Spectacled Bears

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Barry Barker/McGraw-Hill Education

The spectacled bear is indigenous to many Andean areas

The spectacled bear is called el oso frontino in Spanish. It is the only remaining species of bear that is native to South America. The spectacled bear lives in the cloud forests of the northern Andes. They are robust animals with a short, muscular neck and short, strong legs. Like other bears, their front legs are longer than their back legs, which makes them wonderful climbers. They are usually black and have white or yellow markings around their muzzle, neck, and chest. The markings sometimes extend over the eyes, giving the bears the appearance of wearing “spectacles,” and thus their distinctive name. The diet of these bears is largely vegetarian. Males weigh between 145 and 175 kilograms. The average weight of females is 80 kilograms.

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