The kingdom of animals has always been a source of fun, amusement and entertainment for man. We often discover very amazing and interesting features and characteristics in some animals that are peculiar and unique to those animals only. Now when we say there exists a type of bear which wears spectacles, it sounds amazing. But is it true?
The truth is that the visual appearance of its face gives the spectator an impression that it has put on a pair of glasses. In reality, lines of lighter fur of white colour encircle its eyes and these circular markings around the eyes look like spectacles from a distance.
This ‘spectacled bear’ is found in tropical South America. It is very small in size. An interesting pattern is made on its facial area when a creamy yellow snout with fur of the same colour runs down from the nose and sometimes it makes a ring around the eyes and then cross the nose. These rings are the so-called ‘glasses’. It is also called the Andean bear. Some of them have only the bottom half of their glasses, whereas, some have the eye-rings so thick that they completely fill the face.
Although there is only one species of the spectacled bear, Tremarctos ornatus, there are different kinds of facial markings within the same species. Though all bears can climb trees, the spectacled bear is particularly expert at clambering through the branches to feed on leaves, fruits and nuts.
The ‘spectacled bear’ is the smallest among the bears. The adult is up to 64 cms 2 feet at the shoulders, 120 to 180 cms (4-6 feet) in total length, with about a 7 cm long (3 inch) tail. The colour of its shaggy coat varies from dark brown to black. It weighs less than 135 kg. Although it may feed on small mammals, deer, guanacos and vicunas, its diet mainly consists of fruits and leaves. It usually lives in cool mountain forests.
Litters of one to three cubs have been born in captivity after a gestation period of 8-8
months.