Temporal range: Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene – recent
Standing Melursus ursinus
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Carnivora
Family:
Ursidae
Subfamily:
Ursinae
Genus:
Melursus Meyer, 1793
Species:
M. ursinus
Binomial name
Melursus ursinus
(Shaw, 1791)
Sloth bear range (black – former, green – extant)
Synonyms
Bradypus ursinus Shaw, 1791
Melursus lybius Meyer, 1793
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.[1] 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.[2] 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 brown bear through divergent evolution.
Sloth bears breed during spring and early summer and give birth near the beginning of winter. When their territories are encroached upon by humans, they sometimes attack them. Historically, humans have drastically reduced these bears' habitat and diminished their population by hunting them for food and products such as their bacula and claws. Sloth bears have been tamed and used as performing animals and as pets.[3]
^ abcDharaiya, N.; Bargali, H. S. & Sharp, T. (2020) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Melursus ursinus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T13143A166519315. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T13143A166519315.en. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
^Cite error: The named reference elliott was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
The slothbear (Melursus ursinus), also known as the Indian bear, is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits...
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of fatal bear attacks in North America Slothbear of Mysore Sankebetsu brown bear incident Bear danger Timothy Treadwell Binky (polar bear) List of large...
gene sequencing of bear species revealed that the slothbear and the sun bear were the first Ursinae bears that radiated and are not included in the monophyletic...
Mazzola, Silvia Michela (May 2017). "Behavioural Profiles of Brown and SlothBears in Captivity". Animals. 7 (5): 39. doi:10.3390/ani7050039. ISSN 2076-2615...
(short-faced bears): one species Subfamily Ursinae Genus Helarctos: (sun bear): one species Genus Melursus: (slothbear): one species Genus Ursus (bears): four...
Foundation's China Moon Bear Rescue.[citation needed] Hybrids between the slothbear (Melursus ursinus) and the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus, or...
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than others; slothbears, Asiatic black bears, and brown bears are more likely to injure people than other species, and the American black bear is comparatively...
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sexual signaling. The pungent odor has given rise to the nicknames "skunk bear" and "nasty cat." The anal gland secretion for the samples obtained from...
WSOS is also known for their efforts at rescue and rehabilitation of slothbears and more recently elephants. Wildlife SOS also runs active projects focused...
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leopards, slothbears, wild boars, Indian foxes, wolves, among other animals. Thimlapura Wildlife Sanctuary is a conservation reserve for slothbear. Thimlapura...
videos were published on the internet. The slothbear of Mysore was an unusually aggressive Indian slothbear who killed a minimum of twelve people during...
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