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What the sources say

Sun BearHelarctos malayanus

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Sun Bear profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 53 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Chauhan & Sethy 2011

Chauhan & Sethy (2011). Human-malayan Sun Bear Conflicts in Manipur State, India. Indian Forester.

The page saysdangerLevel: High
The source saysIn total, there were 98 humau injury cases by sun bear during 1995-2008.Note: #1046; capability reading: injuries to people, no deaths stated, so High not Deadly. 'humau' is the journal page's own OCR.

Source
02

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Sun Bear. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

The page saysThe world's smallest bear, 23 to 65 kg, with the longest tongue and a chest crescent as individual as a fingerprint.
The source saysWeight: 60 to 145 pounds (23 to 65 kilograms)Note: tagline; tongue/patch claims below
The page saysAlthough it is the smallest bear in the world, it has the longest tongue.
The source saysAlthough sun bears are the smallest bears in the world, they have the longest tongues.
The page saysMostly fruit and insects, plus honey, small birds, lizards and rodents
The source saysrely primarily on fruit and insects ... Other occasional food choices include small birds, fruit, honey, lizards, rodents
The page saysis the smallest of the world's eight bear species
The source saysSun bears are the smallest of the world's eight bear species
The page saysbut it has the longest tongue
The source saysAlthough sun bears are the smallest bears in the world, they have the longest tongues.
The page saysThat tongue is perfect for reaching honey and insects inside trees and other tight places.
The source saysA sun bear’s especially long tongue is perfectly suited for reaching honey and insects inside trees and other tight places.
The page saysIts front paws and long claws rip trees open in search of insects or sap.
The source saysTheir front paws and long claws rip open trees in search of insects or sap
The page saysThe claws are about 10 centimeters (4 inches) long.
The source says4-inch-long (10 centimeters) claws
The page saysIts strong jaws and teeth can even open coconuts.
The source saysTheir strong jaws and teeth can even open coconuts!
The page saysIts name comes from the white or yellowish crescent on its chest, which many people think looks like the rising or setting sun.
The source saysTheir common name comes from the white or yellowish crescent markings on their chest, which many people think looks like the rising or setting sun.
The page saysEach bear's crest is unique, like a fingerprint.
The source saysEach bear’s crest is unique—like our fingerprints.
The page saysAn adult sun bear weighs 23 to 65 kilograms (60 to 145 pounds) and is 1.1 to 1.4 meters long.
The source saysLength: 3.5 to 4.5 feet (1.1 to 1.4 meters) long Weight: 60 to 145 pounds (23 to 65 kilograms)
The page saysMales are 10 to 20 percent larger than females.
The source saysmales are 10 to 20 percent larger than females
The page saysThe species is about half the size of an American black bear.
The source saysabout half the size of American black bears
The page saysIn Malay, its name means "he who likes to sit high".
The source sayswhich means “he who likes to sit high.”
The page saysBig paws with hairless soles help it climb
The source sayslarge paws with hairless soles help them move about with ease high up in trees
The page saysit walks pigeon-toed, which is an adaptation to life in the trees
The source saysThey have a distinctive pigeon-toed walk, an adaptation to their arboreal lifestyle.
The page saysIf a predator grabs on, a sun bear can turn in its loose skin and bite back.
The source saysIf a predator were to latch on during a struggle, a sun bear can turn in its loose skin and bite its attacker.
The page saysone of its two subspecies is the Bornean sun bear
The source saysSUBSPECIES: euryspilus (Bornean sun bear), malayanus (Malayan sun bear)
The page saysSun bears rely mostly on fruit and insects
The source saysOmnivorous sun bears rely primarily on fruit and insects to meet their nutritional needs.
The page saysThey do not hibernate, probably because their tropical forest has food year-round.
The source saysSun bears do not hibernate like cold-weather bears, probably because their tropical habitat provides food sources year-round.
The page saysSan Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance gives an average life span of 23 years for females.
The source saysOn average, 23 years for females, unknown for males
The page saysNobody knows how many are left, because the bears are secretive and few studies have focused on them.
The source saysIt is unknown how many are left, since their secretive nature makes them hard to find, and few studies have focused on these bears.
The page saysScientists think the population fell by more than 30 percent in 30 years
The source saysThe population of this rare bear is thought to have declined more than 30 percent in the last 30 years.
The page saysas farming and logging destroy forest and poachers hunt the bears for meat and medicines
The source sayshabitat loss from farming and logging, poaching (both for meat and use in medicines)
The page saysHunting them is illegal, but the laws are rarely enforced.
The source saysAlthough it is illegal to hunt sun bears, laws protecting them are rarely enforced.
The page saysIn eastern India it shares the forest with black bears and sloth bears, the only place where those three bears are known to live together today.
The source saysSmall sun bear, black bear, and sloth bear populations have been found in eastern India, making this area the only place where the three kinds of bears are known to coexist today.
The page saysHoney, small birds, lizards and rodents are occasional extras
The source saysOther occasional food choices include small birds, fruit, honey, lizards, rodents
The page saysTo many people, the pale crescent there looks like the sun rising or setting.
The source sayswhite or yellowish crescent markings on their chest, which many people think looks like the rising or setting sun
The page saysNo two bears have quite the same one.
The source saysEach bear’s crest is unique—like our fingerprints.
The page saysIt is the smallest of the eight bear species.
The source saysSun bears are the smallest of the world's eight bear species
The page saysPicture an American black bear, then halve it.
The source saysabout half the size of American black bears
The page saysAdults weigh 23 to 65 kilograms.
The source saysWeight: 60 to 145 pounds (23 to 65 kilograms)
The page saysFemales average about 23 years, according to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
The source saysOn average, 23 years for females, unknown for males
The page saysNobody has worked out an average for males yet.
The source saysOn average, 23 years for females, unknown for males
The page saysIts IUCN listing is Vulnerable.
The source saysAccording to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, sun bears are vulnerable to extinction.
The page saysA lack of data is what currently keeps it from being listed as endangered
The source saysThis lack of data currently prevents them from being listed as endangered
The page saysthough scientists believe its numbers are dwindling rapidly
The source saysscientists believe sun bear populations are dwindling rapidly
The page saysclaws about 10 centimeters long rip trees open for insects or sap
The source saysTheir front paws and long claws rip open trees in search of insects or sap
The page saysthe longest tongue of any bear reaches the honey inside
The source saysthey have the longest tongues

Source
03

Bies

Bies. Helarctos malayanus (sun bear). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysDense lowland tropical forests
The source saysSun bears are found in dense lowland tropical forests.
The page saysOn some bears the patch is missing completely.
The source saysThe yellowish or white chest patch is highly variable, "U" shaped in some and completely absent in others.
The page saysIt lives in the dense lowland tropical forests
The source saysSun bears are found in dense lowland tropical forests.
The page saysbees and termites among them
The source saysSun bears are opportunistic omnivores, with bees , termites , and earthworms comprising the main part of their diet
The page sayswhen the chance comes up they scavenge tiger kills
The source saysShould the opportunity present itself, sun bears will eat small rodents, birds, and lizards along with scavenging tiger kills
The page saysclimber
The source saysThey can commonly be found climbing in trees.Note: tags: climber

Source
04

Oakland Zoo

Sun Bear. Oakland Zoo.

The page saysIt lives in the dense lowland tropical forests of Southeast Asia, from as far north as Myanmar to the Indonesian islands of Kalimantan and Sumatra in the south.
The source saysdense lowland tropical forests of Southeast Asia, from as far north as Myanmar, to as far south as the two main Islands of Indonesia, Kalimantan and Sumatra
The page saysIts historic range was far larger, and today the bears live in more fragmented areas.
The source saysTheir historic range was expansive, but in the present day they exist in more fragmented areas.
The page saysDense lowland tropical forests of Southeast Asia, from Myanmar south to Sumatra and Borneo
The source saysdense lowland tropical forests of Southeast Asia, from as far north as Myanmar, to as far south as the two main Islands of Indonesia, Kalimantan and SumatraNote: Kalimantan is the Indonesian part of Borneo

Source
05

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources

AnAge entry for Helarctos malayanus. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

The page saysOne captive bear in the AnAge database reached 35.9 years.
The source saysOne captive specimen lived 35.9 years
The page saysweightKg: 46
The source saysAdult weight 46,000 gNote: 46 kg from 46,000 g; Medium class, inside SDZ's 23 to 65 kg

Source
06

Scotson et al. 2017

Scotson et al. (2017). Helarctos malayanus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T9760A123798233.

The page saysThe IUCN Red List rates the sun bear Vulnerable.
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Vulnerable (VU).

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.