The Sloth Bear, Melursus Ursinus, And The Giant Panda

The Sloth Bear, Melursus ursinus, and the Giant Panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, have more in common than what you think. GIant Pandas are native to China, and are considered a national treasure (2), but let’s be honest who doesn’t love pandas. According to the Smithsonian National Zoo the color of their fur serves as camouflage. Sloth Bears live in a variety of dry and moist forests and in some tall grasslands, where boulders, scattered shrubs and trees provide shelter. Their range includes India, Sri Lanka and southern Nepa (1). Unlike the Giant panda, the Sloth bears have shaggy, dusty-black coats. Both Panda bears and Sloth bears are known to be solitary animals (1)(2), but some sloth bears are occasionally seen in groups when there's enough resources. The only time when Giant pandas come close to another Giant Pandas is during mating season. Giant Panda bears mate during spring, while Sloth bears mate during late spring to summer(2)(1). A female Giant Pandas can mate with several males, who compete over her, a male will seek out different females who are on heat (3). For Sloth Bears studies have shown that they mostly mate during the months May and June, but some others show that they mate and give birth all year round (4). When born panda bears are blind, making them dependent of their mother their first 9 months of their life. Giant pandas live with their mothers until 18 months.
That adds to 28 pounds a day. But one reason they eat so much is that bamboo is low in nutrients, according to the San Diego Zoo. Giant pandas also eat rodents, fish, insects and birds. Eating both vegetation and meat makes these pandas omnivores (2). For Sloth bears, as animals who consume termites and ants, sloth bears are considered myrmecophagous. When trees are in fruit, usually during the monsoon season, sloth bears dine on mango, fig, ebony and other fruits, as well as on