Living Beings
    Source-identified Melursus ursinus; documentary image Framed for display
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    Sri Lankan sloth bear (Melursus ursinus inornatus) male 3.jpg · Resized and converted to WebP for display. Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Field guide · species

    Sloth Bear

    Melursus ursinus

    AnimaliaMammaliaCarnivoraUrsidae

    The sloth bear is an insect-feeding specialist of the Indian subcontinent. Despite its name it is a bear, not a sloth, and its feeding equipment is adapted for opening insect colonies and extracting their inhabitants.

    Public research profile · final editorial review pending.

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    Tree of lifeScientific lineage
    1. LifeLife
    2. DomainEukaryota
    3. KingdomAnimalia
    4. PhylumChordata
    5. ClassMammalia
    6. OrderCarnivora
    7. FamilyUrsidae
    8. GenusMelursus
    9. SpeciesMelursus ursinus
    Advanced classification

    Complete source lineage, including intermediate ranks. The standard view uses Life and the eight principal ranks.

    1. cellular organisms cellular root
    2. Eukaryota domain
    3. Opisthokonta clade
    4. Metazoa kingdom
    5. Eumetazoa clade
    6. Bilateria clade
    7. Deuterostomia clade
    8. Chordata phylum
    9. Craniata subphylum
    10. Vertebrata clade
    11. Gnathostomata clade
    12. Teleostomi clade
    13. Euteleostomi clade
    14. Sarcopterygii superclass
    15. Dipnotetrapodomorpha clade
    16. Tetrapoda clade
    17. Amniota clade
    18. Mammalia class
    19. Theria clade
    20. Eutheria clade
    21. Boreoeutheria clade
    22. Laurasiatheria superorder
    23. Carnivora order
    24. Caniformia suborder
    25. Ursidae family
    26. Melursus genus
    27. Melursus ursinus species
    Open in taxonomy explorer ↗

    Physical traits

    A shaggy coat, pale chest marking and elongated muzzle distinguish it from other Asian bears. The lips and nostrils participate in its distinctive suction-feeding method.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Habitat and range

    Woodland, grassland and rocky landscapes can provide den sites and food. The species is not restricted to dense rainforest.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Diet and nutrition

    Ants and termites are important foods, supplemented by fruit and other plant resources. The balance changes with season and local food availability.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Behavior and activity

    Much foraging takes place at night. A well-developed sense of smell helps locate food concealed underground or in insect nests.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Reproduction and life cycle

    Mothers shelter young in dens and care for them after emergence. Cubs may travel on the mother’s back, a characteristic feature of this bear’s early family life.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Geographic distribution

    The Mammal Diversity Database v2.5 records this species in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka.

    Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

    Evidence

    Sources

    Connected life

    No reviewed ecological connections in the collection yet.

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