Picture: A Sloth Bear at Yala, Sri Lanka

Melursus ursinus or the Sloth Bear. Photo taken at Yala National Park, Sri Lanka, on 7/21/04/. Photo by Bodhitha.

The Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus) is the only representative of the family Ursidae of the order Carnivora found in Sri Lanka. The generic name Melursus reflects the sloth bear’s great fondness for bees’ honey, for the animal is known to climb trees and endure attacks by swarming bees to reach the honeycombs. With its coarse and shaggy black fur, whitish muzzle and the characteristic whitish horseshoe-shaped mark on the chest, it can be easily recognized. It is the only bear that has long hairs on its ears. The shaggy black hairs are longest on the sides of the neck. It is a medium-sized bear with a stocky body, and to support it, the hind feet are plantigrade (the entire sole touches the ground). Each foot is armed with long, sharp, curved, non-retractile claws. The snout is mobile and nostrils can be closed at will, while the lips are especially long and protrusible. The sloth bear has the most unorthodox and unusual dentition as it lacks the inner pair of upper incisors - a specialized modification that enables it to suck termites or white ants like a vacuum cleaner. Continued..