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The Malayan sun bear is the smallest member of the bear family. It is also the one with the shortest and sleekest coat - perhaps an adaptation to a lowland equatorial climate.
These animals grow to approximately four and a half feet in length and have a tiny, two-inch tail. Their average weight is less than 100 pounds. The short-haired, deep black or brown-black fur is interrupted on the chest by a pale orange-yellow horseshoe-shaped marking. In folklore, this yellow crescent is said to represent the rising sun and is apparently the origin of the name sun bear.
They have a long narrow tongue which can be extended quite far.
The long sickle-shaped claws on all four feet and the large, inward-oriented feet are most
reminiscent of the sloth bear. Malayan sun bears are skillful climbers, a useful ability
for a species which spends a lot of time climbing trees to get fruit.