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Animal profile

Sloth Bear

Melursus ursinus

MammaliaDry and moist tropical forest, grassland and scrub of the Indian subcontinentVulnerable

Field profile

The sloth bear is a shaggy, long-clawed bear of South Asia specialised for eating termites and ants. It has a mobile, hairless snout and a gap in its front teeth that together form a feeding apparatus unlike any other bear's. It is largely nocturnal and carries its cubs on its back, which is unusual among bears.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-06-13

Sloth Bear

The sloth bear vacuums termites through a tooth gap

A sloth bear is missing its upper central incisors, leaving a permanent gap. It closes its nostrils, digs open a termite mound and sucks the insects through that gap with a noise audible from well over a hundred metres away.

Read with evidence →

Sloth Bear | Daily Animal Facts