---
title: "Sloth Bear"
description: "Melursus ursinus — Mammals. The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), also known as the Indian bear, is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/sloth-bear
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Sloth Bear

> Melursus ursinus — Mammals. The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), also known as the Indian bear, is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent.

- Scientific name: *Melursus ursinus*
- Category: `mammals` (Mammals)
- Habitats: `forest` (Forest)
- iNaturalist observations: 1302
- Wikidata: [Q145016](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q145016)
- iNaturalist taxon: [41651](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/41651)

## Names

- en: Sloth Bear
- de: Lippenbär
- es: Oso Perezoso
- fr: Ours lippu
- nl: Lippenbeer
- pt: Urso-beiçudo
- pl: Wargacz leniwy

## Countries with the most observations

IN (534), LK (238), NP (89)

## Summary

The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), also known as the Indian bear, is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss and degradation. It is the only species in the genus Melursus.
It has also been called "labiated bear" because of its long lower lip and palate used for sucking up insects. It has long, shaggy fur, a mane around the face, and long, sickle-shaped claws. It is lankier than brown and Asian black bears.
It shares features of insectivorous mammals and evolved during the…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloth_bear

## Photo

![Sloth Bear](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/sloth-bear/medium.jpg)

Photo: Tero Linjama · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/250298144

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/sloth-bear?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).