Yapping about my favorite bears 5

Ever heard of the jungle book? I bet you did ! Well, then you must remember one certain cute guy with a fluffy tail and a catchy song...

It's baloo ! But did you know that baloo is actually not a black bear? Unlike the popular misconception, baloo is actually based on today's guest, the sloth bear (ノ≧∇≦)ノ

These fellas right here are native to the Indian subcontinent ! Their range includes parts of India, Sri Lanka and Nepal, with smaller populations around the area.

They're not particularly closely related to the "classic" bears people imagine ! Sloth bears *do* belong to the bear family Ursidae, but their lineage diverged from the lineage of brown and polar bears millions of years ago.

They're actually the bear species that popularised the idea of bears loving honey !! They're called "honey bears" because honey and bee brood are highly prized foods in their diet. Their thick fur and shaggy coat offer some protection from bee and wasp attacks while rummaging for honey

Their scientific name has a weird history too, providing more evidence of such claims. "Melursus ursinus" essentially comes from Latin/Greek roots associated with honey/bears !

Sloth bears have extremely mobile lips and a long, flexible snout too, they can actually close their nostrils and suck termites out of their nests like a vacuum.

What helps them do that further is actually their missing upper incisors. The gap helps them suck up insects and debris faster and more efficiently

But ! They're also loud eaters, people who live in the areas where those bears originate often hear the loud sucking/snorting sounds in yhe middle of the night and it reportedly is so annoying no one can sleep

They blow air into termite tunnels too, This helps dislodge termites and debris, after which the bear sucks the mixture into its mouth.

In short, theyre pretty annoying during feeding time —_—

These fellas also have a really poor eyesight compared with their sense of smell. Sloth bears rely heavily on olfaction to navigate their termite and insects colonies environment.

Now this fact is what makes sloth bears distinctive from other species on a behavioral level. Sloth bear mother's actually commonly carry cubs on their backs, with the cubs clinging to her fur,

during that time, sloth bears become extremely aggressive and reactive, which is why its never advised to go into sloth bear areas during childcare season

● otherwise they're pretty chilled though!