Animal Profile: Sun Bear

This week we are showcasing arguably one of the most photogenic animals around: the Sun Bear! Known for being a solitary species we thought it would be a great idea the characteristics of this beautifully goofy creature.

Size: Weighs between 60 and 150 pounds and is 4 to 5 feet in length
Diet: Bees and honey are staples, and also feed on a variety of fruit and insects
Location: Found in tropical rain forests in Southeast Asia
Protection Status: Vulnerable
Interesting Facts:

• Standing only about 4-5 feet, the Sun Bear is the smallest known species of bear, which suite their arboreal lifestyle easily moving about the trees
• Known as the "Honey Bear" for its love of honey, it uses its extremely long tongue to obtain honey from beehives
• They use their long claws to climb trees in order to build nests for sleeping and sunbathing 

Our goal at Little Critterz is to spread the respect of the animal kingdom through education of and interaction with animals. We believe this is to be done by learning about the wondrous world of animals both online and in person at zoos, national parks and aquariums. We also believe respect and protection for animals stems from the admiration of these beautiful, amazing creatures through real and treasured symbols like this Sun Bear miniature porcelain figurine. 

Preserving Burma's Forests

While much of the natural world is compromised by the rapid spread of industrialization, there remains at least one largely unaffected region the destructive hands of the new age have not touched. Burma, also known as Myanmar, is a country teeming with undiscovered wildlife and species not seen anywhere else in the world.

For the last fifty years Burma has been under rigid military rule with extremely strict regulations prohibiting almost all foreigners from visiting the country. Recently, however, the country has gradually shifted towards democracy and the government has loosened the statutes on foreigners entering the country. Taking this opportunity of increasingly lax regulations, BBC recently sent a group of scientists and anthropologists to journey deep into the vast Burmese forests as a part of the fantastic new documentary series Wild Burma: Nature's Lost Kingdom. We are thrilled at the chance to view the amazing landscape and wildlife for the first time.

The expedition has unearthed a multitude of rare and undiscovered animals. Asian elephants, clouded leopards, Malayan tapirs, sun bears and various unknown insects are among the species found.

    Unknown Tortoise Leaf Beetle

    Clouded Leopard

   Sun Bear

    Malayan Tapir

    Asian Elephants

As Burma becomes more accessible to the outside world, it is imperative that the natural order of the massive forests and jungles are intact. The overarching goal of the BBC crew is to present their research to the Burmese government in order to gain the area well-funded protection. Burma has a choice, as it embarks into a new era of openness, of whether it wants to embrace the destructive practices of the contemporary world or help preserve one of Earth's one last remnants of what use to be.

Watch the first episode of Wild Burma: Nature's Lost Kingdom here.

Wildlife Vacations: Exploring the United States

You don't have to travel 10,000 miles to go on a wildlife safari, viewing majestic beasts in their natural habitats. The United States is home to hundreds of wildlife parks and refuges for mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, big and small. In fact, 757 wildernesses make up the National Wilderness Preservation System accounting for a total of 109,511,966 acres of protected land. However, only about 5% of the United States is protected as wilderness.

These parks and refuges are some of the best in the United States. Where visitors can see these spectacular critters in their environment, some as they have been for thousands of years.

Olympic National Park - Washington

Olympic is situated in coastal Washington State where visitors can see raccoons, beaver, mink, elk, deer, cougars, and bears on land and dolphins, whales, sea lions, seals, and sea otters just offshore in the Pacific Ocean.


Moose Alley - New Hampshire

Be careful driving this section of Rte 3 as it's a dependable place for moose spotting, particularly at dawn or dusk. The last eleven miles of route three is Moose Alley.


Everglades National Park - Florida

The Everglades National Park is a World Heritage site which protects unparalleled landscape as habitat for numerous rare and endangered critters such as the American crocodile, manatee and Florida panther.


