What does a Malayan bear look like? Malayan bear, or biruang - Mad Zoologist - LJ. Lifestyle and habitat

Appearance

The Malayan bear is the smallest representative of the bear family: it does not exceed 1.5 m in length (plus 3-7 cm tail), the height at the withers is only 50-70 cm; weight 27-65 kg. Males are 10-20% larger than females. This is a stocky, strong animal with a short and wide muzzle. Ears are short and rounded. The limbs are high with disproportionately large paws; claws very large, curved. Feet are bare. Fangs are small; molars are medium-sized, flattened.

The fur of the biruang is short, hard and smooth. The color is black, on the muzzle it turns to roan-yellow. Sometimes the limbs are also light brown. On the chest there is usually a large whitish or red spot in the form of a horseshoe, reminiscent of the shape and color of the rising sun (hence the scientific name of the genus - Helarctos, "solar bear").

Spreading

Biruang is distributed from northeast India (Assam) and possibly southern China (Sichuan) through Myanmar, Thailand, the Indochina and Malacca peninsulas to Indonesia (Sumatra and Kalimantan). A subspecies lives on the island of Kalimantan Helarctos malayanus euryspilus.

Captive

This bear species is kept and bred on bear bile extraction farms.

Lifestyle and nutrition

This bear lives in the tropical and subtropical forests of the foothills and mountains of Southeast Asia. It is well adapted to climbing trees and, being a nocturnal animal, often sleeps or sunbaths in the branches of trees all day long, where it builds a kind of nest for itself [ ] . Here he feeds on leaves and fruits, breaking branches in the same way as the Himalayan bear does. Does not hibernate in winter.

Biruang is omnivorous. It feeds mainly on insects (bees, termites) and earthworms, as well as shoots, rhizomes and fruits of plants. The long, thin tongue helps the Biruang get termites from nests and honey. In addition, biruangs eat small rodents, birds, and lizards, as well as carrion left over from tiger meals. In densely populated areas, it can rummage through garbage, attack livestock and devastate plantations (bananas, coconut palms). Powerful jaws allow him to crack open coconuts.

Despite its small weight, on average about 45 kg, it is a rather dangerous and aggressive predator that is able to successfully defend itself even from a tiger. Other recorded natural enemies of the Malayan bear include

Description
The Malayan bear, or biruang (Helarctos malayanus), is the smallest of the eight species of modern bears (Ursidae). The weight of adults varies from 25 to 65 kg (Dathe, 1975). According to other data, the maximum weight of animals can reach 70 (Fredriksson, Gabriella M., 2005) or even 80 kg, and the minimum - 27 kg. Body length up to 100-140 cm (Dathe, 1975). According to other sources - 120-150 cm (Stirling I., 1993). The height at the shoulders of males is up to about 70 cm (Dathe, 1975). The length of the auricle is approximately 4-6 cm, the length of the foot is 18-21 cm (LeKagul, McNeely, 1988). Males are 10-20% larger than females.

The addition of the Malay bear is compact, stocky and massive, which is typical for all representatives of this family. The head is rounded, with widely spaced zygomatic arches and a short muzzle. The neck is quite long. The lips are well developed (although not as strongly as those of the sloth (Melursus ursinus) and can be extended. The upper lip is bare. The tongue is long (relatively longer than that of other bears), mobile and muscular. This structure of the tongue and lips is associated with the nature of the diet of the Malay bear , which often eats honey and larvae, which it extracts from a bee hive.The auricles are relatively small, with limited mobility, not reinforced with vertical cartilaginous ridges (Baryshnikov, 2007).

The Malayan bear is the most arboreal species among the members of the bear family. Its forelimbs are more arched than those of the brown bear (Ursus arctos), an adaptation for tree climbing. The claws are very large and powerful; relatively the largest among bears, along with sloth. The brush has two carpal pads. The finger pads are separated. These features are also an adaptation to the arboreal lifestyle. This bear species exhibits the highest degree of cephalization among all terrestrial carnivores (Rohrs et al., 1989).

