| Malayan sun bear | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A female Malayan sun bear sitting in her enclosure of zoo Basel | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Ursidae |
| Genus: | Helarctos |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | H. m. malayanus |
| Trinomial name | |
| Helarctos malayanus malayanus (Raffles, 1821) | |
The Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus malayanus) is a subspecies of sun bear, occurring in southeast Asia. [1]
The Malayan sun bear was first described by Stamford Raffles in 1821, the same person to have described the sun bear and propose its name. [2] The Malayan sun bear earned its name from its unique distribution across Malaysia.[ citation needed ]
Although the sun bear is the smallest species in the bear family, its subspecies, the Malayan sun bear is even smaller, with a maximum length of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) and weight of 35–70 kg (77–154 lb). [2] The Malayan sun bear appears very similar to the sun bear, but is distinguishable by its golden-white chest patch, which is thinner than that of the sun bear. [3]
The Malayan sun bear can be found in mainly coastal areas in southeast Asia, but is less dispersed within it than the sun bear, with specific populations living as follows: [1]
Like the sun bear, the Malayan sun bear lives within rainforests (both evergreen and deciduous) of diverse altitudes, ranging from coastal, lowland areas to mountainous regions of above 2,000 m (6,600 ft). [2]
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Unlike the sun bear, the Malayan sun bear is primarily nocturnal, although it is also active in the daytime. [3] However, equally to the sun bear, they do not hibernate like other bears due to their warm, tropical environment, which provides nutrients all year round. [3]
Similarly to the sun bear, the Malayan sun bear is omnivorous and eats fruit, honey, and nuts. [4] The meat in their diet is composed of insects such as termites, bee larvae and beetle larvae. [2] They can achieve these foods with their long tongues (which can reach 30 cm (1 ft)) and claws. [5]
The Malay Peninsula or also known as Segaramsin Peninsula is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area contains Peninsular Malaysia, Southern Thailand, and the southernmost tip of Myanmar (Kawthaung). The island country of Singapore also has historical and cultural ties with the region. The indigenous people of the peninsula are Orang Asli and Malays, an Austronesian people.
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