Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re talking about sun bears. The sun bear is the world’s smallest bear. A sun bear is so small, in fact, that you might mistake it for a large dog if you were to only catch a glimpse of one walking through an Asian forest. Sun bears are about five feet (150 centimeters) long and only weigh up to 150 pounds (68 kilograms), though on average they’re even smaller. For comparison, the largest bear in the world, the polar bear, is about 8 feet (2.4 meters) long and weighs up to 1,700 pounds (800 kilograms). Of course, polar bears need a lot of fat for insulation against the cold, while sun bears live in much warmer climates.

Sun bears live in tropical forests throughout southeast Asia, and they’re rarely seen. They’re arboreal meaning they spend most of their time in the trees, and their populations are considered to be decreasing due to deforestation. Trees are kind of important for animals that almost exclusively live in them. While in the trees sun bears may break into bee nests to extract honey. This behavior is the origin of one of their other common names: the honey bear.

Sun bears have exceptionally long tongues which can reach nearly ten inches (25 centimeters) when fully extended - the giraffes would be proud. This long tongue comes in handy for licking up honey. Of course, the sun bears don’t mind eating the bees along with the honey, too. Sun bears will also eat fruit, termites, small rodents, birds, lizards, and earthworms - though these aren’t found in the trees. When sun bears do come down from their arboreal homes, they have a funny gait in which their feet face inwards, and because they eat fruits, they can help disperse fruit seeds in their waste!

The name sun bear comes from the crescent shaped spot on their chests which is said to resemble a rising sun. Sun bears have the shortest fur of any bear species which helps keep them from overheating, but their fur is also dense to protect their skin from protruding branches while perusing the tree tops. They also have shorter muzzles relative to other bears. This adaptation has led to them being called “dog bears” - I’m sure their small stature had nothing to do with that.

When sun bears are finished with their nightly activities - yes, the bears with sun in their common name are not active while the sun is actually out - they’ve been known to make sleeping platforms out of branches and leaves, high in the trees, safe from would-be predators. Though sun bears are generally considered some top members of the food chain, they may be taken by tigers or even other sun bears which is likely even more likely for sun bear cubs.

More research needs to be completed before we can have a clear picture of the sun bear life cycle, but what is currently understood is that sun bears mate year-round and they may even be monogamous. A female sun bear gestates for just over three months, but there is evidence she can delay this, likely to try and help line births up with times of more abundant food. Up to three cubs may be born at a time, although one to two is more common. When the babies are born they weigh just over half a pound (300 grams). When they’re still little mother sun bears have even been observed cradling their babies in their arms while standing on their hind legs - if that’s not adorable I’m not sure what is! The cubs will stay with their mother for two years or more years and reach maturity at about three years of age. In the wild a sun bear can usually live around 25 years.

For more facts on sun bears, check out the links in the description. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files.