The coat of the Malayan bear is short (shorter than other bears), hard, shiny and close to the body. The color is black, sometimes with a light brown or brownish tinge on the limbs. The muzzle is painted in lighter colors - grayish-yellow, brown or with an orange tint, sometimes gray or silver. There is a characteristic light spot on the chest, usually in the form of a crescent, but its shape can vary. Most often the spot is white or with a whitish tint, but can also be cream, yellow, brown or ocher in color. In rare cases, it may be absent. A bear with such an uncharacteristic coloration, brown and without a spot on the chest, was found in Southeast Sabah on the island of Borneo (Fitzgerald and Krausman, 2002). The purpose of the contrasting spot on the chest is not exactly known, but it is believed that it serves to intimidate rivals when the bear, having assumed a threatening posture, stands on its hind legs (Searle, 1968).

The condylobasal length of the skull in males is approximately 218–248 mm, in females, 185–225 mm (Baryshnikov, 2007). The facial region of the skull is short, the muzzle is wide. The length of the nasal bones exceeds their length in the middle part by about 2.6 times. The infraorbital foramen lies above the first molar (M1). The bony palate is narrow. The postorbital processes are small. The sagittal crest is moderately developed, rather short. The zygomatic arches are widely spaced. The brain box is low and strongly expanded. The mastoid (mastoid) process is small. Jaws are powerful. The lower jaw is short, with a high body and a long symphyseal region.

The dentition is short, which is due to the shortening of the muzzle. Fangs are massive and strong. Relatively larger than the fangs of other bears. On the back or outer edges of the fangs there is a sharp vertical ridge. The anterior premolars are often completely lost, so that the fourth premolars of the upper and lower jaws adjoin directly to the first premolars. The cheek teeth are relatively small. The upper predatory tooth (P4) is reduced (Baryshnikov, 2007). Dental formula - I 3/3, C 1/1, P 4/4, M 2/3 x 2 = 42. The diploid number of chromosomes is 74.

Distribution and habitats
The Malayan bear inhabits the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia - Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Kampuchea, Laos, Vietnam, the islands of Sumatra and Borneo (Kalimantan) and, possibly, Bangladesh. In the past, it was found in eastern India (Fitzgerald and Krausman, 2002). One find is known in Yunnan Province in southern China (Baryshnikov, 2007).

Geographic Variation and Subspecies
On the mainland part of the range, the geographical variability of the species was not revealed. Malayan bears from the island of Sumatra are on average smaller in size than continental ones. Animals from the island of Borneo are even smaller (Meijaard, 2004). For the latter, the subspecies H. m. euryspilus (Horsfield, 1825; Pocock, 1941; Meijaard, 2004). However, other researchers consider the Malayan bear to be a monotypic species (Fitzgerald and Krausman, 2002),

Currently, the Malay bear has two subspecies: the nominate - H. m. malayanus, inhabiting the entire species range, with the exception of Borneo, and H. m. euryspilus living in Borneo (Kalimantan). The condylobasal length of the skull of the nominative subspecies averages approximately 230.2 mm; according to other sources - 235.3 mm for mainland bears and 227.3 for Sumatran (Meijaard, 2004).
Condylobasal length of the skull U. m. euryspilus averages 200.1 mm; according to other sources - 206.3 mm (Meijaard, 2004). The cheek teeth of the nominative subspecies are somewhat enlarged.

Behavior and lifestyle
The Malayan bear leads a solitary semi-arboreal lifestyle. He excellently climbs trees, where he climbs in search of food, escapes from enemies and arranges resting places. The Malayan bear prefers dense lowland or mountain rainforests. In some regions, for example, in Thailand and Indonesia, it rises into the mountains to a height of 2500-2800 meters above sea level. The Malayan bear is also found in dry sal forests (Borneo) and swampy areas. The rhythm of daily activity may vary depending on external factors (for example, human activity). In places where the bear is not disturbed, it is often active during the day. In places frequently visited by humans, the Malay bear becomes strictly nocturnal (Griffiths and van Schaik, 1993).

As noted above, the Malay bear climbs trees perfectly, where it spends a significant part of its time and settles for the night. On trees, the Malay bear can build nests from branches, which it breaks and bends down with its front paws. Like other bears, the Malayan bear often stands on its hind legs to better inspect distant objects or to intimidate the enemy. Like all bear biruangs, they are essentially omnivores. Its menu consists of various fruits, invertebrates, small vertebrates, bird eggs, honey and many other foods of plant and animal origin.

