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+----- Thread: Sloth Bear (/topic-sloth-bear)
RE: Sloth Bear - brotherbear - 11-22-2016
Parvez wrote: You have a point(jaguar is the only one stronger than tiger pound for pound), but trust me sloth bears are much more nastier than other bear species. They have evolved over time to be stronger as they cannot escape from bigger predators like leopard, lion, tiger. They only have one option, to fight them. They cannot escape as they are poor runners. There are instances where bigger tigers are forced to change their way if they come to know there is sloth bear. They are even responsible for many human deaths in India. They simply are vicious fighters.
So too the grizzly which probably started off in China during the Pleistocene. The grizzly has lived among giant lions, tigers, scimitar cats, saber-toothed cats, giant wolves, giant hyenas, and various other huge bear species - and grizzlies are not tree-climbers. They, grizzlies and sloth bears are fighters for the same reasons. But seriously; If you prefer to believe that the sloth bear is fiercer and pound-for-pound stronger - no harm done. Let's move on.
RE: Sloth Bear - parvez - 11-22-2016
(11-22-2016, 07:16 PM)brotherbear Wrote: So too the grizzly which probably started off in China during the Pleistocene. The grizzly has lived among giant lions, tigers, scimitar cats, saber-toothed cats, giant wolves, giant hyenas, and various other huge bear species - and grizzlies are not tree-climbers.You are right. But the size of those prehistoric felines and canids must have been similar to the grizzly or brown bear. So, it is understandable it must have fought those species. But sloth bears are smaller than even tigresses. But when they are cornered, they have been known to fend of bigger tigresses and rarely even adult males. Both species of bears have brutal strength, but i feel sloth bear can take on grizzly at equal weights. No offense for you. As you said let us feel our ways. No harm intended.
RE: Sloth Bear - brotherbear - 11-22-2016
I was told once by a veterinarian that a chow dog is not really so aggressive as people think. These dogs have very poor peripheral vision and are thus easily surprised. I have read that the sloth bear has a similar handicap, plus the fact that they are very noisy feeders when sucking up ants or termites; thus easily taken by surprise.
RE: Sloth Bear - Polar - 11-22-2016
(11-22-2016, 07:23 PM)parvez Wrote:(11-22-2016, 07:16 PM)brotherbear Wrote: So too the grizzly which probably started off in China during the Pleistocene. The grizzly has lived among giant lions, tigers, scimitar cats, saber-toothed cats, giant wolves, giant hyenas, and various other huge bear species - and grizzlies are not tree-climbers.You are right. But the size of those prehistoric felines and canids must have been similar to the grizzly or brown bear. So, it is understandable it must have fought those species. But sloth bears are smaller than even tigresses. But when they are cornered, they have been known to fend of bigger tigresses and rarely even adult males. Both species of bears have brutal strength, but i feel sloth bear can take on grizzly at equal weights. No offense for you. As you said let us feel our ways. No harm intended.
I do not agree with your assessment, @parvez.
When a fight between any species of bear occurs (or any big cat/bear, for that matter), at equal weight, it is unpredictable. Sure the grizzly's Indian cousin has sharper claws and teeth, but the grizzly has more shoulder muscle and thicker skin.
RE: Sloth Bear - parvez - 11-23-2016
(11-22-2016, 11:33 PM)Polar Wrote:(11-22-2016, 07:23 PM)parvez Wrote:(11-22-2016, 07:16 PM)brotherbear Wrote: So too the grizzly which probably started off in China during the Pleistocene. The grizzly has lived among giant lions, tigers, scimitar cats, saber-toothed cats, giant wolves, giant hyenas, and various other huge bear species - and grizzlies are not tree-climbers.You are right. But the size of those prehistoric felines and canids must have been similar to the grizzly or brown bear. So, it is understandable it must have fought those species. But sloth bears are smaller than even tigresses. But when they are cornered, they have been known to fend of bigger tigresses and rarely even adult males. Both species of bears have brutal strength, but i feel sloth bear can take on grizzly at equal weights. No offense for you. As you said let us feel our ways. No harm intended.
I do not agree with your assessment, @parvez.
