Sun bear is the smallest kind of bear . It measures about 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) long and weighs from 60 to 150 pounds (30 to 70 kilograms). The sun bear’s coat is short. It is black with a lighter-colored muzzle and an O- or U-_shaped _blaze (light patch) on the chest that is cream, orange, or golden in color. The blaze pattern is unique to each individual bear, somewhat like a human fingerprint. Sun bears have small ears, massive canine teeth, and an extremely long tongue. The bear’s tongue can reach up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) in length.
Sun bears can be found from northeastern India to southeastern China, south to Sumatra and Borneo . They live in forests , especially lowland areas of deep forest. Sun bears can also be found at higher elevations and in agricultural areas.
Sun bears have long, sharp claws. A piece of bone inside each claw grows for the bear’s entire life. The longer the claw, the older the bear. The sun bear is an excellent climber and uses these special claws to tap on tree trunks and logs, searching for insects inside. The sun bear also uses its claws to break into bees nests to feed on honey and on bee larvae (young). Other food sources include termites, ants, beetle larvae, small vertebrates (animals with a backbone), and a wide variety of fruits. In the heat of the tropical sun, the sun bear can be found hugging the branches of tall trees while sleeping. This behavior may help the bear remain cool. 
Sun bears spend much of their lives alone, except when with young. Unlike many other bears, they do not enter into a winter sleep. A female sun bear gives birth once a year, usually to one tiny, hairless cub. Cubs stay with their mother until they are fully grown, at about 2 years of age. Sun bears are sometimes eaten by giant reticulated pythons and may be vulnerable to predation by such large carnivores as tigers, leopards, and wild dogs. Sun bears can live to be 25 years old.
The habitat of the sun bear is disappearing quickly, with massive deforestation across much of its range. Sun bears are killed illegally by humans for their body parts, which are valued in traditional Chinese medicine .
