Shining A Light On Sun Bears (aka Malayan Sun Bears, Honey Bears)
As a bear lover, I love this little bear. They are adorable. As with the other bears in the world, we need to find ways to save them. They are hunted by poachers for their fur and their bile is used for Chinese medicine as is the bile from Asiatic Black Bears. (Unbelievable cruelty is done in the name of Chinese medicine. I'll be covering more about that as I continue my research into this horrendous practice.)
Read on. See why I love this bear!
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Helarctos
Horsfield 1825
Species: H. malayanus
Binomial name: Helarctos malayanus
(Raffles, 1821)
From Wikipedia
Sun Bears - Just The Facts
Sun Bears, also known as Honey Bears are found primarily in the tropical rain forests of Southeast Asia.
Features
Sun Bears are covered with short black or brown-black fur except for a horseshoe shaped marking on their chests which is orange-yellow in color. This coloring is also around their eyes and their muzzle. This distinctive coloring is where their name "Sun" Bear came from.
They have large paws and their feet turn inward and a short 2 inch tail. Their tongues are thin and long -- usually between 8 to 10 inches -- which is used to suck honey out of beehives. They have flatter teeth with their canine teeth longer and stick out between their lips.
Sun bears have poor eyesight but a keen sense of smell. With 3 inch long claws, they are excellent climbers. They also walk pigeon-toed.
Size
Sun Bears are the smallest bear of the 8 bear species of the world. They are about 4 feet long. The males weigh between 66 and 132 lbs. and the females between 44 and 88 lbs.
What Sun Bears Eat
The Sun Bear's Diet
Sun Bears are omnivorous and feast on small creatures like lizards and birds as well as fruits and berries. They also eat termites, eggs, roots, and honey digging with their long claws. In addition, they use powerful jaw muscles to crack open cocoa nuts and coconuts.They also use their very long tongues to dig out insects and honey in treees.
In the San Diego zoo, the sun bears are also fed vegetables and peanut butter, mealworms, crickets, and bones to gnaw.
Photo Gallery Slide Show of Sun Bears
My favorite bear photos are by ucumari on Flickr. These are just a few. Click ucumari to see her complete Sun Bear set.
Sun Bear Video - Facts and Fun Photos
WWF - Saving Sun Bears
Contact WWF to find out what you can do to save the Sun Bear from extinction.
Links To Organizations Saving Sun Bears And Information
Valuable Information on Sun Bears
1
World Wildlife Fund - Home - Endangered Species, Wildlife ...
Travel alongside WWWF scientists as they journey i more...2 points
2
Bornean Sun Bear Conservation
To get the momentum of this blog start again, I re more...2 points
3
San Diego Zoo Blogs » Blog Archive » Conserving Ursids: Sun Bears
sun bear According to the International Union for more...2 points
4
Bornean Sun Bear Conservation
To get the momentum of this blog start again, I re more...2 points
7
WOODLAND PARK ZOO
SEATTLE_Discovery Channel Canada has joined forces more...1 point
8
Animal Research
More than a million and a half species of animal h more...1 point
9
San Diego Zoo's Animal Bytes: Sun Bear
Get fun and interesting sun bear facts in an easy- more...0 points
What A Handsome Sun Bear!
Wonderful Sun Bear Books And Prints On Amazon
1
Malayan Sun Bear Photographic Poster Print by Anup Shah, 12x16
AllPosters.com is the world's #1 seller of posters more...2 points
2
![Home range, movement and activity patterns, and bedding sites of Malayan sun bears Helarctos malayanus in the Rainforest of Borneo [An article from: Biological Conservation] by S. Te Wong, C.W. Servheen, L. Ambu](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51P1T5EY1VL._SL75_.jpg)
Home range, movement and activity patterns, and bedding sites of Malayan sun bears Helarctos malayanus in the Rainforest of Borneo [An article from: Biological Conservation] by S. Te Wong, C.W. Servheen, L. Ambu
This digital document is a journal article from Bi more...1 point
3
Close-up of the claws of a Malayan sun bear Framed Art Print by Roy Toft, 29" x 22"
AllPosters.com is the world's #1 seller of posters more...1 point
4
Sun Bear in the Heat Animals Photographic Poster Print by Bryce Meyer, 10x8
Art.com is the world's largest retailer of art pri more...1 point
5
Sun Bear in the Heat Animals Photographic Poster Print by Bryce Meyer, 24x20
Art.com is the world's largest retailer of art pri more...1 point
6
Malayan Sun Bear, Playing, Zoo Animal Animals Photographic Poster Print by Stan Osolinski, 24x18
Art.com is the world's largest retailer of art pri more...1 point
Sun Bear Standing Up
Articles on Sun Bears
- Perhilitan rangers catch pesky sun bear
- JELI: Villagers in Kampung Pasir Dusun can sleep easier now that a sun bear, which had been destroying their crops, has been captured.
