The Sloth Bear

The sloth bear is a shaggy, hairy bear from Southern Asia. They live in dry and moist forests and in tall grasslands, where boulders, shrubs and trees provide shelter. Sloth bears have long black coats with manes around their faces. They have cream colored "V" or "Y" shapes on their chests. Because they live in warm climates they do not have an undercoat to keep them warm, like other bears do. Sloth bears primarily eat insects like termites, ants, and even bees! Sloth bears' nostrils can close completely to protect them from dust or insects when raiding termite nests or beehives. They also like to eat flowers and fruit like mangoes and figs. Because of their diet, a sloth bear's teeth are smaller and less sharp than other bears' teeth, although they still have large canine teeth for defense. In fact, adult sloth bears are missing their top two front teeth to help them easily suck up bugs!

At one time, it was thought that sloth bears were related to sloths, but that is not true. So its name can be confusing! Sloth bears can grow up to 6 feet long, 2 to 3 feet tall, and weigh 200 to 300 pounds. Common predators include tigers, jackals, wild dogs, leopards and other Asian bear species. Sloth bears use their long claws for defense. Sloth bears usually like to live alone, but are known to live in small groups when food is plentiful. They are the only bears that carry their babies on their backs.

Cool Fact: Unlike other bears, sloth bears do not hibernate!