The Malayan Sun Bear or Beruang Matahari is scientifically known as Helarctos malayanus. Its common name is based on the U-shaped golden yellowish mark on its chest that resembles the sun. The bear can grow up to 150 cm in length and 65 kg in weight making it the world’s smallest bear.
Among bear species, H. malayanus is the only tropical bear species that inhabits tropical lowland rainforests throughout much of Southeast Asia (Servheen, 1999). It is mainly distributed in the tropical evergreen rainforests of Borneo, Sumatra, and Peninsular Malaysia.
Helarctos malayanus is a skillful climber with long curved claws that enables it to adapt to a largely arboreal lifestyle. It also has loose skin which enables it to twist or turn around when being bitten to defend itself against predators. Another remarkable feature of the Malayan Sun Bear is its long tongue which is used to extract grubs and honey from nests. The Malayan Sun Bear is an omnivore; it feeds on fruits, insects, small mammals and birds (Wong et al., 2002).
No | Part | Habit | |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Carnivore — The eating of animals
|
No | Description | Suitability | Seasonality |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Forest → Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland Forest
|
Suitable | Unknown |
Year Published | Assessment | Red List Category | Version |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Vulnerable (VU)
|
3.1 |
2009 | Red List of Mammals for Peninsular Malaysia |
Vulnerable (VU)
Peninsular Malaysia
|
3.1 |
2008 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Vulnerable (VU)
|
3.1 |
1996 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Data Deficient (DD)
|
N/A |
1994 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Vulnerable (VU)
|
N/A |
1990 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Vulnerable (VU)
|
N/A |
Collection Center | Dried | Live | Slide | Wet | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ||||||
3 |
Profile | |
---|---|
Amal Ghazali Nasron (Mr.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Mammals, Insects,
Biodiversity, Conservation & Forest
|
Amy Then Yee Hui (Dr.)
University of Malaya (UM)
|
Fishes (Ecology), Seahorses (Ecology), Mammals (Ecology),
Protected Areas & Marine & Coastal
|
Andrew Alek Tuen (Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)
|
Mammals, Birds,
Protected Areas
|
Badrul Munir Md Zain (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
|
Mammals (Taxonomy),
|
Chong Ju Lian (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
|
Mammals (Ecology), Vascular (Ecology),
Invasive Alien Species, Protected Areas, Digital Sequence Information (DSI), Marine & Coastal & Climate Change
|
David Magintan (Mr.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Mammals, Elephants,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Environment & Protected Areas
|
Faisal Ali Anwarali Khan (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)
|
Mammals, Bats,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Data Analysis, Evolution, Forest & Molecular
|
Farah Shafawati Mohd Taib (Dr.)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
|
Birds, Mammals, Rodents, Treeshrews, Squirrels,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Data Analysis, Ecosystems & Taxonomy
|
Jayaraj Vijaya Kumaran (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK)
|
Mammals,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Genetics & Digital Sequence Information (DSI)
|
Jeffrine Rovie Ryan Japning (Mr.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Monkeys, Fishes, Mammals,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Data Analysis, Evolution, Genetics, Molecular, Protected Areas, Science & Technology
|
Kayal Vizi Karuppannan (Mrs.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Elephants, Fishes, Mammals,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Evolution, Genetics, Molecular, Protected Areas & Digital Sequence Information (DSI)
|
Midhat Nabil Ahmad Salimi (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP)
|
Mammals,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Data Analysis, Ecosystems, Education, Environment, Genetics, History, Management, Medical, Molecular, Science, Technology, Water, Digital Sequence Information (DSI), Living Modified Organism (LMO), Synthetic Biology, Protected Areas, Marine & Coastal & Invasive Alien Species
|
Mohammad Shahfiz Azman (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Amphibians, Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles,
Awareness, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Forest, Landscape, Law and Policy, Management, Protected Areas, Science, Systematics, Invasive Alien Species, Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries (LMMC), National Policy on Biological Diversity, Policy, Research and Development (R&D) & Zoonotic
|
Mohd Tajuddin Abdullah (Prof. Dato' Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
|
Mammals,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystems, Evolution, Genetics & Protected Areas
|
Nasharuddin Bin Othman (Mr.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Mammals (Ecology),
Conservation, Management & Protected Areas
|
Rahimatsah Amat (Dr.)
Sabah Environmental Trust (SET)
|
Mammals (Ecology),
Environment, Management & Protected Areas
|
Rahmat Topani (Mr.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Mammals (Ecology),
Conservation, Protected Areas & Marine & Coastal
|
Rosli Hashim (Prof. Dr.)
University of Malaya (UM)
|
Birds (Ecology), Mammals (Ecology), Spiders, Insects,
Biodiversity & Protected Areas
|
Rosli Ramli (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
University of Malaya (UM)
|
Mammals (Ecology), Birds,
Biodiversity, Digital Sequence Information (DSI), Protected Areas & Marine & Coastal
|
Saifullah A. Jaaman @ Sharman (Assoc. Prof.)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
|
Mammals,
Biodiversity, Conservation & Marine & Coastal
|
Tan Cheng Cheng (Ms.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Mammals (Ecology),
Protected Areas, Biodiversity & Conservation
|
Tan Poai Ean (Ms.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Bats, Mammals, Rodents,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystems & Management
|
Acknowledgements :- Mr. Ahmad Amir Firdaus Bin Mad Apandi, Ms. Aida Salihah Binti Abu Bakar, Ms. Ainul Aqilah Binti Mohd Nasir, Ms. Ajla Rafidah Baharom, Mrs. Aziemah Binti Kinan, Mr. Badrul Amin Bin Jaffar, Ms. Fatin Qurratul 'ain Binti Saberam, Mr. Mohd Zulfadli Bin Mohd Arshad, Dr. Muhammad Farhan Bin Abd Wahab, Ms. Noor Amira Aini Binti Noor Anwar, Mrs. Noor Ashikin Binti Hj. Mohamad, Ms. Norayuni Binti Ramlee, Mrs. Nur Hazwanie Binti Abd Halim, Ms. Nur Razan Faiqah Binti Zahili, Ms. Nurfadzilah Bt Azmi, Ms. Nurfarhana Hizan Binti Hijas, Ms. Nurul Aimi Amirah Binti Mohd Zaki, Mr. Tan Kok Kiat & Mr. Yasser Mohamed Arifin
Photo credit :- Abdul Razak Mohd Nor Rasid, Kaviarasu Munian, Norhayati Binti Ahmad & Saw Leng Guan
Species Citation :- Helarctos malayanus. Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS). Accessed via https://www.mybis.gov.my/sp/20023. [Retrieved 08 February 2023].
Feedback :- If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please provide us with feedback.