California spectacled bear (SciiFii)

The California spectacled bear (Tremarctos californianus), also known as the California cave bear, the Western American spectacled bear, and the California short-faced bear, is a species of bear of the subfamily Tremarctinae. The California spectacled bear originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced to the modern swamps, marshlands, forests, and open woodlands of California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, and Washington to help boost biodiversity. The California spectacled bear is larger than its relative, the South American spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), growing to be about the size of a medium-size grizzly bear and weighing up to 300 kg. California spectacled bears are some of the North American bear species that are habitually arboreal, alongside the American black bear (Ursus americanus). Although California spectacled bears are solitary and tend to isolate themselves from one another to avoid competition, they are not territorial. They have even been recorded to feed in small groups at abundant food sources. California spectacled bears are more herbivorous than most other bears; normally about 5 to 7% of their diets is meat. The most common foods for these bears include cactus, bromeliads (especially Puya ssp., Tillandsia ssp. and Guzmania ssp.) palm nuts, bamboo hearts, frailejon (Espeletia spp.), orchid bulbs, fallen fruit on the forest floor, and unopened palm leaves. They will also peel back tree bark to eat the nutritious second layer. Much of this vegetation is very tough to open or digest for most animals, and the bear is one of the few species in its range to exploit these food sources. The California spectacled bear, along with the South American spectacled bear and the Florida spectacled bear, has the largest zygomatic mandibular muscles relative to its body size and the shortest muzzle of any living bear, slightly surpassing the relative size of the giant panda's (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) morphology here. Not coincidentally, three of those bear species are known for extensively consuming tough, fibrous plants. The conservation status of the California spectacled bear is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts and the California spectacled bear's wide range.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii