid fauna from the late middle Pleistocene breccia cave of Tham Khuyen, Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History 73:1-11
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Scotson, L.; Fredriksson, G.; Augeri, D.; Cheah, C.; Ngoprasert, D. & Wai-Ming, W. (2018) [errata version of 2017 assessment]. "Helarctos malayanus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T9760A123798233. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  3. OCLC 62265494
    .
  4. ^
    S2CID 198969265
    .
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-90-04-29309-0. Archived
    from the original on 2022-04-12. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  6. ^ Liddell, H. G. & Scott, R. (1889). An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 117, 350.
  7. ISBN 978-0-7946-0787-6. Archived
    from the original on 2022-05-25. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-0-691-16941-5. Archived
    from the original on 2022-03-19. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  9. ISBN 0-292-71605-2. Archived
    from the original on 2022-04-26. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  10. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.1821.tb00064.x
    .
  11. ^ Horsfield, T. (1825). "Description of the Helarctos euryspilus exhibiting in the bear from the island of Borneo, the type of a subgenus of Ursus". The Zoological Journal. 2 (6): 221–234.
  12. ^ a b Ellerman, J. R.; Morrison-Scott, T. C. S. (1966). "Genus Helarctos Horsfield, 1825". Checklist of Palaearctic and Indian mammals 1758 to 1946 (2nd ed.). London: British Museum of Natural History. p. 241.
  13. ^ Santiapillai, A. & Santiapillai, C. (1996). "The status, distribution and conservation of the Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) in Indonesia". Tigerpaper. 23 (1): 11–16.
  14. ^ "Malayan Sun Bear". Malaysian Wildlife. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  15. ^ Meijaard, E. (2004). "Craniometric differences among Malayan sun bears (Ursus malayanus); evolutionary and taxonomic implications" (PDF). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 52 (2): 665–672. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-07-15. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  16. ^ Chasen, F. N. (1940). "A handlist of Malaysian mammals: A systematic list of the mammals of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and Java, including the adjacent small islands". Bulletin of the Raffles Museum. 15: 89–90.
  17. ^ Lydekker, R. (1906). "On the occurrence of the bruang in the Tibetan Province". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 66: 997–999.
  18. ^ Pocock, R. I. (1932). "The black and brown bears of Europe and Asia". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 36: 101–138.
  19. ^ Zhang, Y.-P. (1996). "Genetic variability and conservation relevance of the sun bear as revealed by DNA sequences". Zoological Research. 17 (4): 459–468.
  20. ISBN 2-8317-0462-6. Archived
    from the original on 2022-04-10. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  21. doi:10.1111/j.1748-1090.1969.tb02631.x
    .
  22. ^ Van Gelder, R. G. (1977). "Mammalian hybrids and generic limits" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (2635): 1–25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-08-08. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  23. S2CID 40420496
    .
  24. PMID 10396181
    .
  25. PMID 17956639
    .
  26. PMID 18662376
    .
  27. PMID 18328735. Archived
    from the original on 2021-09-27. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  28. PMID 17956639
    .
  29. ISBN 978-2-8317-0462-3. Archived
    (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09.
  30. ^
    PMID 28422140
    .
  31. ^
    ISBN 2-8317-0462-6. Archived
    from the original on 2022-04-10. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  32. ^ a b c Woods, J. G. (1885). "Sun bears". Animate Creation: Popular Edition of "Our Living World", a Natural History. Vol. 1. New York: Selmar Press. pp. 324–325. Archived from the original on 2022-03-28. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  33. ^ Pocock, R. I. (1941). "Helarctos malayanus". The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Vol. Mammalia 2. London: Taylor and Francis. pp. 224–232.
  34. ^ Servheen, C. (1993). "The Sun Bear". In Stirling, I.; Kirshner, D.; Knight, F. (eds.). Bears, Majestic Creatures of the Wild. Pennsylvania: Rodale Press. p. 124. Archived from the original on 2013-07-23. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  35. ISBN 978-1-55821-474-3
    .
  36. S2CID 86179807
    .
  37. ^ Meijaard, E. (1997). The Malayan sun bear on Borneo, with special emphasis on its conservation status in Kalimantan, Indonesia (Report). International Ministry of Forestry – Tropendos Kalimantan Project and World Society for the Protection of Animals, London. pp. 1–51.
  38. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00286.x
    .
  39. ^
    ISBN 1-877743-07-0. Archived
    from the original on 2022-03-26. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  40. doi:10.1046/j.1523-1739.1993.07030623.x
    .
