Gubach [1] ( lat. Melursus ursinus ) - a mammal of the bear family; the only species of the genus Melursus . The appearance of this bear is so peculiar that it received the nickname of the “ sloth bear ” ( English sloth bear ).
| Gubach |
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| Scientific classification |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| Gender: | Gubachi ( Melursus Meyer , 1793 ) |
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| International scientific name |
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Melursus ursinus Shaw , 1791 |
| Subspecies |
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- M. u. inornatus pucheran, 1855
- M. u. ursinus (Shaw, 1791)
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| Area |
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| Security status |
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Vulnerable speciesIUCN 3.1 Vulnerable : 13143 |
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The sponge bear is very different in appearance and lifestyle from real bears ( Ursus ), and it is isolated in a separate genus. It is easy to recognize by its long and mobile snout, and its lips are bare and can protrude strongly (hence the name), forming a kind of proboscis.
The sizes are small, but larger than a biruang bear . The body length of the gubach is up to 180 cm, the tail is another 10-12 cm, the height at the withers is 60-90 cm; it weighs 54-140 kg (usually 90-115 kg). Males are 30-40% larger than females.
The general appearance of the gubach is typically bearish. The body is massive, on high legs. The head is large, with a flat forehead and a very elongated muzzle. The fur is long, shaggy, forming a kind of untidy mane on the neck and shoulders. The color is mostly glossy black, but often mixed with gray, brown or reddish hair. Sometimes there are red or reddish-brown individuals. The end of the muzzle is always dirty gray; there is a distinct bright spot on the chest, similar to the letter V or Y.
Adapting to nutritional features
During the evolution, the sponge bear, like an anteater , adapted to feeding mainly on colonial insects - ( ants and termites ), which is not typical for other bears, in whose diet insects play a minor role. Large sickle-shaped claws are adapted for climbing trees, digging and destroying termite mounds . The lips and muzzle are almost bare and very mobile, and the nostrils can arbitrarily close. The teeth are small, and the two central upper incisors are absent, creating a passage continuing the “tube” of elongated movable lips. The palate is hollow; the tongue is very long. These morphological features allow the slayer, extracting insects, first to forcefully blow dust and dirt out of their destroyed dwellings, and then suck prey through the extended lips. The noise arising at the same time is sometimes heard over 150 m and often attracts the attention of hunters.
Gubach is common in India , Pakistan , Sri Lanka , Bangladesh , Nepal and Bhutan . Until the middle of the 20th century, it was quite ordinary, now rare.
The gubach lives in tropical and subtropical forests, preferring hilly areas, but does not rise to great heights. Raw lowlands also avoided. It leads mainly a nocturnal lifestyle , during the day sleeps in tall grass, among shrubs or in caves. Only females with cubs often switch to a daytime lifestyle to avoid encounters with nocturnal predators.
Active gubach throughout the year; it does not hibernate, but becomes inactive during the rainy season.
Omnivorous: food consists of insects , their larvae, snails, eggs, as well as a variety of plants. For his love of honey, he received his scientific name - Melursus , "honey bear." From March to June, when the fruits ripen, they can make up to 50% of the diet of the gubach; the rest of the time, he prefers to destroy the nests of termites , ants and bees . In densely populated areas, Gubachs are ravaging the fields of sugarcane and corn . They do not disdain carrion.
The sense of smell is well developed, but eyesight and hearing are weak, so it’s easy to sneak up close to the lips. The clumsy appearance of the gubach is misleading - this bear is able to run faster than humans. He often climbs trees to enjoy the fruits, but he is not saved from danger on trees. As a rule, gubachs are not very aggressive, but can defend themselves if a person comes too close. However, between April 1989 and March 1994, 735 attacks by the Gubernians against people were recorded, 48 of which became fatal.
Only large predators, like tigers and leopards, attack the gubernias. Only a large tiger can cope with an adult slaver.
Gubach Bear at Bondla Zoo (India)
Gubach Bear at the Moscow Zoo
Mating with gubachs in India usually occurs from May to July, in Sri Lanka - apparently, throughout the year. After 7 months (usually in December - January), 1-2, rarely 3 cubs are born in a cave or other shelter. On the 3rd week they see clearly. 2-3 months after the birth, the cubs leave the den, but remain with their mother for another 2-3 years. Cubs often travel on their mothers backs. This method of movement persists even when the cubs have already grown up and do not fit together on the mother’s back: then they alternately sit on their backs, then run side by side. Regarding male participation in raising offspring, information is contradictory; overall, this behavior is uncharacteristic of bears .
Life expectancy in captivity is about 40 years.
The gubach bear is listed in the International Red Book with the status of “ Endangered Species ” ( Endangered ). The species is also included in Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); therefore, these bears are extremely rare in zoological collections. Their total number in 1975 did not exceed 10,000 individuals.
Gubachs were exterminated mainly as pests of sugar cane , corn , date palms and apiaries, and also because of their alleged aggressiveness. Their skin is not of great value, and the meat is considered inedible. Gall bladders are used in traditional Asian medicine. Another threat to the number of gubachs is the destruction of their usual habitat - deforestation and the destruction of termite mounds.
- ↑ Sokolov V.E. The pagan dictionary of animal names. Mammals Latin, Russian, English, German, French. / edited by Acad. V. E. Sokolova. - M .: Rus. lang., 1984. - S. 96. - 10,000 copies.
