Tremarctos ornatus (Carnivora: Ursidae)

Abstract

Abstract: Tremarctos ornatus (F.G. Cuvier, 1825) is a tremarctine bear commonly known as the Andean bear. It is a medium-sized bear with black to dark red-brown pelage with dense, long, coarse fur; creamy white marks occur on the chin, neck, and chest, and often white to creamy marks occur on the face, around the muzzle, and eyes. It is distributed in the tropical Andes of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, and northern Argentina in South America. T. ornatus is catalogued as “Vulnerable” (VU) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources and is included in CITES Appendix I. Main threats include habitat loss and fragmentation, illegal killing, human–bear conflicts, and most likely climate change.