  41. S2CID 52274809. Archived
    (PDF) from the original on 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  42. ^
    doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2003.10.029. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 2013-05-11. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  43. ^
    ISBN 0-8018-8032-7
    .
  44. PMID 30899046
    .
  45. Smithsonian Magazine. Archived
    from the original on 2020-05-30. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  46. ^ Servheen, C.; Salter, R. E. (1999). "Chapter 11: Sun Bear Conservation Action Plan" (PDF). In Servheen, C.; Herrero, S.; Peyton, B. (eds.). Bears: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. Gland: International Union for Conservation of Nature. pp. 219–224. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2014-12-21. Retrieved 2014-12-21.
  47. S2CID 204151870
    .
  48. ^ Bickmore, A.S. (1868). "April 27th". Travels in the East Asian Archipelago. London: John Murray. p. 510. Archived from the original on 2023-02-10. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
  49. ^ Fredriksson, G. M. (2005). "Predation on sun bears by reticulated python in East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo" (PDF). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 53 (1): 165–168. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-08-11.
  50. doi:10.2981/wlb.00351
    .
  51. ^ Wong, S. T.; Servheen C.; Ambu, L. (2002). "Food habits of Malayan Sun Bears in lowland tropical forests of Borneo" (PDF). Ursus. 13: 127–136. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-07-23. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  52. ^ Augeri, D. M. (2005). On the biogeographic ecology of the Malayan sun bear (PDF) (Thesis). Cambridge: Darwin College. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-05-14. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  53. ^ Wong, S. T.; Servheen C.; Ambu, L. (2002). "Food habits of Malayan sun bears in lowland tropical forests of Borneo" (PDF). Ursus. 13: 127–136. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-07-23. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  54. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.2006.00688.x
    .
  55. S2CID 53694341
    .
  56. ^
    S2CID 90111598
    .
  57. doi:10.1644/11-MAMM-A-108.1
    .
  58. PMID 15511554
    .
  59. PMID 28825452
    .
  60. doi:10.1016/j.ecoinf.2014.01.006
    .
  61. S2CID 84703680
    .
  62. PMID 23110182
    .
  63. S2CID 85727749
    .
  64. S2CID 83777246
    .
  65. S2CID 26961091
    .
  66. PMID 27667928.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  67. S2CID 86278189
    .
  68. PMID 16701328
    .
  69. doi:10.5194/bg-11-247-2014
    .
  70. S2CID 33022260
    .
  71. ^ Fredriksson, GM (2005). "Predation on Sun Bears by Reticulated Python in East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo". Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 53 (1): 165, 168.
  72. S2CID 204151870. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help
    )
  73. S2CID 213779453. Archived
    from the original on 2022-06-17. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  74. S2CID 213779453. Archived
    from the original on 2022-06-17. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  75. JSTOR 3873000. Archived
    (PDF) from the original on 2013-07-23. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  76. ^ a b Foley, K. E.; Stengel, C. J.; Shepherd, C. R. (2011). Pills, powders, vials and flakes: the bear bile trade in Asia (PDF) (Report). TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. pp. 1–79. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-09-25. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  77. ^ Scotson, L.; Hunt, M. (2012). "Dismantling the "wall of death": emergency bear snare-line patrol in the Nam Kan National Protected Area, Lao PDR". International Bear News. 21 (4): 17–19.
  78. ^ Sethy, J.; Chauhan, N. P. S. (2012). "Conservation status of sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) in Nagaland state, north-east India" (PDF). Asian Journal of Conservation Biology. 1 (2): 103–109. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-05-30. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  79. ^ Asher, C. (1 August 2016). "Malayan sun bear: bile trade threatens the world's smallest bear". Mongabay. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  80. ^ Krishnasamy, K.; Shepherd, C. R. (2014). "A review of the sun bear trade in Sarawak, Malaysia" (PDF). TRAFFIC Bulletin. 26 (1): 37–40. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-05-30. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  81. ^ Li, T. C. (5 May 2014). "Sun bears: At home in the forest". The Star. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  82. ^ Ball, J. (2000). Sun bear fact sheet (PDF) (Report). Association of Zoos and Aquariums. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 August 2008.
  83. ^ Kok, J., ed. (2008). EAZA Bear TAG Annual Report 2007–2008 (Report). European Association of Zoos and Aquaria.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Helarctos malayanus (category)
Wikispecies has information related to Helarctos malayanus.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sun_bear&oldid=1216607775"