Malay bear (or biruang) - representative of the family Bear.The name comes from the Greek word hela, which means "sun".The reason for this "name" has become a milky white or light beige stain on the breast of the beast that resembles a sunrise.Arcto word translated as "bear".Therefore, helarctos - translated as "Solar Bear."
Local people call it even a bear-dog of the small size of the animal.
Malay Bear has another "name" - biruang.This predator belonging to the genus Malay bears.
Looks
Today we introduce you to the smallest representative of the whole family, "name" which - biruang ("Sunny Bear").Malayan bear has an elongated, somewhat awkward torso length not exceeding 1.5 m, height at the shoulder was not more than 70 cm, weight about 65 kg.Males are larger than females by about 10-20%.
Malay bear - a stocky animal with short and wide muzzle.The ears are rounded, small in size.High-end terminated huge paws.They are very strong, completely naked soles.Claws long, curved, very sharp.The long, sticky tongue, probably help the beast to extract the honey and destroy termite mounds.
Of all the Malayan bear has the largest tusks.The teeth of these animals is easy to tear the meat, but since biruang not too carnivorous, they use their teeth as a weapon or as a tool for razgryzaniya wood to get the coveted insect.
Coat and color
Malayan bear has beautiful fur coat.The fur is short, black tar.Only the side of the muzzle and a spot on the chest painted in grayish-yellow or orange color.It argued that this spot is probably used to intimidate rivals.Sometimes the limbs are covered with light fur.
Habitat
Malay bear - an animal that leads a solitary life.The only exceptions are a mother with cubs.
biruang distributed over a wide area - from the north of India, southern China, Thailand, on the peninsula of Indochina to Indonesia.
Lifestyle
Malay bear - is a predator, living in subtropical and tropical forests and mountains of the southeast Asia.Biruang great climbs trees.It is a nocturnal animal, often sleep during the day in the branches in their nests furnished.Here, in the trees, he regales fruit and leaves.Unlike their northern counterparts, hibernation does not fall.In captivity, the bear lived up to 24 years.
Despite its size, this small but strong Malay bear is a formidable predator.Even Tiger possible, tries to avoid meeting him.
Power
Malay bear (biruang) - an omnivorous animal.Its diet consists of fruits, earthworms, bees (wild), termites and other insects, small mammals, birds, lizards.
Local residents often complain that biruang hurt palm trees - it eats up their tender sprouts, bananas.Often from the raids of these animals suffer cocoa plantations.
Malay bear is so strong jaws that can easily open coconuts.
Strong legs and very long (15 cm) claws he easily destroys termite mounds and beehives.So he gets to the honey and bee larvae before.
Malay bear - the most rare species in its family.A distinctive feature of this animal - and a long sticky tongue, which makes it easy to get out of the nests of termites, insects from tree bark.
Features
biruang behavior - the "woody" look bearish.With powerful claws on all fours, they climb trees very well.
Malay bear is most active at night.These funny animals spend most of their lives in trees.Here, at a height of 2-7 m, they build strong flooring (nest), where resting, sleeping and sunbathing.
life of these animals in the wild has been little studied.Experts claim that this bear is quite aggressive, and even to confirm his words give examples of attacks on people with a very sad outcome.
On the mainland, this bear is not considered dangerous.Residents believe that the attacks in question could only be committed by a bear protecting her offspring.
Actually Malay Bears - being shy and harmless, when they do not bother.Even females with calves avoids meeting with the man.
At home biruang often kept in captivity as a kind and funny animal allow him to play with the children.
Reproduction
marriage between Malay bears lasts from two to seven days.At this time, the female and male are very typical.They embrace, playful fighting and jumping.
Mating can occur at any time of the year, which indicates the absence of a specific mating season.The Berlin zoo bear biruang gave offspring twice a year - in April and in August.But this is the exception rather than the rule.
The average pregnancy lasts 95 days, but there are cases delay the penetration of the fertilized egg.For example, the Fort Worth Zoo Three pregnant female bears one lasted for 174, 228 and 240 days.
Progeny
usually female brings 1-2, much less three cubs.As a rule, childbirth occurs in a secluded location in a prepared nest.Babies are born completely helpless, blind, naked and weighing less than 300 grams.
Since then, the life and physical development bears entirely dependent on the mother.Puppies need external stimulation excretory systems.This is necessary for the normal cleansing bowel and bladder.Such a procedure is required babies up to 2 months.The nature of this work is done by a bear, carefully licking cubs.In captivity cubs washed several times a day.
Toddlers are developing rapidly.Already three months they independently run (fast) to play and eat more food with his mother.Mother's milk is present in their diet for up to four months.
skins of newborn babies at first painted in black and gray.The label on the chest and muzzle are off-white color.Eyes open to kids 25 th day, but a complete vision they appear only to the 50 th day.Around the same time, the puppies begin to hear.The first milk teeth are cut on the 7th month, and a full set of teeth formed to 18 months.
mother teaches the young that can be eaten where the food can be found.Approximately 2.5 years cubs remain to live with her mother.
Benefits and harms human
Despite the fact that the number of Malaysian bears annually reduced, people continue to destroy them ruthlessly.Many of them are hunted by pursuing interest in sports, as well as killing for sale.
biruang Some parts of the body are used in medicine.This practice began in China in about 3500 BC.e., and the first mention of the use of gallbladder biruang refers to the VII century BC.e.Bear bile has been successfully used in Chinese medicine.It is used to treat bacterial infections, and inflammation.It argued that bear gall bladder (funds from it) can increase the potency of men.
fur biruang Borneo sew hats.In some areas, bears play an extremely important role in spreading the seeds of plants.
Unfortunately, Malay bear is able to cause irreparable damage to the coconut and banana plantations.
population
Today, Malay bear (biruang) listed in the Red Book.Experts find it difficult to name the exact number of animals living in the wild, but there is evidence of a significant annual reduction in their numbers.
huge role in this process is the destruction of animal habitat.This forces biruang live on very small and often isolated areas.
