Malayan Sun Bear Skull Replica

Description

Malayan sun bear skull replica measures 8.9 x 6.8 x 4.5 inches. The Helarctos malayanus skull is a museum-quality polyurethane resin cast from California Academy of Sciences specimen. 2-part skull (separate cranium and mandible). 1:1 scale. Made in USA.

The Malayan sun bear is the smallest bear in the world. An adult male stands about 4 feet tall on its hind legs. It can weigh up to 140 pounds. Despite their small size, these bears can be very dangerous.

Sun bears are skillful climbers. Long sickle-shaped claws on all four feet help them climb tall trees. These extremely long claws allow the bears to dig for honey and grubs. They eat both plants and meat.

Their diet includes fruit, insects, small mammals, and birds. Bees, beehives, and honey are very important foods for them. They feed on termites, ants, and beetle larvae. They also eat a large variety of fruits like figs and durian.

Occasionally they eat palm shoots and some flowers. These bears live from the eastern Himalayas to China and down through Southeast Asia.

They have short, wide, flat heads with small round ears. Their coarse black fur looks very sleek. A yellowish or white patch shaped like a U covers the chest. A faint grey or orange color marks the snout. The chest patch varies a lot is completely missing on some bears. Young babies have soft, shiny coats. Their large paws have sharp claws and bald soles.

Scientific Classification

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Carnivora
• Family: Ursidae
• Subfamily: Ursinae
• Genus: Helarctos Horsfield, 1825
• Species: H. malayanus
• Binomial name: Helarctos malayanus (Raffles, 1821)
• Conservation status: Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)

The Malayan sun bear skull pairs well with the sloth bear skull replica, the Kodiak grizzly bear skull replica and the giant panda female skull replica highlight extreme differences in skull shape, diet, and physical size within the bear family.