Sloth bear facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sloth BearTemporal range: Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene – Recent
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Sloth Bear | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: |
Melursus
|
| Species: |
M. ursinus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Melursus ursinus (Shaw, 1791)
|
|
The Sloth Bear (scientific name: Melursus ursinus) is a type of bear found in countries like India and Sri Lanka. These unique bears are known for their shaggy fur and special eating habits.
Contents
What Sloth Bears Look Like
Sloth Bears have long, shaggy fur that is usually black, but can sometimes be brown. A cool feature is the white or yellow mark on their chest, which often looks like the letter Y or V.
They have large feet with very long, strong claws. These long claws are actually why they are called "Sloth Bears"! Their claws look a lot like those of a Sloth, an animal known for hanging upside down.
Sloth Bear adults can weigh about 120 to 130 pounds (around 54 to 59 kg). They can also measure about 60 to 70 inches (around 152 to 178 cm) long.
What Sloth Bears Eat
Sloth Bears love to eat insects, especially termites. They use their long claws and powerful snouts to dig into termite mounds. They also enjoy munching on fruit, sweet honey, eggs, and even some meat. They are quite good at finding food!
Sloth Bear Family Life
Female Sloth Bears usually give birth to one or two babies at a time, though sometimes they can have three. These young bears stay with their mother for about two to three years. During this time, the mother teaches them how to find food and survive.
In zoos or special care, Sloth Bears can live for a long time, sometimes up to 40 years!
Images for kids
-
A Sloth Bear at Bannerghatta National Park
-
Skulls of a Sri Lankan Sloth Bear (left) and a common Sloth Bear (right) from the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
-
A Sri Lankan Sloth Bear climbing a tree
-
Seven-day-old Sloth Bear cubs, rescued after being born at a building site
-
A mother Sloth Bear with her cub riding on her back at the Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary, India
-
Sloth Bears and humans living together near the Ratanmahal Sloth Bear Sanctuary, Dahod district, Gujarat, India
-
An old illustration showing British officers hunting a Sloth Bear on horseback
-
A tame Sloth Bear with its handler in Pushkar
See Also
In Spanish: Oso bezudo para niños