In female Malayan bears, estrus usually lasts 1-2 days, but sometimes can stretch up to a week (Johnston et al., 1994). According to observations in captivity, the duration of pregnancy ranges from 174 to 240 days (McCusker, 1974), according to other sources - 86-95 days (Dathe, 1962, 1970). Cases of hybridization of the Malay bear with sloth are known. In this case, the pregnancy lasts approximately 95 days (Asakura, 1969). A longer pregnancy is obviously associated with a delay in embryo implantation.

In Thailand and Myanmar, cubs are born with the onset of hot weather (Fitzgerald and Krausman, 2002). The litter usually contains 1-2 cubs, in some cases - 3. The weight of newborn cubs is about 300 g (Dathe, 1970). The mother usually hides the cubs either among dense thickets or between the supporting roots of large trees. Like other predatory bears, the she-bear carries the cubs, gently taking them by the scruff of the neck. The pups are grey-black in color with a dirty white U-shaped chest marking and a white or brown muzzle. The eyes of the cubs of the Malay bear open after 25 days, but the cubs remain blind up to 50 days. Around the same time, their hearing becomes aggravated. Milk fangs fall out at the 7th month, and the complete replacement of milk teeth with permanent ones occurs at the age of about 18 months. Malay bears appear to reach sexual maturity at around 3 years of age; in a captive female, the first estrus was observed at 3.5 years, but the first conception was three years later (Dathe, 1970). According to other data, puberty occurs at the age of 2-3 years (Feng, Wang, 1991). Females may enter oestrus and mate throughout the year.

The life expectancy of Malayan bears in captivity is up to 20-24 years (Baryshnikov, 2007). Despite its small (by bear standards) size, the Malayan bear in nature has few natural enemies. The real threat to adult animals is mainly tigers. Sometimes the Malayan bear is harassed by the larger Himalayan bear. In relation to humans, the Malayan bear is usually harmless, calm and avoids contact, except in situations where the beast is injured or protecting offspring. Nevertheless, cases of unprovoked attacks by Malay bears are known, for example, in Thailand (Lekagul and McNeely, 1988). Perhaps such manifestations of aggression are the result of the bear's poor eyesight or its fearfulness.

Origin and evolution
Due to life in a humid tropical climate, the fossil remains of the Malay bear are extremely scarce. The great rarity of biruanga finds in continental locations may also be due to pressure from the Himalayan bear, which in the Pleistocene supplanted its smaller relative. The largest number of Malayan bear fossils has been found on the islands of Borneo, Sumatra, and Java, which date back to the Late Pleistocene (Medway, 1964; Vos, 1983). At present, continental finds of biruang are known only from Vietnam.

In the Chinese province of Shanxi, a fragment of the right mandibular bone with the first molar was found, according to which Zdansky (1927) described the species Ursus cf. boekhi. The exact stratigraphic position of this find is unknown, presumably it belongs to the Pliocene. Tenius (Thenius, 1947a) noticed that the body of the mandibular bone noticeably rises to the symphysis, as in Helarctos, and on the basis of this he distinguished the Chinese find as Ursus (Helarctos) sinomalayanus. The only preserved tooth m1 (first molar) is somewhat larger than that of the modern Malayan bear; its length is 20.7.
The metaconid is solitary, located slightly behind the protoconid. Erdbrink (1953) assumed that the metaconid was double, but its anterior tubercle merged with the rib extending from the apex of the protoconid. The hypoconid is large, the entoconid is distinct, there is an entoconulid. A longitudinal groove runs along the middle of the talon, which is not closed behind, as is often the case in H. malayanus (Baryshnikov, 2007). Subsequently, based on the development of enamel denticles in front of the m1 metaconid, this find was attributed to Ursus minimus (Morlo and Kundrat, 2001).

Another species, U. praemalayanus, was based on an M2 fossil, probably purchased from a Chinese pharmacy in Singapore or Hong Kong (Koenigswald, 1935). The author of the description noted the similarity of the new species with the Malay bear, and Erdbrink (Erdbrink, 1953) directly wrote that he did not find significant differences between them. Baryshnikov conditionally accepts subspecies status for this find.

