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Animal Age

How old does a Sun bear get? (age expectancy)

What is the maximal age a Sun bear reaches?

An adult Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) usually gets as old as 24.75 years.

Sun bears are around 98 days in the womb of their mother. When born, they weight 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and measure 3.4 cm (0′ 2″). As a member of the Ursidae family (genus: Helarctos), their offspring is 1 babies per pregnancy. Fully grown, they reach a bodylength of 1.22 meter (4′ 1″).

As a reference: Usually, humans get as old as 100 years, with the average being around 75 years. After being carried in the belly of their mother for 280 days (40 weeks), they grow to an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) and weight in at 62 kg (137 lbs), which is obviously highly individual.

A Sun bear gets as old as 24.75 years

The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is a species in the family Ursidae occurring in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is the smallest bear, standing nearly 70 cm (28 in) at the shoulder and weighing 25–65 kg (55–143 lb). It is stockily built, with large paws, strongly curved claws, small rounded ears and a short snout. The fur is generally jet-black, but can vary from grey to red. Sun bears get their name from the characteristic orange to cream coloured chest patch. Its unique morphology—inward-turned front feet, flattened chest, powerful forelimbs with large claws—suggests adaptations for climbing.The most arboreal (tree-living) of all bears, the sun bear is an excellent climber and sunbathes or sleeps in trees 2 to 7 m (6.6 to 23.0 ft) above the ground. It is mainly active during the day, though nocturnality might be more common in areas frequented by humans. Sun bears tend to remain solitary but sometimes occur in pairs (such as a mother and her cub). They do not seem to hibernate, possibly because food resources are available the whole year throughout the range. Omnivores, sun bears have a broad diet including ants, bees, beetles, honey, termites and plant material such as seeds and several kinds of fruits; vertebrates such as birds and deer are also eaten occasionally. They breed throughout the year; individuals become sexually mature at two to four years of age. Litters comprise one or two cubs that remain with their mother for around three years.The range of the sun bear is bound by northeastern India to the north and extends south to southeast through Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam in mainland Asia to Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia to the south. These bears are threatened by heavy deforestation and illegal hunting for food and the wildlife trade; they are also harmed in conflicts with humans when they enter farmlands, plantations and orchards. The global population is estimated to have declined by 35% over the past three decades. The IUCN has listed this species as Vulnerable.

Animals of the same family as a Sun bear

Not really brothers and sisters, but from the same biological family (Ursidae):

Animals that reach the same age as Sun bear

With an average age of 24.75 years, Sun bear are in good companionship of the following animals:

Animals with the same number of babies Sun bear

The same number of babies at once (1) are born by:

Weighting as much as Sun bear

A fully grown Sun bear reaches around 57.04 kg (125.75 lbs). So do these animals:

Animals as big as a Sun bear

Those animals grow as big as a Sun bear: