ASIATIC BLACK BEARS
A Bear of Many Names: The Asiatic black bear's scientific name, Ursus thibetanus,
literally means "moon bear of Tibet". This bear is also commonly
called the Tibetan black bear, the Himalayan black bear, Formosan black bear,
collared bear or the white-breasted bear due to its crescent-moon-shaped patch
of white hair on its chest.
Population and Distribution:
The Asiatic black bear can be found in numerous areas, but their populations
are extremely disjointed and have been declining in numbers. They can still
be found in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar
(Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, North Korea,
Taiwan, China, Mongolia, Russia, and possibly Malaysia. Unfortunately, the Asiatic
black bear population is threatened by habitat destruction and uncontrolled
harvesting. The bile and gallbladders of these bears are highly sought after
for their medical use in oriental countries to reduce inflammation and fight
fevers. Currently, there are no solid population numbers. There are very few
areas that have legal protection for the Asiatic black bear and even fewer that
are enforced.
Habitat:
The Asiatic black bear favors thickly forested areas in the hill
and mountains and moist tropical forests below alpine levels. During the summer
period, the Asiatic black bear can be found at altitudes of 1,000 feet. Their
typical territory ranges from four to eight square miles, but depends drastically
upon available food sources. In other words, the less concentrated the food
supply, the larger the area that the Asiatic black bear must travel to obtain
the necessary food to survive. Unfortunately, not a great deal of information
is known about specific territorial habits of the Asiatic black bear, but has
been assumed in the past that it is similar to that of the American black bear.
Vital Statistics:
Adult males weight ranges from 220 to 480 pounds.
Adult females weight ranges from 110 to 275 pounds.
Average weight is between 200-255.
The weight is highly variable depending on the climate conditions and food availability.
Asiatic black bear are typically four to six feet tall.
Birth weight on average is 10.5 ounces.
Life span is up to 30 years.
Physical Characteristic:
The Asiatic black bear is often compared to the American black bear,
but is has a especially distinct white colored patch, typically in the shape
of a V on it's chest. The ears of an Asiatic black bear are pronounced and are
farther apart from each other then the American black bear. Their heads are
large and round. Overall, their bodies are stocky and they have strong forelimbs
and sharp, short claws designed for tree climbing. Their claws are only one
to two inches in length, but this helps make the Asiatic black bear an excellent
tree climber. In fact, the Asiatic black bear is the only known bear species
to hibernate and give birth in a tree. The coat of the Asiatic black bear is
primarily black and exceptionally dense. Their mane is pronounced, surrounds
their head and can be as long as 6 inches. Besides the patch on the chest, the
only other white color is on the muzzle. Just as other bears do, the Asiatic
black bear walks in a plantigrade motion, which means that both the toe and
heel contact the ground.
Diet and Food Sources:
Like most other wild animals, the Asiatic black bear favors foods
that yield the most dietary value, with the least amount of energy required
to acquire the foods. Basically, they prefer to eat meat. It has been forced
to eat plants, berries, insects, invertebrates, small vertebrates, and carrions,
due to changes in their habitat largely caused by human invasion. Seasonal climate
and geographical location are also principal factors that determine their food
sources. There are also places like, Japan where other mammals are not available
as a food source. Overall, the Asiatic black bear will eat anything that is
edible. Unfortunately, in many areas farmers loathe them for killing their domestic
animals.
Reproduction:
Due to the lack of information on the Asiatic black bear in the
wild, only a modest amount of information is known about the reproduction at
this time. Most of the information gathered is from observing zoo animals. The
breeding seems to take place in late April to early June over a period of one
to two days. This does vary dramatically from region to region. In Pakistan,
the mating seasons take place in the fall. And mating has been observed from
March to December. The Asiatic black bear usually does not begin breeding until
three to four years of age. The female will go in search of a den during winter
or early spring depending on their breeding season, normally trying to find
a rock cavity or hollow tree. On average, two cubs weighting about 8-10.5 ounces
are born. Many bear species have what is referred to as, delayed implantation.
This means that the divided ovum floats freely in the uterus for quite a few
months before is attaches to the uterus to continue development. This process
is suspected to occur in the Asiatic black bear because of the longer period
between breeding and birth. In the first few weeks after birth, the cubs develop
quickly on the rich milk of their mother. The cubs are typically weaned at six
months, but will stay with their mother for two to three years. Females usually
do not breed the next season, when they have first-year young.
Hibernation:
Not all Asiatic black bear will hibernate every year, but those that live in
the northern hemisphere do. The Asiatic black bears in the southern regions
may hibernate for shorter periods of time or simply move down to lower elevations
where they can feed without interruption. Typically, the bears will enter a
den in November and reemerge in late March or early April. As with all bear
species that hibernate, the Asiatic black bear will eat larger amounts of food
and gain excess weight before they go into hibernation. Once cold and snowy
weather begins the bears go through a metabolic change, which prepares them
for their hibernation period. Hibernation is a necessity for these bears to
survive long stretches without proper food sources to maintain body mass. The
Asiatic black bear will begin looking for a den in a cave, hole in a dense brush
pile, tree cavity or hollow log, once they stop eating and begin to loose energy.
During hibernation the Asiatic black bear's heart rate will drop from 40-70
beats per minute to 8-12 beats per minute. Its metabolism will also drop by
about half. One thing that differs from many other animals that hibernate, the
Asiatic black bear's body temperature will only decrease by about five to nine
degrees Fahrenheit or three to seven degrees centigrade. Hibernation causes
the Asiatic black bear to lose a significant amount of body weight. A male will
lose between 15%-30% of his body weight and a female will lose up to 40% of
her body weight when she has cubs. Bears have developed a unique process that
allows them to recycle their urea and use it as functional proteins. So during
hibernation bears will not pass urea or fecal matter.
Questions or comments regarding this page?
Contact the Webmaster
Copyright © www.asiatic-black-bears.com
All Rights Reserved.