Quote:

 

The world's smallest bears, the “Malay bears” live north and south of the equator. Considered “one of the most dangerous animals a human can encounter in the jungle,” according to Domico.
Sun bear research has long been a low priority on the Malay Peninsula and in other areas where the bear occurs, so minimal information is available on this small, strange and fascinating animal that is also referred to as the “honey bear.”
The sun bear occurs in a tropical climate; it's population spans the equator. One of the rarest tropical forest animals, it is also the smallest and most lightly built bear (one hundred pounds is considered big). Black to dark brown in color, it has a whitish to pale orange/yellow horseshoe-shaped chest marking that is thought to resemble the sun; hence name. Its fur is short, the hair unusually thick for a tropical climate, and there is no hair on the soles of the paws. The head is short, wide and flat, with small, beady eyes, a highly flexible snout, and an extremely long, slender tongue. The muscular body has short, bowed legs (the front legs are quite powerful), large, inwardly set feet (making the beat bandy legged), and long and sickle-shaped claws. The sun bear does not hibernate and its gestation period is not prolonged, nor is there delayed implantation.

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SUN BEAR Wide and flat (unbearlike); short muzzle.

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SUN BEAR Flatter teeth than other bears; canines long and protrude between lips

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Sun Bear: Occasionally travel in pairs; pair of adults sometimes accompanied by infants.

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Sun Bear: Tree scratching.

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Sun Bear: Normally attacks only in defense; barks loudly when attacking.

pterodectyle

 

Two sources here seems to say stuff in contrast ( one calls the sun bear the most aggressive bear while the other says the sloth bear is more aggressive being less aeborel):

1)First source:

Here's what researchers say -
"Few published records exist of bear predation by other animals. Kurt & Jayasurya (1968) report of a sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) eaten by a leopard (Panthero pardus). Sloth bears, due to their less arboreal and more aggressive nature, might be less inclined than sun bears to climb a tree when threatened by a leopard; however, leopards are also expert tree climbers (Laurie & Seidensticker, 1977).Kawanisbi & Sunquist (2004) report on 3 tiger (Panthera tigris) scats containing sun bear remains from peninsular Malaysia. Other predators on mainland Southeast Asia and Sumatra could potentially be the common leopard and the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebuloso), which occur sympatrically with sun bears."

http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/rbz/biblio/53/53rbz165-168.pdf

2)Second source:

Sun bear, Malay bear, honey bear, dog bear

Ursus malayanus

Despite being the smallest of all the bears, the sun bear is probably the most aggressive, and will attack without provocation. Relatively, they also have the largest canines of all the bears, although their diet is less carnivorous than some of their cousins.

Life span

Unknown.

Statistics

Body length: 120-150cm, Weight: female 27-50kg, male 27-65kg. They are the smallest species of bear.

Physical Description

Sun bears have short black/dark brown water-repellent fur, with a yellow crescent on their chest. They have strong paws with naked soles and long sickle-shaped claws. They have flexible snouts and very long tongues, which are an adaptation for extracting termites from nests. Relatively, they have the largest canines of all the bear species. Canine teeth are specialised for tearing meat, but sun bears are not particularly carnivorous. They may use their sharp canines as weapons or as tools for tearing at trees to get at insects.

Distribution

Sun bears live in south east Asia: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Habitat

Sun bears inhabit lowland tropical rainforests.

Diet

Sun bears feed on fruits, berries, insects, termites, eggs and small vertebrates. They will readily climb trees, using their long tongue to raid beehives of honey.

Behaviour

Sun bears are the least known of all the bear species. They are thought to be solitary except for mothers with cubs.

They are not thought to hibernate due to the year-round availability of food items. They have an aggressive reputation and will attack without provocation. Sun bears are thought to be nocturnal, and they are excellent climbers.

Reproduction

According to the limited information available, it appears that the mating season is variable, and that sloth bears may mate and give birth at any time of the year. There are typically 1-3 cubs in a litter.

Conservation status

Sun bears are classified as Data Deficient by the IUCN, and are listed on CITES: Appendix I. They suffer from habitat encroachment and poaching.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/12.shtml

pterodectyle

 

Helarctos malayanus
(sun bear)

Geographic Range

Helarctos malayanus ranges from the eastern Himalayas to Sze-Chwan in China, then southward throughout Burma, parts of Indo-China and Malaya. Their range is probably greater than what is actually known (Sanderson, 1972; Ward and Kynaston, 1995).

Habitat

Sun bears are found in dense lowland tropical forests. They can commonly be found in trees (Sanderson, 1972).