Wildlife and National Park Department rangers caught the female bear using an iron cage trap recently. - Destination Unknown: Sunny Bears
- So feel I should fill you all in a bit more on the animals at the centre other than the wonderful orang-utans. Next in line for me are the Sun Bears - sadly there are only about 10,000 bears remaining in the world which makes them a hell of a lot more vulnerable even than the orang-utans.
- Habitat destruction, logging, wildlife trade drive sun bears toward extinction
- Industrial logging, large-scale forest conversion for oil palm plantations, and the illegal wildlife trade have left sun bears the rarest species of bear on the planet. Recognizing their dire status, Siew Te Wong, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Montana, is working in Malaysia to save the species from extinction.
- Video: rare footage of the sun bear, the world's smallest, making a nest in the canopy
- Sun bear expert, Siew Te Wong, has captured rare footage of the world's smallest bear making a nest high in the canopy. The sun bear in the video is a radio-collared individual that Wong is keeping tabs on in Borneo.
Fun Sun Bear Gifts On CafePress
Sun Bear Holding Foot Large Framed Print
Price: 64.99 
Sun Bear Holding Foot Rectangle Magnet
Price: 4.49
Sun Bear Holding Foot Infant/Toddler T-Shirt
Price: 10.99
Sun Bear Holding Foot Infant Creeper
Price: 11.99
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Member of Save Our Bears (SOB) Group
Save Our Bears is a group of lenses devoted to help change the plight all of the 8 bear species through awareness and fund raising.The lenses show the wonderful nature of bears and many will, at the same time, shine a spotlight on the dangers bears face including: trophy hunters, gall bladder and bile farming, pollution, bear baiting, global warming, and habitat destruction.
You'll also find fun lenses on great polar bear movies, books, teddy bears, even cartoon and toy bears.
Click Save Our Bears (SOB) to go to the group page.
Sun Bear Cub Up A Tree
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Reply
- lynic141257 lynic141257 Sep 8, 2009 @ 4:58 pm
- Great Lens these little Bears are lovely and some Great Information , a well deserved 5*.
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Reply
- Shelly Shelly Dec 4, 2008 @ 2:11 pm
- I just squidooed over from Tipi's--thank you for answering my question about what her mystery photo was, and you woud know with all this wonderful information on Sun Bears--most excellent! Oh, I'm Tip's sister and notice interesting things and people as they pass though her lenses. Glad I stopped here!
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Reply
- naturegirl7 naturegirl7 Oct 25, 2008 @ 5:53 pm
- Welcome to the Naturally Native Squids group. Don't forget to add your lens links to the appropriate plexos and vote for them.
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Reply
- naturegirl7 naturegirl7 Oct 25, 2008 @ 5:53 pm
- Welcome to the Naturally Native Squids group. Don't forget to add your lens links to the appropriate plexos and vote for them.
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Reply
- Jewelsofawe Jewelsofawe Oct 4, 2008 @ 10:55 am
- This is a great lens! The sun bear is so cute! I do hope they do not go extinct.
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Bearmeister aka Frankster
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A woman has to know her limitations. Ha. Wouldn't that be nice? This lens is my attempt at explaining just who I am and what I'm up to and maybe justify to myself why I'm so darn busy - LOL. It's a Lensography of my Squidoo BEAR lenses and will incl...
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Cat Woman aka Frankster
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I'm known as Cat Woman off-line because I share my home with a bunch of cats; I rescue and foster cats (ferals, FIV positive, abandoned); I work with a local animal non-profit; and I sculpt big cats. Online, I'm known as Cat Woman because of my blog,...
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