Moon bears -- or Asiatic black bears -- are
medium sized, stocky bears averaging 140 - 165 centimeters (4.5 - 5.4 feet) tall
and weighing 90 - 115 kilograms (198 - 254 pounds). Large males may weigh up to
181 kilograms (400 pounds). Males are larger than females.
Moon bears are
usually black, although some are brown to reddish-brown. All have a white
crescent, or moon-shaped marking, on their chest and some white on the chin. The
hair on their neck and shoulders is long and thick, and their big ears are set
far apart on a large, roundish head. Their claws are short and strong enough for
climbing. |
| Natuurlijke geschiedenis |
Adult moon bears are typically solitary and
nocturnal. They inhabit tropical rainforests, temperate broadleaf forests, and
tropical monsoon and dry forests. Different subspecies are recognized in
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Lao People’s
Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Pakistan, Russia,
Thailand, Vietnam, and the region of Taiwan China.
Moon bears are
omnivorous, feeding on both plants and animals. Their diet varies with
availability and location and includes buds, fruits and nuts, berries, small
animals and birds, carrion, insects and honey. They may also take livestock or
feed on crops if in the vicinity.
Little is known about their
reproduction. They are thought to mate from April to June, but may mate as early
as March or as late as December depending on climate. The gestation period may
include delayed implantation of the embryo (the embryo floats freely in the womb
before it implants in the wall of the uterus). Two cubs are usually born in a
cave or hollow tree in May. Within about a week, the cubs’ eyes open and they
begin to forage with their mother. Cubs are weaned at about 3.5 months but may
stay with their mother for up to two years.
Moon bears are good climbers
and swimmers. Although they usually walk on all fours, they will stand on their
hind legs to reach food or to fight. Moon bears may be found sleeping or resting
in tree "nests" built while feeding. Bears in the northern part of their range
hibernate each year from November to March or April in a den, cave, hollow log
or tree cavity. Moon bears may live about 25 years in the wild.
No
reliable population estimates exist. There are few conservation efforts on their
behalf and the legal protection that exists in different regions is rarely
enforced. | | | | |
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