The spectacled bear, or Andean short-faced bear, is the last remaining short-faced bear and has a relatively short snout compared to other bear species.
The spectacled bear is also known as the “Andean short-faced bear” because it has a relatively short, broad snout and more rounded face compared to other bear species.
In some extinct species of the Tremarctinae subfamily, this facial structure has been thought to be an adaptation to a largely carnivorous diet, despite the modern spectacled bear’s herbivorous dietary preferences.
The spectacled bear is the last remaining short-faced bear from the subfamily Tremarctinae and its closest relatives are the extinct Florida spectacled bear and the giant short-faced bears of the Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene age.
• Image | © Tambako The Jaguar, Some Rights Reserved, (CC BY-ND 2.0)
• Sources | (The Bear Planet; Brazilian Animals; Fernando Del Moral; Krause, et al., 2008; LaFee, 2009; Wikimedia Foundation, 2018)