The family ties of the Malayan bear with other members of the family remain unclear. Nei's standard genetic distance between the Malayan bear and the brown bear (Ursus arctos) was less (0.025) than that between the Malayan bear and the Himalayan bear (0.037). Molecular biology data are contradictory. On the basis of complete mitochondrial DNA sequences, the biruang is brought closer to either the clade Ursus arctos / maritimus (Talbot and Shields, 1996a) or the American black bear (Ursus americanus) (Zhang and Ryder, 1993a). Nuclear DNA studies have demonstrated the genetic affinity of the Malayan bear with sloth. The combined analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, on the contrary, removes it from sloth (Li et al., 2004). Relationships with sloth beetles are supported by morphological data, as well as cases of hybridization of these species in captivity (Van Gelder, 1977).

Taxonomy
Class:
Mammalia (mammals or beasts)
Subclass:
Theria (viviparous mammals, or real animals
Infraclass:
Eutheria (placental or higher beasts)
Superorder:
Laurasiatheria (laurasiatheria)
Squad:
Carnivora (predatory)
Suborder:
Caniformia (canine)
Superfamily:
Arctoidea (bear-like
Family:
Ursidae (bears)
Subfamily:
Ursinae (bearish)
Tribe:
Ursini (bearish)
Genus:
Helarctos (Malay bears)
Subgenus:
Helarctos (Malay bears)
View:
Helarctos malayanus (Malay bear, or biruang)
Subspecies:
Helarctos malyanus malayanus (mainland Malayan bear
Helarctos malayanus euryspilus (Bornean or Kalimantan Malayan bear)

Photo

Distribution area map

Sources

G. F. Baryshnikov - "Bear family" (encyclopedia "Fauna of Russia and neighboring countries"), 2007.

Biruang, Malay Bear, Sun Bear or "Bear-Dog" are all names for the same bear, which refers to bear family and is a distant relative of the Giant pandas. The Malayan bear is the smallest of the bear family. Its weight varies between 27-65 kg.

Helarctos is the name of a bear, sometimes translated as a sun bear, because. the first part of the name Hela (from the Greek for the sun) is given to Biruang because the chest whitish or orange spot on his chest resembles the sunrise; arcto (from the Greek - bear).

Biruang is distributed from northeast India and southern China through Myanmar, Thailand, Indochina and Malacca to the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan. It lives in the tropical and subtropical forests of the foothills and mountains of Southeast Asia. It is well adapted to climbing trees and, being a nocturnal animal, often sleeps or sunbaths in the branches of trees all day long, where it builds a semblance of a nest. Here he feeds on leaves and fruits, breaking branches in the same way as the Himalayan bear does.

Let's explore it a little more...

Photo 1.

This is an animal with a rather long but awkward body, a thick head, a broad muzzle and small ears, very small blind eyes and short, water-repellent fur.

The paws of the Malay bears are strong, the soles are bare, the claws are long, sharp and crooked.

A distinctive feature of the Malayan bear is an elongated and very mobile muzzle, which, together with a long tongue, is perfectly adapted for getting termites.

Photo 2.

The males of Biruanga are slightly larger than the females, but even they do not reach half the mass of adult bears.

The color of the Biruang is black, but there is a bright feature. This is a bright yellow color of the bear's neck. The “sunny” bear, also called Biruangov, got its name precisely because of the yellow circle on its neck.

It's like a sun mark for a bear. Biruang is found in Borneo, Java, Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula and spreads north through Tenasserim to Burma and through Arakan to Chittagong.

Biruangi feed on termites, bird eggs, insects, as well as plant roots and honey.

Photo 4.

Biruang is a nocturnal animal and during the daytime it mostly sleeps, and also takes sunbaths in the foliage of trees. By the way, Biruangi make nests beautifully.

In Malay, bears are called “basindo nan tenggil”, which means “one who likes to sit high”.

Yes, you heard right, they really build nests. And they do great in trees. Biruangs also feed on carrion, they do not disdain the remnants of food from other predators.

The main enemies are tigers and leopards. To protect against predators, the bear has a special adaptation: very loose skin around its neck. If grabbed, the bear can easily turn around and bite the unsuspecting predator with its strong fangs.

