Sloth bears are such interesting animals. Did you know that sloth bears are the only bears who carry their babies on their backs? Here are seven more cool things about the sloth bear.
- The sloth bear got his name from – yes, you guessed it – the sloth. Not only does he move in slow motion, but he also has long claws and hangs upside down from tree branches.
- He mainly eats termites and ants. He will use his long claws to break open the termite nests and his long nails will reach the ants down below. Sometimes he also eats fruit, plants and, on rare occasions, he might eat small mammals.
- He can smell termites about 1m underground, but he doesn’t see or hear that well, compared to other bears.
- The sloth bear can weigh between 55 and 145kg and is of medium build.
- His lower lip is longer than his upper lip and can reach over his nose.
- You can find the sloth bear in India and Sri Lanka, particularly in the tropical and sub-tropical regions.
- Depending on the activities of predators and humans around him, the sloth bear will adjust the times he is most active – from being nocturnal to diurnal, for example. Sometimes he will sleep during the day and feed at night, and sometimes the other way around. But mostly, he will enjoy a nap in the afternoon.
