Sun bear
No sign-up needed. You can save notes on this device.
An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
A sun bear can crack open coconuts with its strong jaws and teeth.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Sun bear
- Scientific name
- Helarctos malayanus
- Japanese name
- マレーグマ
- Group
- Land mammals
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Carnivora
- Family
- Ursidae
- Genus
- Helarctos
Where the name “Sun bear” comes from
The English name sun bear comes from chest markings that many people think resemble a rising or setting sun.
San Diego ZooA small-bodied bear that lives in the tropical and subtropical parts of Southeast Asia.
It is a skilled climber. During the day it often sleeps up in a tree on a platform it builds from branches.
With its sharp claws it breaks open tree trunks and termite mounds, then uses its long, nimble tongue to eat the insects inside.
How the Sun bear lives
Sun bears are active at night. They eat bees and earthworms, as well as fruit when it is available. They also sunbathe in trees.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebBasic data
- Diet
- Insects
- Range
- Tropical to subtropical Southeast Asia
Where the Sun bear has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- マレーグマ
- 简体中文
- 马来熊
- 繁體中文
- 馬來熊
- 한국어
- 태양곰
- Español
- Oso malayo
- Français
- Ours malais
- Deutsch
- Malaienbär
- Português (Brasil)
- Urso-malaio
- Italiano
- Orso malese
- العربية
- دب الشمس
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Beruang madu
- Tiếng Việt
- Gấu chó
- Русский
- Малайский медведь
- Türkçe
- Malaya ayısı
- ไทย
- หมีหมา
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 天王寺動物園 — マレーグマChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Helarctos malayanusChecked: 2026-11-03
- San Diego Zoo — Sun BearChecked: 2026-11-05
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeRELATIVES
Others in Ursidae
MORE TO MEET