Photo 5.

The Biruang has a reputation for being aggressive and attacks without provocation. There were times when he, if forced, attacked people and killed them. In general, on the mainland, he is not considered dangerous, and only mothers taken by surprise, who think that their cubs are in danger, dare to attack people like this.

In general, Malayan bears are harmless and timid when not disturbed, and even females with pups try to avoid humans as long as possible.

This bear does not hibernate, probably due to the fact that they live in tropical areas and their food sources are present throughout the year.

Photo 6.

Biruang is monogamous. The mating season of the Biruangs (when the female is ready to mate) lasts from two days to a week, during which the mating pair is recorded. In this case, the male and female participate in characteristic ritual behaviors, such as hugging, fake (play) wrestling and jumping.

The female usually brings 1-2, and sometimes 3 cubs, which are born in some secluded place on earth, in a specially prepared nest. Babies are born blind, naked and helpless, weighing about 300 grams.

Biruangs are one of the rarest species of bears. This species is listed in the International Red Book with the status of Endangered.

Photo 7.

It is also included in Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Their exact number is unknown.

Biruangs are often kept in captivity, they perfectly tolerate zoos and even private estates. Pregnancy of a female Biruanga lasts 95 days, and then a cub is born, which weighs only 300 gm.

Photo 8.

Biruangs are active both day and night, they are excellent climbers. During the day, they like to take sunbaths, settling among the branches of trees at a height of 2 to 7 meters. This species of bear does not have a hibernation period, probably due to the fact that it lives in tropical areas and food sources exist all year round. Biruang is a very adaptable animal, an omnivore. Bees, termites and earthworms make up the bulk of its diet. It also feeds on the fruits of various trees. There is no shortage of food in its habitat, so there is usually no need to cover long distances in search of food. The tongue of Sun Bears is long and sticky, making it easy to extract insects from trees, termites from nests, and honey from bee hives. When possible, the biruang can eat small rodents, birds, and lizards.

In addition, biruangs eat small rodents, birds, and lizards, as well as carrion left over from tigers' meals. In densely populated areas, it can rummage through garbage, attack livestock and devastate plantations (bananas, coconut palms). Powerful jaws allow him to crack open coconuts.

Photo 9.

The sun bear is one of the rarest bears. The exact number of individuals in nature is not known, but there are facts that their numbers are decreasing every year. Habitat destruction is causing these bears to live in smaller and more isolated areas. Not much has been done to conserve this species, mainly because it has been little studied. Biruangs are hunted by poachers to sell their internal organs, although they have no medicinal value.

One bear of this species has demonstrated its intelligence in captivity. Having received rice for food, he did not eat it, but scattered it on the ground at the entrance to his lair, and then caught the birds that flocked to feast. In captivity, the life expectancy of the Sun Bear is much longer than in nature, and reaches up to 24 years.

Photo 10.

People hunt the Malayan bear for sport and for sale.

The use of bear body parts in medicine probably began in China around 3500 BC, and the first evidence of bear gallbladder prescription dates back to the 7th century AD. Bear bile is used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat inflammation and bacterial infections. It is popularly believed that the gall bladders of bears can increase sexual potency in men and women. Bear bile is considered an important medicine in the treatment of serious, painful, and sometimes fatal ailments.

On the island of Borneo, Dayaks sew hats from the fur of a Malay bear. In certain regions, bears play an important role in seed dispersal of certain plants (one sample of these bears' dung was found to contain 309 viable seeds of certain plant species).

Bears are sometimes able to cause damage to the crop of coconut plantations and bananas.

Photo 11.

For some reason, the sun bear is called the most primitive among relatives. Most likely, due to the poor knowledge of his abilities. Meanwhile, there are many confirmations of the intelligence of the beast. For example, when in one of the zoos a Biruangu was given a bowl of rice as a “ration”, a crafty slave poured its contents onto the floor and, after waiting for the birds to flock to “freebies” to peck at the grains, dined on the modest ones, i.e. the meat of stupid birds. And how cleverly "honey" fights off his enemies, the main of which are tigers and leopards! They cannot understand in any way that the very loose skin on the “Malay's” neck allows him to turn his head very famously, and, insidiously attacking from behind, they suddenly get a bite with strong bear fangs.