Physical Description

Sun bears are the smallest bears in the family Ursidae. They stand 70 cm at the shoulder and are 1.2 to 1.5 m from head to tail. The tail itself is 3 to 7 cm. Males are larger than the females but only by 10 to 20%. They have short, wide, flat heads with small round ears. Their fur is rather coarse but appears sleek. This coat is entirely black except for a "U" shaped patch on the chest and a grey to faintly orange muzzle. The yellowish or white chest patch is highly variable, "U" shaped in some and completely absent in others. This mark may exaggerate bears' sizes during fights. The young are born with soft, shiny coats. The paws are fairly large with sickle-shaped claws and naked soles which are thought to be helpful in climbing trees. These bears have an interesting walk, with all four legs turned in while walking (Sanderson, 1972; Ward and Kynaston, 1995; Nowak, 1997; Sheng et al., 1999).

Reproduction

Little is known about the reproductive behavior of sun bears in the wild. Gestation period lasts about 95 days, but there is evidence of delayed implantation. Some sun bear pregnancies in a zoo in Fort Worth lasted 174 to 240 days. A sun bear at the Berlin Zoo actually gave birth two times in one year in 1961, first in April, then again in August, but this is rare. Litter size is usually around one to two but occasionally there are three. Newborns are blind, hairless, and helpless and weigh a mere 300 grams. Cubs stay with their mothers until fully grown and reach sexual maturity around three years of age (Sheng et al., 1999; IBA, 1999).

Behavior

Sun bears are active at night and are excellent and agile climbers. They sleep and sun bath in trees at heights from 2 to 7 m. This species does not go through period of hibernation, probably due to the fact that they live in tropical areas and their food sources are present all year round.

Lifespan/Longevity

In captivity sun bears have lived up to 24 years and nine months (Sheng et al., 1999).


Behavior

Sun bears are active at night and are excellent and agile climbers. They sleep and sun bath in trees at heights from 2 to 7 m. This species does not go through period of hibernation, probably due to the fact that they live in tropical areas and their food sources are present all year round.


Food Habits

This species is an opportunistic omnivore with bees, termites, and earthworms comprising the main part of its diet. Fruit is also eaten when available. The former are more regular food sources than fruit and usually there is no need for H. malayanus to cover great distances in their search for food. These bears have long tongues that are helpful for obtaining insects from trees, termites from their nests, and honey from bee hives. Should the opportunity present itself, sun bears will eat small rodents, birds, and lizards along with scavenging tiger kills. In human populated areas their diet may include rubbish, livestock and agricultural fruit such as bananas (Ward and Kynaston, 1995).

Ecosystem Roles

In certain regions, sun bears have the important role of seed dispersal (insufficient information is available about bears in some areas). In a study of H. malayanus in Borneo, one sample of these bears' feces was found to contain 309 seeds of a certain species of plant (McConkey and Galetti, 1999).

Ecosystem Roles

In certain regions, sun bears have the important role of seed dispersal (insufficient information is available about bears in some areas). In a study of H. malayanus in Borneo, one sample of these bears' feces was found to contain 309 seeds of a certain species of plant (McConkey and Galetti, 1999).

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Sun bears have been known to cause damage to crops such as oil palms or coconut plantations.



Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

The gall bladders and other body parts of sun bears are used in folk medical practices. It has been proven, though, that they have no medicinal value. People hunt them for sport and profit. They bears are quite commonly sold as pets (Sanderson, 1972; Sun Bear, 2001).

Conservation Status

Sun bears are one of the rarest bears. The exact number alive today is not known, but the population is steadily declining due to deforestation and hunting. Habitat destruction is causing these bears to live in smaller and more isolated patches. The land is being cleared to create coffee, rubber and oil palm plantations. Poachers are flocking to the protected areas and reserves because they know there are bears there. Reserves may not even be providing sufficient habitats for these bears because their needs are not completely known. Not many conservation attempts have been done to save these bears because so little is known about them (Ward and Kynaston, 1995; Servheen, 1999).

Other Comments

One sun bear demonstrated his intelligence while in captivity. This particular bear took the rice that was given to him for food and scattered it on the ground. There were also chickens in this bear's lair and the scattered rice attracted these chickens, which the bear then captured and ate (Nowak, 1995).

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Helarctos_malayanus.html

taipan

 

World's Smallest Bear Faces Extinction

By Eliane Engeler, Associated Press

posted: 13 November 2007 09:46 am ET

GENEVA (AP) — The world's smallest bear species faces extinction because of deforestation and poaching in its Southeast Asian home, a conservation group said Monday.

The sun bear, whose habitat stretches from India to Indonesia, has been classified as vulnerable by the World Conservation Union.

"We estimate that sun bears have declined by at least 30 percent over the past 30 years and continue to decline at this rate,'' said Rob Steinmetz, a bear expert with the Geneva-based group, known under its acronym IUCN.

The group estimates there are little more than 10,000 sun bears left, said Dave Garshelis, co-chair of the IUCN bear specialist group.

The bear, which weighs between 90 and 130 pounds, is hunted for its bitter, green bile, which has long been used by Chinese traditional medicine practitioners to treat eye, liver and other ailments. Bear paws are also consumed as a delicacy.

Another threat comes from loggers, who are destroying the sun bear's habitat, Steinmetz said.

Thailand is the only country to have effectively banned logging and enforced laws against poaching, allowing the sun bear population to remain stable there, Garshelis said.

IUCN said six of the eight bear species in the world are now threatened with extinction.

Other vulnerable bear species are the Asiatic black bear, the sloth bear on the Indian subcontinent, the Andean bear in South America and the polar bear. The brown bear and the American black bear are in a lesser category of threat, IUCN said.

"The American black bear is actually doing quite well,'' said Garshelis, adding that its population is increasing in most parts of Canada, the United States and Mexico.

There are an estimated 900,000 American black bears in the three countries, more than double the number of all the other bear species combined, according to IUCN.

The brown bear is well protected in North America and Europe and therefore able to expand in certain areas, he said. But in some countries of South Asia, including Pakistan, India and Nepal, there are only tiny numbers of brown bears left, he added.

The giant panda, of which fewer than 3,000 are estimated to survive, remains in the category of endangered species despite huge Chinese efforts to conserve it, Garshelis said.

"It would be unwise to assume that in less than 10 years under the new habitat improvement policies in China (the) panda population could have dramatically increased,'' he said.

Australia's koala bear, which despite its name is not a bear but a marsupial, is considered "near threatened.''

The reassessment of the sun bear's situation will be reflected in IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species, a comprehensive inventory of some 41,000 species and subspecies compiled by a network of experts around the globe.


A 9-month-old baby Asian sun bear reaches out through his cage at his new home at the Wildlife Division of the Thai Forestry Department in Banglamung, 200 kilometers (130 miles) south of Bangkok in this Sept. 14, 1995 file photo. The world's smallest bear species faces extinction because of deforestation and poaching in its Southeast Asian home, a conservation group said Monday Nov. 12, 2007.
http://www.livescience.com/animals/071113-ap-endangered-bears.html

ursusarctos

 

It is very unfortunate that such a unique animal is in danger.

Predation on sun bear by 6.95 meter python
The sun bear was one captured, and the description makes it very clear that she was in terribly physical condition (over 10 kg underweight).
As an earlier predation attempt on a different sun bear was made in the area, perhaps it was done by the same python? However, that bear, a 31 kg female, was evidently able to fight it off (but with injuries).
The python also sounded underweight, having weighed 59 kg, and was said not to have eaten for about 3 months prior.
I can see that the above source has been posted before, as I remember a quote from it being posted occasionally.

ursusarctos

 

Here is another chart showing sample size and brain volume:

Again, look at the sun bear's brain volume!
Sun bear versus:
Grey wolf: sun bear's brain 2.6 times larger.
Brown bear: sun bear's brain 2% larger
Spotted hyena: sun bear's brain 2.4 times larger
Snow leopard: sun bear's brain 3.4 times larger
Cougar: sun bear's brain 2.7 times larger
Jaguar: sun bear's brain 2.3 times larger
Leopard: sun bear's brain 2.7 times larger
Lion: sun bear's brain 54% larger
Cheetah:sun bear's brain 3.1 times larger

The sun bear's brain is far out of proportion of it's size compared to the rest of carnivora, including also the bear family.
I wish more was known about their social behavior, and what caused this great evolutionary expansion in brain size.

taipan

 

Sun Bear Weights :

SUMMARY: About 25 - 65 kg, usually under 50 kg in the wild (55 - 143 lb, usually under 110 lb).

• 
  
• 27 - 65 kg (60 - 143 lb). (B147, B285.w4)
  
• 25 - 65 kg. (D246)
  
• 27 - 65 kg. (B392.8.w8)
  
• 27 - 65 kg. (B423)
  
• 60 - 100 lb. (B426.8.w8)
  
• 27 - 65 kg; bears over 50 kg in the wild are heavy. (B424)
  
• 50-65 kg. (B442.11.w11)
  
• Usually under 100 lb. (B288.w11)
  
• Males: 65 kg (143 lb). (B144)
  
• Females: 50 kg (110 lb). (B144)
  
• A female in Borneo weighed 20 kg; she was considered to be in very poor body condition. (J17.119.w1)
  
• Five males in Borneo weighed 30 - 44 kg; those with weights of 30-34 kg were considered to be in poor body condition while those weighing 40-44 kg were in fair body condition. (J17.119.w1)
  
• Two males in Sabah, Malaysia, weighted 59 and 47 kg. (J345.15.w1)
  
• Two females in Sabah, Malaysia weighed 39 and 35 kg. (J345.15.w1)
  
• 27 - 65 kg. (B448)
  
• At a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Malaysia, for bears over two years of age, males weighed 27 - 53 kg and females weighed 20 - 46 kg. (J2.34.w4)
  

http://wildlife1.wildlifeinformation.org/S/0MCarnivor/ursidae/helarctos/Helarctos_malayanus/01Helarctos_malayanusAMWtHt.html

ursusarctos

 

Thanks Taipan-great info.
Yours looks more accurate and reliable than the one I mentioned, which may be found here:

Quote:

 

bears in Sumatra and on mainland Southeast Asia weigh between 50-80 kg

Yours:

Quote:

 

Two males in Sabah, Malaysia, weighted 59 and 47 kg. (J345.15.w1)

Actual samples are involved.

