Spectacled Bears (aka Andean Bears)
Spectacled (aka Andean Bears) -- Here's looking at ya!
Spectacled Bears made headlines when Tunk was born in Feb of 2007 during the time Knut, the polar bear cub was gaining fame in Berlin, Germany. Knut overshadowed his cousin in the news but not in the hearts of some bear lovers.
I love Spectacled Bears and wanted to share what I found out about these wonderful bears with you. Here you'll find facts, photos, videos, organizations working to save them and other important links.
I will continue to research these bears and post what I find here so come back often.Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Tremarctos
Gervais, 1855
Species: T. ornatus
Binomial name
Tremarctos ornatus
(Cuvier, 1825)
From Wikipedia
Where Spectacled or Andean Bears Live
Spectacled bears or Andean bears are only found in South America (see map) specifically in Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
They are found in all of the different forests: rain forests, what are called cloud forests and dry forests as well as in coastal scrub desert -- anywhere the Bromeliaceae family of plants (their favorite food) are found, you find these bears.Features
These bears are small and get their name -- Spectacled Bears -- from the distinctive creamy-white markings around their eyes, which look like glasses. They usually have some creamy-white on their throats and chests as well.
Size
These are small bears with the males weighing between 220 and 340 pounds and the females between 140 and 180 pounds. They are 60 to 72 inches long.
Diet
They eat a variety of food from mice and rabbits to fruit and grasses. Their favorite food are plant leaves, bases and hearts from the Bromeliaceae family of plants.Conservation Status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
From Wikipedia
What does an Andean bear look like without fur?
Naked bear
What does a Spectacled Bear look like with fur? Well, we found out when the female bears at the Leipzig Zoo in Germany lost all of their hair. The zoo is working to solve the problem. Below is a photo of Dolores sans hair.
For more photos, click Spectacled Bears
With winter coming, the bear's coats usually thicken for the colder temperatures. Hopefully the zoo will provide more heat for this this winter.
Photo: Picture Allianace/DPAPhotoshot
Tunk, The Little Spectacled Bear In Germany
Tunk, which is Knut spelled backwards was the little Spectacled Bear born in Feb 2007 just as Knut, the polar bear cub, was gaining fame.
While Knut was taking the limelight, little Tunk was pretty much in the dark. Most people have never even heard of him.
Unlike Knut, who's mother abandoned him at birth, little Tunk's mother was a good one and he shared his area with her.
Tunk is a cutie -- see the pictures throughout this lens to see just how cute he is!Tunk Playing With Mom
Books On Spectacled Bears
Videos of Spectacled Bears
Rescuing the Spectacled Bear [ - A true story of trying to save spectacled bears
Other Books about Spectacled Bears on Amazon - Read about Spectacled Bears
News Stories and articles about Spectacled (Andean) Bears
- Spectacled Bear Debuts at the Zoo - National Zoo
In early February, a three-year-old female spectacled bear made her debut at the Zoo. Weighing about 125 pounds and still growing, she is quite agile, climbing high in the structures in her yard, located near Amazonia. Visitors may see her every day - Nikki the Bear Lost 110 Pounds on the National Zoo Diet
Luckily, the National Zoo is one of a handful of zoos with an animal nutrition team. After assessing the situation, nutritionist Karen Lisi came up with a step-by-step diet plan to help Nikki shed the pounds within a year - Spectacled Bear Update: Breeding and Nest Building - National Zoo|
We were pleasantly surprised, when Billie Jean, a female spectacled bear who arrived at the Zoo a few months ago, came into heat on Father's Day. Nikki, a male spectacled bear, was extremely interested in and persistent with breeding her. - National Zoo Bear Loses 110 Pounds
WASHINGTON, D.C. - One of the main attractions at the National Zoo just got a little smaller. The zoo's 17-year-old spectacled bear arrived at the zoo dangerously obese. Two and half years later, he's thinner, has a girlfriend and there could even be - the paw of an andean spectacled bear
The Oso Antiojos - Andean Spectacled Bear - is by some estimates the rarest bear in the world, more so than the Panda, with numbers betwe 1,000 and 2,000. During my time in Bolivia, I spent a day in the cloud forest way above the Yungas. What transpi - San Diego Zoo Blogs » Blog Archive » Dry-forest Bears of Peru
The San Diego Zoo has two researchers studying bear habitat in Peru. - Bear Dies at the Binghamton Zoo
This has been a difficult week for staff at the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park. Two of its popular animals died from totally unrelated causes. According to Executive Director Mike Janis, "It is very rare to lose an animal at the Zoo, but to lose two wit - Natural Wonders – The Spectacled Bear (Andean Bear) | Latin Lounge
The Spectacled Bear (Andean Bear) is the only bear found in South America - Researchers track the rare Spectacled Bear in northern Peru
Peru's official news portal, directory and classifieds for foreigners or expats living in Peru, business travelers and local individuals - Rare bears, indigenous tribe threatened in Ecuador
Having been a part of 40 expeditions into Amazonia and the Andes and a dozen more into the Galapagos Islands, I was recently invited to be the consulting biologist for a television documentary in Ecuador featuring CSI Miami's Jorja Fox, Extreme Anima
Origami Spectacled Bear
How to make an origami Spectacled Bear.
Want to make a origami Spectacled Bear like the one below? Simple. Go to Spectacled Bear: Jucumari and get instructions. Here's what yours could look like...
Member of Save Our Bears (SOB)
Save Our Bears Headquarters is a group of lenses devoted to help change the plight all of the 8 bear species through awareness and fund raising.
The lenses show the wonderful nature of bears and many will, at the same time, shine a spotlight on the dangers bears face including: trophy hunters, gall bladder and bile farming, pollution, bear baiting, global warming, and habitat destruction.
You'll also find fun lenses on great polar bear movies, books, teddy bears, even cartoon and toy bears.
Click Save Our Bears (SOB) to go to the Headquarters page.Tunk Riding Mom
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Copyright 2008-2012 Frankie Kangas All rights reserved.
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