Photo 12.

The natives, apparently, have their own, incomprehensible to the uninitiated, relations with these bears. Since ancient times, they have tamed them, kept them in the villages for fun, and even as pets, allowing children to play with them (hard to imagine, right?). That is why the Malays call the beast "bear-dog". And the quadrupeds easily take root, giving up their old habits and pleasures, among which one of the favorites is to bask in the sun, arrange a nest in a tree and lie down in it to “sunbathe”. Maybe the love of the sun's warmth was the reason why the biruanga was called the sun bear? He, the tree clubfoot, really not only makes himself a “nest” in the trees (or a hammock?), Breaking and bending the branches of trees, but also spends all day in it. And when hungry, he will stretch out his paw for an edible leaf or fruit, chew and again doze in the sun. Sybarite!

Photo 13.

Photo 14.

Photo 15.

Photo 16.

Photo 17.

Photo 18.

Photo 19.

The Malayan bear has a modest size by bear standards and is the smallest bear on Earth. It lives in several Asian countries, climbs trees beautifully and eats completely different foods. It hunts at night, sleeps during the day, and also knows how to build nests.

What is a Malayan bear?

You can rarely hear about a bear with this name. This is because its habitat is very limited. Malayan bears live in the northeastern part of India, parts of China, Thailand, the Indochina Peninsula and Malacca. Also found in Indonesia. A subspecies of the Malayan bear lives on the island of Borneo.

The body length of this animal is no more than one and a half meters. Height - up to 70 centimeters. Despite its modest size by bear standards, the Malayan bear is very strong, has a stocky muscular body and very large claws.

Its coat is notable for its short hair length, stiffness and smooth surface. The vast majority of Malayan bears are black in color, which fades to yellowish on the face of the animal.

What does the Malayan bear eat?

The diet of the bear is extremely diverse - it is omnivorous. But the main part of the food is various insects. Biruang extracts bees and termites, digs up earthworms, catches mice and lizards. One of the features of the Malayan bear is an unusual language. It is very long and serves to pull termites out of their nests, as well as honey from bee hives. This technology of obtaining food using a long tongue is similar to woodpeckers.

In addition to animal food, Biruang loves to feast on vegetable "dishes". For example, shoots of young plants, roots, all kinds of fruits. The powerful teeth of a bear allow it to crack even coconuts. Finally, the Biruang does not disdain carrion and often eats what is left after the feasts of tigers.

Malayan bear lifestyle

The Malayan bear spends almost all the time in the trees. Strong strong paws and huge, bent down, claws allow him to freely climb the branches. An interesting feature of the biruang is the ability to create original "nests" from leaves and branches. In them, the bear spends the daytime, basking in the sun. The hunting period begins with the onset of darkness.

The Malayan bear has a very secretive lifestyle. It is not so easy to see it, especially considering that there are few such bears left on the planet. At one time, a person caused great damage to the Biruang population, extracting their skins, gallbladder and heart, used in traditional Asian medicine. At the moment, biruang is listed in the Red Book.

The Malayan bear, despite its purely wild existence, nevertheless, can live in captivity. In some Asian countries, there are real domesticated biruangs. They quickly adapt to new conditions and can live up to 25 years in captivity.

Biruang is often considered one of the most dangerous bears in the world, because, with a small stature, it has a ferocious character and excellent fighting qualities. However, Asians think differently and even successfully train Biruangs. Understanding the habits of this bear, they tame it, resulting in the formation of entire farms.

Biruang - animal of the Red Book

However, the biruang remains the smallest species of bear on the planet and requires comprehensive protection from human extermination. In addition to limiting hunting, it is also strongly required to preserve its natural habitat - trees and thickets in the habitat. Since often it is the destruction of forests that leads to the delayed disappearance of entire species of wild animals and birds.

Appearance

The Malayan bear is the smallest representative of the bear family: it does not exceed 1.5 m in length (plus 3-7 cm tail), the height at the withers is only 50-70 cm; weight 27-65 kg. Males are 10-20% larger than females. This is a stocky, strong animal with a short and wide muzzle. Ears are short and rounded. The limbs are high with disproportionately large paws; claws very large, curved. Feet are bare. Fangs are small; molars are medium-sized, flattened.

