ANIMAL: Spectacled/Andean Bear Tremarctos ornatus Type of Animal: Bear Habitat: Mountains, montane forest, cloud forest, rainforest, scrubland, montane grassland, dry forest, mossy forest, coastal & scrub desert, steppe Location(s): Andes Mountains from W. Venezuela south to Bolivia w/ a few in extreme N. Argentina Appearance: Black or dark brown w/ beige markings across face/upper chest, males larger than females, more round face w/ relatively short, broad snout Food/Diet: Fruit, berries, cacti, honey, bark, orchid bulbs, insects, arachnids, birds, bromeliads, palm nuts, leaves, rabbits, cattle, lamoids (llama/alpaca/vicuna/guanaco), bamboo, deer, equines, rodents, carrion, corn, sugarcane, roots, tubers, grasses, veggies, pigs, goats, sheep, seeds, nuts, worms, shrubs. Males sometimes prey on cubs. Status in Wild: Threatened Conservation: Breeding in zoos, wildlife parks, & breeding centers. Spectacled Bear Conservation Society established in Peru in 2006. Lifestyle: Solitary Additional Info: Called: Male-Boar Female-Sow Young-Cub Group-Solitary Weight: Male-220-386 lbs Female-132-176 lbs Young-22 lbs Gestation: 5.5-8.5 months Height: Male-6 ft Female-5 ft Body Length: Male-6 ft Female-5 ft Life Span: 20 years in wild, 30 years in captivity Tail Length: 2.76 in Adults have no predators while cubs preyed on by adult male bears, jaguars, & pumas. South America’s only bear species. Threatened due to habitat loss, logging/deforestation, persecution as livestock killer/crop pest, hunting for gall bladders/fur/meat/medicinal purposes, pet trade, mining, oil exploration, environmental contamination, & low genetic diversity. Each bear has own distinct set of markings. They’re highly arboreal. Cubs stay w/ mom for 1-2 years. Sexually mature at 4 years old. Since they live in the tropics, they don’t hibernate. Usually 2-3 cubs in a litter. They’re mostly nocturnal. Fun Fact(s): Known as ukumari in Quechua. Fairly nonaggressive, unless mom protecting cubs or animal is wounded. Paddington Bear of children’s book fame based on this species. Only surviving member of short-faced bear subfamily, which went extinct around 10,000 years ago. This subfamily included North American Cave Bear, Florida Spectacled Bear, & Giant Short-Faced Bear. In fact, it’s sometimes called the Andean Short-Faced bear.