When a fight between any species of bear occurs (or any big cat/bear, for that matter), at equal weight, it is unpredictable. Sure the grizzly's Indian cousin has sharper claws and teeth, but the grizzly has more shoulder muscle and thicker skin.
You are right. But i think the grizzly will be dazzled by the nastiness of the sloth bear and would avoid a fight with him. But if fight occurs, it may be unpredictable but i slightly favour the sloth bear considering the way tigers avoid confrontation with them.
RE: Sloth Bear - parvez - 11-23-2016
(11-22-2016, 11:21 PM)brotherbear Wrote: I was told once by a veterinarian that a chow dog is not really so aggressive as people think. These dogs have very poor peripheral vision and are thus easily surprised. I have read that the sloth bear has a similar handicap, plus the fact that they are very noisy feeders when sucking up ants or termites; thus easily taken by surprise.
I do not think grizzly takes any animal by surprise. I think it is the trait of big cats. It surely will face sloth bear face to face or while the grizzly will run towards sloth bear, the sloth bear surely will get alerted and fight with full potential. May be because of poor peripheral vision among bears is the reason sloth bears must have evolved to be so much nasty fighters compared to other bears. I suppose they evolved stronger due to the same reason though it is indirect.
RE: Sloth Bear - brotherbear - 11-23-2016
Parvez, about post #51... I was not referring to any fight between a grizzly and a sloth bear. That topic is closed, as far as I am concerned. I was merely making a statement about sloth bears in general. However, as many hunters and naturalists have learned, and some in the worst possible way, grizzly bears eons ago mastered the art of ambush attacks. Also, you are correct in that generally a grizzly avoids confrontations without a very good reason. They are highly intelligent animals and not prone to risk injury without good reason. However, as grizzlies have been known to prey upon sloth bear-sized black bears, there is the chance that in the odd chance that he should discover a sloth bear ( perhaps lost from someone's menagerie ) the grizzly just might decide to make a feast of him.
RE: Sloth Bear - Vinay - 11-23-2016
(11-23-2016, 06:21 PM)brotherbear Wrote: However, as many hunters and naturalists have learned, and some in the worst possible way, grizzly bears eons ago mastered the art of ambush attacks.
They are highly intelligent animals and not prone to risk injury without good reason. However, as grizzlies have been known to prey upon sloth bear-sized black bears, there is the chance that in the odd chance that he should discover a sloth bear ( perhaps lost from someone's menagerie ) the grizzly just might decide to make a feast of him.
RE: Sloth Bear - Pckts - 11-23-2016
Exceptions aren't rules @
Does he get to show you videos of brown bears taking down bison while sloth bears get pushed around by gaur and prove you wrong?
A side note, that boar is massive!
RE: Sloth Bear - Vinay - 11-23-2016
(11-23-2016, 08:41 PM)Pckts Wrote: Exceptions aren't rules @Vinay
Does he get to show you videos of brown bears taking down bison while sloth bears get pushed around by gaur and prove you wrong?
A side note, that boar is massive!
You can check videos of how a two ton Rhino and four ton Elephants runaway if they sensed a tiger in their vicinity Vs Two omnivorous are grazing together peacefully (boar and bear).Actually this look common not exception ... btw i checked bison and bear video didn't found any!!
One ton Gaur pushing away 120kg bear is an honor to the bear.No animal can stand his ground with 10 times to his size (Not about predators!)
RE: Sloth Bear - Vinay - 11-23-2016
Enjoy few sloth bear shots
Hello Everyone. Never posted here before but will start by one of my favorite picture: "Sher Khan vs Balu". Legendary wild moment, 3 years ago in Tadoba.
*This image is copyright of its original author
Sloth Bear with Cub and Sambar | TATR | Oct 2016
*This image is copyright of its original author
The Black Ghost of Indian Jungles.. at close quarters.
Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus)
Hampi, Karnataka.
With Payal Naik, Vidhi Naik.
*This image is copyright of its original author
I guess size actually matters
*This image is copyright of its original author
:) ....this massive fella came charging down the rocks and when its only u and a flimsy cage as ur hide it surely gives u creeps.. I have been up-close with to a few wild animals but Sloth Bears deserve the greatest respect !!! Big thank u to SK Arun and Pompayya Malemath for guiding me on this trip. 
