One of the 8 bears on WAnimals
Mammals · Carnivora · Ursidae
Andean Bear
Tremarctos ornatus
It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term. See full glossary
It is the only bear left in South America and the last surviving member of the short-faced bear subfamily, related to the extinct giant short-faced bears.
Weight
35 kg – 200 kg
Size
1.2 m – 2.1 m
Lifespan
22 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Irregular activity
Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Fun facts
- The distinctive pale 'spectacles' around its eyes are unique to each animal, like a fingerprint.
- It feeds mainly on fruit, bromeliads, bamboo and palm hearts, making it the least carnivorous of all the bears.
- It lives in the cloud forest, páramo, scrub and high-mountain grassland of the Andes.
- identificaciónIt is the only bear left in South America, and its pale facial markings — unique to each animal — let researchers identify individuals from camera-trap images.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Cloud forest, páramo, scrub and high-mountain grassland of the Andes, between 475 and 3,658 m
- Birth weight
- ~300-330 g at birth, with its eyes shut
- Size at birth
- ~300-330 g at birth
- Sexual maturity
- 4-7 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 160-255 days, possibly with delayed implantation, which would explain the wide variation observed
- Litter / clutch size
- 1 to 4 young per litter (most commonly 1-2)
- Lifespan in captivity
- Documented record of up to 36 years
Sources consulted: SeeTheWild; Britannica; Animal Diversity Web; Animalia.bio; Bear Conservation; Cleveland Metroparks; International Association for Bear Research and Management; Facts About Animals; PMC (photos age kinship study)
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 23 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Andean Bear — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
VulnerableGiant Armadillo
Priodontes maximus
VulnerableGiant Anteater
Myrmecophaga tridactyla
VulnerableLowland Tapir
Tapirus terrestris
Northern Tiger Cat
Leopardus tigrinus
Red-Footed Tortoise
Chelonoidis carbonarius
Pudus
Pudella mephistophiles
How to help
The andean bear is classified as vulnerable. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 10 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about andean bear.
Comments
Share an experience, a fun fact or a tip for seeing the andean bear.
Be the first to comment.