sloth bear
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AI overview
A sloth bear is a species of bear found throughout the Indian subcontinent that has adapted to living in forests and grasslands across the region. These bears are notable for their specialized diet and behavior, making them an important part of their local ecosystems in South Asia.
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Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Melursus
- Image
- Sri Lankan sloth bear (Melursus ursinus inornatus) male 3.jpg
Show 7 more facts
- P105
- species
- P141
- Vulnerable
- P7603
- Appendix I of CITES
- P2974
- savanna
- P1034
- termite
Article
The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), also known as the Indian bear, is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss and degradation. It is the only species in the genus Melursus.
It has also been called "labiated bear" because of its long lower lip and palate used for sucking up insects. It has long, shaggy fur, a mane around the face, and long, sickle-shaped claws. It is lankier than brown and Asian black bears. It shares features of insectivorous mammals and evolved during the Pleistocene from the ancestral ursine bear through divergent evolution.