Yellowstone National Park - Wyoming, Montana, Idaho

Mount Washburn hike in Wyoming is particularly recommended by park workers for its elk, grizzly and black bears, bison, wolves, and moose.


Rocky Mountain National Park - Colorado

From mighty elk to rare boreal toads, bighorn sheep to mountain lions, bobcats to black bears, there are 67 mammals, 5 amphibians and reptiles, and 282 species of birds in the park.


Land Between the Lakes - Kentucky

Land Between the Lakes Recreational Area is home to white-tail deer, turkey, foxes, snakes, coyotes, and a drive-through elk and bison prairie.


Assateauge Island National Seashore - Maryland

Explore sandy beaches and beautiful wild ponies running free. The are most likely descendants of horses shipwrecked hundreds of years ago so enjoy from afar! The best time to visit is mid-May to October.


National Bison Range Wildlife Refuge - Montana

Drive and hike through the range as the bison roam free along with elk, white tail and mule deer.


Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge - New Jersey

Close to being turned into an airport, this swamp is home to 39 species of mammals including the red fox, white-tail deer, coyotes, raccoons, river otter, as well as 42 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 10 species of bats.

The Wilds - Ohio

Considered one of the largest conservation centers in the US, The Wilds sits on over 10,000 acres of natural, open range habitat. The Wilds is available for mountain biking, zip lining, horseback riding and more and is home to mammals such as bison, antelope, giraffe, zebra, cheetah... see you really don't have to go all the way to Africa!


Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge - Oklahoma

Bison, longhorn cattle, deer, prairie dogs, eagles and elusive elk call these prairie and grasslands home in the Wichita Mountains.


Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge - Texas

Watch out for bobcats and alligators in the 34,000 acres of prairies and wetland refuge.


Nulhegan Basin in Silvio O Conte National Wildlife Refuge - Vermont

One of the state's best kept secrets as it possesses high diversity and rare species where visitors can see moose, black bears, and white-tailed deer.


Great Smoky Mountains National Park- North Carolina and Tennessee

Biological diversity is the hallmark of this UNESCO World Heritage site. Visitors of the park can see 65 species of mammals including elk as they were reintroduced in 2001, as well as 13 frogs and toads. It is also the "salamander capital of the world" hosting 5 families of salamanders and 30 species.


Some of the biggest threats to wilderness are overuse, pollution, and lack of public awareness. The latter is just one thing that LittleCritterz is devoted to. By spreading awareness of the wilderness systems, we hope to save the land, the animals, the plants and the ecosystem for future generations. We believe that if something is not known, it cannot be understood. If something is not understood, it is not valued. If something isn't valued, it isn't loved. If it isn't loved, it isn't protected. If it isn't protected, it is lost. We don't want to lose it.


Sources:
http://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/aboutWild
http://www.nps.gov/
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/21/travel/earth-day-best-wildlife-sites
http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/great-american-outdoors/51-great-places-for-wildlife/49702682/1

Smithsonian Bear News!

Congratulations to the Smithsonian Zoological Park for the upcoming debut of the Andeans bear cubs born in December! We're very excited to watch them play and grow, and for you to be able to share this joy with the community!

For the first month, mom Billie Jean, and cubs were being monitored solely by camera in order to most closely resemble events in the wild. No keepers entered the private den, nor did Billie Jean bring the cubs to the main den. Slowly Billie Jean began bringing the cubs out to the main den one at a time, but only for a few moments and would then return to the private den. It wasn't until late their second month that the cubs were separated from their mother, with her approval of course, to do their first veterinary exam. The mortality rate of Andean bear cubs in the first year is 40%, it's no wonder she is cautious.


Like all bears, Andean bears can resorb the fetus at any stage during pregnancy, resulting in one or no bear cubs. Newborn cubs weigh between 10-18 ounces at birth and are practically toothless, bald and blind.

Andean bears are listed as vulnerable, estimated about 2,000 Andean bears exist in the wild. They are the only bear native to South America, and as their name suggests they live in the Andes Mountains.