The reason I figured the source I used as likely reliable was because one of the sources on brain size listed the weight of the sun bear as around 79 kg, and it's brain was similar in mass to the brains of other articles, making me think that those other sun bears likely also weighed similarly.
Although, brain size does not really increase much as male brown bears age (assuming correlation with brain case size), while body mass does. Not sure if sun bears are similar or not.
The thought that multiple studies involved large sun bears, which would support that link, led to me thinking it is likely reliable.
Those sun bears were likely (hopefully) deceased zoo specimens, and these could obviously be larger than wild ones-though sun bears don't hibernate, so they aren't naturally built to take on weight like some other species.

Given that data you posted, I'd much rather stick with that data.
Would be great if even more data becomes available from different sun bear populations.

Sun bear skull sizes:

-Zygomatic width is larger on average than average for adult females from several brown bear populations.

EDIT:
Save the sun bear project:

As local awareness of the sun bear grew, confiscations of illegally held bears increased and Samboja Lestari very soon became home to 52 sun bears. At first, the centre lacked adequate facilities to properly care for these bears and had no alternative but to stop accepting them. Three 1ha outdoor enclosures were created for them and 58 hectares of forested land was set aside to create an even larger sanctuary for the bears. Unfortunately, a lack of funds held back the developments that were necessary to make this area useable. This meant that many of the male bears who fought were confined to enclosures that were too small and lacked stimulation.

In September 2008, however, the lives of these sun bears were transformed. Animal behaviourist Darek Figa and his team developed an innovative new enrichment program and successfully housed uncastrated male bears for the first time in large groups, enabling them to access the 1 ha enclosures in groups peacefully.
Enrichment program

The purpose of enrichment is to provide opportunities for an animal's natural behaviours to be expressed within the captive environment. Enrichment improves the sun bear's physical and psychological well-being by providing them with interest, exercise, and enjoyment.

The enrichment program encourages sun bears to work for their food in the same way they would in the wild - foraging in leaf litter, climbing trees for fruit, tearing rotten logs apart in search of termites, and licking food out of natural crevices.

More than six months later, the male bears are still living together peacefully without castration or hormone suppressing drugs. The improvements continue and it is the aim of the Samboja Lestari Sun Bear Sanctuary to provide these sun bears with the best care possible in an environment that so closely mimics their natural habitat that the bears can behave much as they would in the wild. Should the day come for release, many of these bears will be ready and suitable.

I really hope that they get more support (and continue to get that which they are getting), and some sun bears are successfully released and do well.
Unfortunately sun bears are often kept as pets. I know that some of these bears are on occasion released-I'm not sure how well they do. Hopefully much better than the released panda.
It is also interested to note that intramale aggression is apparently an issue-the relatively low amount of sexual dimorphism in size had always made me think their wasn't much, although now I think they simply have an extremely hard time finding enough food in the tropics to get large (food isn't very concentrated; bears are very successful due to their ability to take advantage of concentrated food sources-sun bears are still very large omnivores by Carnivora standards, with a Carnivora digestive system). Males can still naturally get bigger by females due to the females needing to support and raise cubs.
Still, I think even among brown bears females often feed nearly or even (and often more, when talking about younger males) as much as males, and brown bears have fairly great sexual dimorphism (for 10.5 + year old Alaskan brown bears males are 80% heavier; other populations vary, including all adult aged bears, from 38%-just over 100% larger for males).

manics

 

Life is easy (camera trap)

manics

 

Some great videos and pictures

http://sunbears.wildlifedirect.org/category/captivity/page/4/

http://sunbears.wildlifedirect.org/category/captivity/page/3/

http://sunbears.wildlifedirect.org/category/captivity/page/2/

http://sunbears.wildlifedirect.org/category/captivity/page/1/

noelle_t

Apr 16 2012, 02:02 AM

Hello, I'm doing an in-depth research project on Sun Bears and I have to create a model of its brain, so I wanted to know if anyone knew where I could find a diagram of the Sun Bear's brain? I've tried searching the internet and can't find anything.

Thank you!

(Please reply on here or to my email address: noellecopelandtolson@gmail.com)