Ursidae Atlas

Ursidae · Ursinae

Sun Bear

Helarctos malayanus

Smallest living bear, with the loudest chest blaze.

Sun bears can weigh as little as a large dog. The gold chest patch is unique to each animal.

Vulnerable Asia
Sun Bear
Wikimedia Commons · source
140Typical male, lb
70Typical female, lb
4–4.5 ftStanding height
About 15–25 years.Wild lifespan

Range

Where they live

Lowland and hill tropical forest of mainland and island Southeast Asia.

MalaysiaIndonesiaThailandMyanmarBorneoSumatra

Habitat

What they use

  • Tropical rainforest
  • Secondary forest
  • Plantation edge

Figure — diet mix

What fills the year

Insects & honey
50%
Fruit
40%
Other
10%
  • Insects
  • Honey
  • Fruit
  • Small vertebrates

Conservation

Vulnerable

  • Oil-palm conversion is a major pressure.
  • Poaching and the pet trade continue.

Pressures

DeforestationPoachingPet trade

Map

Range sketch and cameras

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

Field notes

Worth remembering

  • Tongue can reach 8–10 inches.
  • Chest sun marks are individually unique.