# Sun bear (*Helarctos malayanus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/sun-bear  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is a mammal in the bear family Ursidae, order Carnivora. It is a large, nocturnal and terrestrial carnivore of forest habitat, with an adult body mass of 46.5 kg. The IUCN Red List classifies the sun bear as Vulnerable (VU) in its global assessment, which is a threatened category. Gestation lasts 98 days, litter size is 1.1 young, sexual maturity comes at 6.5 years, and lifespan is 31 years, with values up to 35.9 years reported.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 46.5 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Height | 70 cm |
| Lifespan | 31 years – 35.9 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | forest |
| Gestation | 96 days – 98.3 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 1.1 |
| Age at maturity | 6.5 years |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Ursidae
- genus: Helarctos
- species: *Helarctos malayanus* (Raffles, 1822)

Synonyms: *Ursus malayanus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the sun bear?

The sun bear is a mammal in the bear family Ursidae, within the order Carnivora.

### How heavy is a sun bear?

An adult Sun bear has a body mass of 46.5 kg, which places it in the large size class.

### What does the sun bear eat?

The sun bear is a carnivore.

### Is the sun bear endangered?

The sun bear is listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List, which is a threatened category.

### How long does a sun bear live?

The sun bear has a lifespan of 31 years, and sources report values up to 35.9 years.

### How many young does a sun bear have?

The sun bear has a litter size of 1.1 young, after a gestation period of 98 days.

### Is the sun bear active at night?

Yes, the sun bear is nocturnal and lives on the ground in forest habitat.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/sun-bear