*This image is copyright of its original author
Sloth Bear piggy back with cubs
as the world knows - nothing can match the love and compassion of a mother towards her children and this image captures the very essence of it.
june 2015 karnataka
*This image is copyright of its original author
RE: Sloth Bear - Pckts - 11-23-2016
I can also show you elephants running off tigers and rhinos paying no mind to them, I still don't understand the point?
Also, gaur and bison are close in size, gaur are larger but bison are very big, so any sized bear taking one down is very impressive. At the end of the day, brown bears are notoriously aggressive, more aggressive than any bear they share territory with. Sloths are aggressive too but they don't have the mentality of an apex animal while grizzlies do. Any animal that is apex in its category will obviously have more confidence than an animal who isn't.
RE: Sloth Bear - Vinay - 11-23-2016
(11-23-2016, 09:42 PM)Pckts Wrote: I can also show you elephants running off tigers and rhinos paying no mind to them, I still don't understand the point?
Also, gaur and bison are close in size, gaur are larger but bison are very big, so any sized bear taking one down is very impressive. At the end of the day, brown bears are notoriously aggressive, more aggressive than any bear they share territory with. Sloths are aggressive too but they don't have the mentality of an apex animal while grizzlies do. Any animal that is apex in its category will obviously have more confidence than an animal who isn't.
Bison and Brown Bears are N.America animals so you may knew them very well.I don't have any problem with your assumptions.
But the problem here is @
Because of one idiot wild life expert in the past named them 'SLOTH' they write according to it.......... They always start with 'King of the jungle' for Lions, thinks clouded and snow leopards are different leopard species and Jaguars are different species etc.
RE: Sloth Bear - brotherbear - 11-23-2016
To start with Vinay, post #53 belongs here: Brown Bears - info, pics, and videos. Brown Bears (Info, Pics and Videos)
I sent a book to Polar - Bear, History of a Fallen King - which tell's of the fierce and savage European brown bear before the Emperor Constantine and the Church declared war against the bear; which lasted for about 1,000 years. Like the historic grizzly predating the repeater rifle, and even more so, the European brown bear of today is but a shadow of his ancestors. These bears are basically vegetarians and honey-eaters. They will feed on a carcass, but probably haven't hunted and killed a wild boar since Robin Hood was robbing the rich.
The Russian grizzly, which is the Amur brown bear or Ussuri brown bear ( Ursus arctos lasiotus ) do indeed hunt and kill wild boar; and those are the biggest wild boars on earth.
*NOW - let's stick to topic: Sloth Bear.
RE: Sloth Bear - brotherbear - 11-24-2016
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.12501/abstract
Mammals have diversified into many dietary niches. Specialized myrmecophagous (ant- and termite-eating) placental mammals represent a textbook example of evolutionary convergence driven by extreme diet specialization. Armadillos, anteaters, aardvarks, pangolins and aardwolves thus provide a model system for understanding the potential role of gut microbiota in the convergent adaptation to myrmecophagy. Here, we expand upon previous mammalian gut microbiome studies by using high-throughput barcoded Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to characterize the composition of gut microbiota in 15 species representing all placental myrmecophagous lineages and their close relatives from zoo- and field-collected samples. We confirm that both diet and phylogeny drive the evolution of mammalian gut microbiota, with cases of convergence in global composition, but also examples of phylogenetic inertia. Our results reveal specialized placental myrmecophages as a spectacular case of large-scale convergence in gut microbiome composition. Indeed, neighbour-net networks and beta-diversity plots based on UniFrac distances show significant clustering of myrmecophagous species (anteaters, aardvarks and aardwolves), even though they belong to phylogenetically distant lineages representing different orders. The aardwolf, which diverged from carnivorous hyenas only in the last 10 million years, experienced a convergent shift in the composition of its gut microbiome to become more similar to other myrmecophages. These results confirm diet adaptation to be a major driving factor of convergence in gut microbiome composition over evolutionary timescales. This study sets the scene for future metagenomic studies aiming at evaluating potential convergence in functional gene content in the microbiomes of specialized mammalian myrmecophages.
( the sloth bear is not mentioned even though he is indeed a myrmecophagous mammal ).