Ursidae Atlas

Ursidae · Ursinae

Sloth Bear

Melursus ursinus

The insect vacuum of the Indian subcontinent.

Sloth bears close their nostrils and suck larvae from mounds — loud enough to hear from a distance. White chest chevron is a field mark.

Vulnerable Asia
Sloth Bear
Wikimedia Commons · source
300Typical male, lb
200Typical female, lb
5–6 ftStanding height
About 20 years.Wild lifespan

Range

Where they live

Dry forest, scrub, and grassland mosaics of the Indian subcontinent.

IndiaSri LankaNepalBhutan

Habitat

What they use

  • Dry deciduous forest
  • Scrub
  • Grassland edge
  • Rocky outcrops

Figure — diet mix

What fills the year

Insects
60%
Fruit
30%
Other
10%
  • Termites
  • Ants
  • Fruit
  • Honey
  • Flowers

Conservation

Vulnerable

  • Range has contracted with forest loss.
  • Human conflict remains serious.

Pressures

Habitat lossConflict killingsPoaching

Map

Range sketch and cameras

Filled shapes are schematic core-range sketches for reading the atlas, not official occupancy layers.

Field notes

Worth remembering

  • Cubs often ride on the mother’s back.
  • Insect-sucking can be heard yards away.