The Spectacled bear or Andean bear, Tremarctos ornatus (F. Cuvier 1825), is the only representative of the family Ursidae that inhabits South America. Their distribution ranges from the Andean mountainous areas of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru to Bolivia; having isolated reports of sightings in the Southeast of Panama (border with Colombia), and the North of Argentina bordering Bolivia. Within this wide geographic range, the Spectacled bear occupies a large diversity of habitats, with altitudes ranging from 250 to higher than 4,000 meters above sea level.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SPECIES.

In reference to other bears, the Spectacled bear is of intermediate size, with the adult male measuring between 1,5 and 2 meters in length (head-body length) and the female measuring 2/3 the size of the male. The fur is usually black, but some individuals can exhibit brownish shades. A distinguished characteristic of this bear is the presence of white or yellowish markings in the snout, around the eyes, neck and chest. The shape and extension of the markings varies among individuals and it’s not rare to find individuals with their faces completely black. These variations have been the base for a wide designation of different names across their distribution area.

Common names (non indigenous) given to Tremarctos ornatus along its geographic range. Compilation: Denis Torres.

The shape of the skull of Tremarctos ornatus resembles that of the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). This is due to the presence of a very developed zygomatic mandibularis muscle and a very short snout in relation to the body. Furthermore, these bears have their fourth molar and pre-molars adapted to chew and crush fibrous vegetation. The Spectacled bear displays a dental set with 42 pieces, just like the majority of the Family Ursidae .

HABITS.

The Spectacled bear appears to be a reclusive animal. However, there are reports of groups of up to eight individuals feeding together in the cloud forests during the fructification periods of certain species of plants. Spectacled bears can be active at anytime of the day. They are excellent climbers and can spend a great portion of their time atop high tree branches where they feed mainly on fruits and epiphyte bromeliads, or simply rest in platforms that resemble nests built with branches and leaves.

The Spectacled bear reported diet is rather varied. It is basically composed of vegetation, although they also feed on insects, birds, and small mammals. On occasion they can cause serious damage to livestock in areas far away from human settlements, where the domestic animals are not frequently supervised.

WILD SOUNDS.

Spectacled bears generally are not big talkers. That's because spectacled bears are not vocal when they are alone - and they are alone a lot of their time. However, for those occasions when spectacled bears do encounter neighbors in the local thicket - or when they desire to meet up with them - they have entire repertories of vocalizations at their disposal.

Of the more common adult sounds, there is one resemblance to a bird, which is a social call for the contact. When a female is in heat, she "chirps". The bear also belt out very loud "moans", "roars", "growls" and "barks" to indicate a range of moods and varying degrees of aggression.

REPRODUCTION.

Apparently in the wild, these bears do not have a fixed time for reproduction, as females of this species have been observed with litters during different months of the year. In captivity, the estrous period has been estimated to last 3-14 days with copulation taking place from 2 to 8 times a day. The gestation period is from eight (8) to eight and a half (8½) months in length.

Litter sizes are from 1 to 3 cubs. At birth their eyes are closed and they weigh around 300 gr. The eyes open after the first month, they’re black in color and show the spectacle like white-yellowish markings that characterize the species.

Credits in Photos: 

- Title "Spectacled Bear": Jafet Nassar, AndígenA.

- Spectacled bear faces, first from left to rigth: Susan Reich, © Lincoln Park Zoological Society, Chicago, U.S.A. Other faces: AndígenA.