The fur of the biruang is short, hard and smooth. The color is black, on the muzzle it turns to roan-yellow. Sometimes the limbs are also light brown. On the chest there is usually a large whitish or red spot in the form of a horseshoe, reminiscent of the shape and color of the rising sun (hence the scientific name of the genus - Helarctos, "solar bear").

Spreading

Biruang is distributed from northeast India (Assam) and possibly southern China (Sichuan) through Myanmar, Thailand, the Indochina and Malacca peninsulas to Indonesia (Sumatra and Kalimantan). A subspecies lives on the island of Borneo Helarctos malayanus euryspilus.

Lifestyle and nutrition

This bear lives in the tropical and subtropical forests of the foothills and mountains of Southeast Asia. It is well adapted to climbing trees and, being a nocturnal animal, often sleeps or sunbaths in the branches of trees all day long, where it builds a semblance of a nest. Here he feeds on leaves and fruits, breaking branches in the same way as the Himalayan bear does. Does not hibernate in winter.

Biruang is omnivorous. It feeds mainly on insects (bees, termites) and earthworms, as well as shoots, rhizomes and fruits of plants. The long, thin tongue helps the Biruang get termites from nests and honey. In addition, biruangs eat small rodents, birds, and lizards, as well as carrion left over from tiger meals. In densely populated areas, it can rummage through garbage, attack livestock and devastate plantations (bananas, coconut palms). Powerful jaws allow him to crack open coconuts.

Long thin biruanga tongue

reproduction

The female after 95 days of pregnancy brings 1-2 cubs. Pregnancy can be with a latent stage - in this case, it is delayed for 174-240 days. Newborns are blind and hairless and weigh only 300 g. The cubs stay with their mother until about 3 years old.

The life expectancy of a biruang (in captivity) is up to 24 years.

population status

Biruangs are one of the rarest species of bears. This species is listed in the international Red Book with the status of "Vulnerable" (English Vulnerable, VU). It is also included in Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Their exact number is unknown.

It is often kept in captivity and even as a pet. Biruang's heart and gallbladder are used in traditional Asian medicine.

Notes

Links

Categories:

• Animals alphabetically
• Vulnerable species
• bearish
• Animals described in 1821
• Mammals of Asia
• Monotypic genera of mammals
• Myrmecophages

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

See what the "Malay Bear" is in other dictionaries:

- (birunag, Helarctos malayanus), the only species of the eponymous genus of predatory mammals of the bear family (see BEARS). Birunag is the smallest representative of the family. The length of his body is 110 140 kg, weight up to 65 kg. Characteristic features: muzzle ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Biruang (Helarctos malayanus), a mammal of the family. bearish. Unity, kind of genus. Naib, primitive from modern. bears. Length bodies up to 1.4 m, height. at the withers 0.5 0.7 m; weight up to 60 kg. The skull is short, wide and the fangs are small. The coat is short, hard, ... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

Malayan bear- malajinis lokys statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Helarctos malayanus angl. Malayan bear; Malayan sun bear sun bear vok. Malayenbär; Sonnenbar rus. biruang; Malayan bear pranc. ours malais rysiai … Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

Mammal of the bear family. The skull is short and wide. The fangs are small, the molars are medium-sized, flattened. Body length about 120-130 cm, height at the withers 50-70 cm, weight 60-80 kg. The fur is low, hard, ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

- (Ursus malayanus) is the only representative of a special group (subgenus) of bears. It has a short and wide head and relatively wide molars. The tongue is very long. Short black coat. Small sizes (length ... ...

A cluster of islands between mainland Asia and Australia. At present, this generalizing literary name refers to thousands of large and small islands, including the Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands, the Philippine, Moluccas, and other smaller groups. On the… … Geographic encyclopedia - (otherwise Indian, Austrasia or Nomasia) countless islands, within 92 ° 192 ° E. (Greenwich) and 11 ° S. 20° north latitude, between South East. Asia and Australia, with a surface of 2003208 sq. km. In the west of Sumatra, Nias, Siberia, Vatu, ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron