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Spectacled Bear Facts & Worksheets

The Spectacled Bear is a bear with prominent brown or ginger-colored patterns over its face and upper chest. 

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Spectacled bears are mammals that are medium-sized creatures with short, powerful legs. Bears’ fur is often blackish. It can also be jet black, dark brown, or even reddish. Although not all bears have “spectacle” marks, spectacled bears often have prominent brown or ginger-colored patterns over their face and upper chest. 

See the fact file below for more information on the Spectacled bear, or you can download our 27-page Spectacled bear worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

  • Spectacled bears are usually consistently black, though reddish-brown animals have been seen. The white or tan markings on the face that form rings around the eyes and frequently continue down the chest, forming a bib-like area of light fur, are the source of the common term “spectacled bears.” 
  • The lighter marks are pretty diverse, individual, and sometimes almost nonexistent. The coat ranges in length from medium to long. The tail of spectacled bears is just about 70mm long and is frequently entirely buried by the fur. 
  • They have a stocky build, small round ears, a thick short neck, and a stout muzzle.
  • The front limbs of spectacled bears are longer than the hind limbs, and they have a plantigrade stance like all bears. Most bears have an incredible climbing ability thanks to this characteristic of their limbs. Their top running speed is 30 miles per hour (mph).
  • The zygomaticomandibularis muscle of spectacled bears is the greatest relative to the body size of any bear species. The blunt lophs of the cheek teeth and this musculature trait are adaptations for their largely herbivorous diet.
  • These bears reach lengths of 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 meters) and have shoulders that are 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 meters) high. 
  • Males can weigh up to 340 pounds and grow to 30% bigger than females (154 kilograms). Rarely do females reach a weight of 180 pounds (81 kilograms).
Common NameSpectacled Bear, Andean Bear, Decorated Bear
Scientific NameTremarctos ornatus

DISTRIBUTION

  • Most spectacled bear habitat is restricted to parts of northern and western South America. They are found in western Bolivia, western Colombia, western Ecuador, and western Venezuela. The Andes Mountains are home to almost all of the species.
  • Throughout their range, spectacled bears can be found in a wide range of environments and elevations, including cloud forests, high-altitude grasslands, dry woods, and scrub deserts. These creatures do best in humid to extremely humid highland forests.

HABITS AND LIFESTYLE

  • The species of spectacled bear lives in trees. They may be active both during the day and at night in the Andean cloud forests, but in the Peruvian desert, they are known to spend the day sleeping beneath cover of vegetation. 
  • Because they have coexisted with humans for so long, spectacled bears can climb even the tallest trees in the Andes. When confronted by people, they typically flee, frequently by climbing trees. 
  • Once up a tree, they frequently create a platform for resting, storing food, and possibly helping with hiding. Spectacled bears are not territorial, despite the fact that they live alone and frequently keep to themselves to avoid competition. Even at sources of plentiful food, they might feed in tiny groups.
  • The average home range for males is reported to be 27 km2 (10 sq mi) during the dry season and 23 km2 (8.9 sq mi) during the wet season. In the rainy season, females’ average home range is 10 km2 (3.9 sq mi), whereas, in the dry season, it is 7 km2 (2.7 sq mi). 
  • Unless the intruder is perceived as a threat or a mother’s cubs are in danger, spectacled bears will respond to humans or other bears in a subdued but cautious manner. Mother bears have attacked poachers and are protective of their cubs like other bears are.

DIET AND NUTRITION

  • More herbivorous than most bears, spectacled bears consume only 5–7% of their diet as meat. Cacti, bromeliads, palm nuts, bamboo hearts, frailejon, orchid bulbs, fruit falling to the forest floor, and unopened palm leaves are among the most typical edibles. They may even venture above the tree line in search of berries. 
  • They also consume domesticated plants, including corn, sugarcane, and honey. Rabbits, mice, other rodents, nesting birds, arthropods, and carrion are examples of animal prey. 
  • Spectacled bears forage on the ground and climb trees. To access elevated food, they will erect stick platforms, and their keen claws will be used to rip open vast quantities of bromeliads.

MATING HABITS

  • Because spectacled bears are polygynous, mating pairs often only stay together for one to two weeks. Even while the breeding season can happen at any time of the year, it typically peaks in April and June at the start of the rainy season, when fruit ripening is at its most intense. 
  • Births typically take place between December and February during the dry season. There are 5.5 to 8.5 months of gestation. In general, females give birth to 2 to 3 cubs. 
  • The cubs weigh between 300 and 330 g (11 to 12 oz) when they are born and have closed eyes. The female normally gives birth in a small den and waits until the cubs are old enough to see and move before leaving.
  • Before venturing on their own, the cubs typically spend a year with their mother. Both sexes usually attain reproductive maturity in captivity between the ages of 4 and 7.
  • The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List estimates that there are between 2,500 and 10,000 mature spectacled bears in the world. 
  • The female bear is called a sow, the male is a boar, and their baby is called a cub.
  • Mature spectacled bears are solitary creatures, and they rarely gather in groups outside of breeding season. Females often give birth to one or two tiny, defenseless cubs.
  • After a month, the cubs become mobile but remain with the mother for up to eight months, frequently riding on her back.

LIFESPAN

  • In the wild, spectacled bears have a 20 to 25-year lifespan. Zoo bears can live well into their 30s. It implies that a bear that lives in a protected area will probably live longer than one that is in the wild. 
  • A spectacled bear that lived in the National Zoo in Washington, DC, for 36 years and 8 months holds the record for the oldest spectacled bear.
  • Estimated populations of the species can be found in the following locations: Venezuela (1,100–1,600 bears), Colombia (3,00–6,00 bears), Ecuador (1,200–2,000 bears), Peru (about 5,000 bears), and Bolivia (approximately 3,000 bears).

THREATS

  • On the IUCN Red List, spectacled bears are currently categorized as Vulnerable (VU) and are becoming less common. The population trend of spectacled bears is decreasing.
  • Populations of spectacled bears are mostly threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation. They are also killed by farmers as agricultural pests and by poachers for their meat and other body parts. 
  • Lack of natural food supplies may force bears to consume livestock or crops, escalating the conflict that normally leads to human poaching.
  • Poaching and habitat loss pose threats to spectacled bear populations. Trophy hunting, the pet trade, religious or mystical beliefs, the trade of natural resources, and human disputes are just a few of the many motivations for poaching. However, it appears that conflicts with people account for the majority of poaching in significant areas of their range. 
  • Andean bears are frequently killed in retaliation or to prevent future harm when they are thought to have attacked livestock or raided farms. Extensive farming and logging, which have resulted in habitat degradation for the bears, many of whom are dependent on trees, maybe the most widespread concern facing the species. In the Andean cloud forest, only 5% of the natural habitat is still present.

Spectacled Bear Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Spectacled Bears across 27 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Spectacled Bear, a bear with prominent brown or ginger-colored patterns over its face and upper chest. 

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Spectacled Bear Facts 
  2. Puzzle Beater
  3. Where Am I?
  4. Lifestyle Check
  5. Brain Dump
  6. Bear Burp
  7. Enlighten Me
  8. Compare The Bears
  9. Now I KNOWtes!
  10. A Letter To The Farmers
  11. Save The Bears!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is unique about the spectacled bear?

The spectacled bear is the only bear species native to South America, and, as its name would suggest, its distinctive feature is the circular yellow or white markings around its eyes – resembling spectacles. Besides these unique facial markings being different from one another, spectacled bears have a lifespan of up to 20 years!

Why is it called a spectacle bear?

These awe-inducing bears are easily recognized by their often-luxurious coats of black, brown, or sometimes reddish fur. But the white to-yellow ring circles around each eye like a pair of spectacles, giving them their common name: spectacled bears.

How many spectacled bears are left in the world?

With fewer than 10,000 spectacled bears remaining in the world, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s findings that listed them as vulnerable species, it is clear that we must take action soon.What is unique about the spectacled bear?

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Link will appear as Spectacled Bear Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, December 8, 2022

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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