Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

Malayan sun bear

Subspecies of bear found in tropical forest habitats of Southeast Asia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Malayan sun bear
Remove ads

The Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus malayanus) is a subspecies of sun bear, occurring in southeast Asia.[1]

Quick facts Scientific classification, Trinomial name ...
Remove ads

Taxonomy

The Malayan sun bear was first described by Stamford Raffles in 1821.[2] The Malayan sun can be found across Malaysia.[citation needed]

Description

Although the sun bear is the smallest species in the bear family, its subspecies, the Malayan sun bear is even smaller, with a maximum length of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) and weight of 35–70 kg (77–154 lb).[2] The Malayan sun bear appears very similar to the sun bear,[clarification needed] but is distinguishable by its golden-white chest patch, which is thinner than that of the sun bear.[3]

Remove ads

Distribution and habitat

The Malayan sun bear can be found in mainly coastal areas in southeast Asia, but is less dispersed within it than the sun bear,[clarification needed] with specific populations living as follows:[1]

Like the sun bear, the Malayan sun bear lives within rainforests (both evergreen and deciduous) of diverse altitudes, ranging from coastal, lowland areas to mountainous regions of above 2,000 m (6,600 ft).[2]

Ecology and behavior

Unlike the sun bear,[clarification needed] the Malayan sun bear is primarily nocturnal, although it is also active in the daytime.[3] However, equally to the sun bear, they do not hibernate like other bears due to their warm, tropical environment, which provides nutrients all year round.[3]

Diet

Similarly to the sun bear,[clarification needed] the Malayan sun bear is omnivorous and eats fruit, honey, and nuts.[4] The meat in their diet is composed of insects such as termites, bee larvae and beetle larvae.[2] They can reach these foods with their long tongues (which can reach 30 cm (1 ft)) and claws.[5]

Remove ads

Human relations

In 2025, the Malayan sun bear along with the Bornean sun bear (Helarctos malayanus euryspilus), were selected to be new campaign mascots for Visit Malaysia Year 2026.[6]

References

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads