The polar bear is a large carnivorous animal found in the Arctic. It is the largest terrestrial carnivore and has no natural predators, which makes it dangerous. Discover and explore fun facts about polar bears.
Polar bears
The polar bear is a large bear that lives in the Arctic and nearby places. It is closely related to the brown bear and can mate with it. Polar bears are the largest bears and terrestrial carnivores, and adult males weigh between 300 and 800 kilograms.
Females are smaller. They have white or yellowish fur, black skin and a thick layer of fat. Polar bears are more slender than brown bears, with narrower skulls, longer necks and less shoulder humps.
Their teeth are sharp for eating meat, and they have large paws that help them walk on ice and swim in water.
Fun facts about polar bears
1. Polar bears live in five countries around the Arctic; Canada, the United States (specifically Alaska), Russia, Greenland and Norway (specifically Svalbard).
2. They face harsh conditions in the Arctic, with winter temperatures ranging from minus 34 degrees Celsius to minus 69 degrees Celsius. The water temperature can be as cold as minus 2 degrees Celsius when the sea water freezes.
3. Polar bears have to deal with vast sea ice that is always changing. Because of this, they can have huge areas where they live and move.
4. When a polar bear shaves, it reveals black skin under its white fur. Polar bears are known for their white fur, but the skin underneath is black. This black skin helps them absorb the heat of the sun and stay warm in their icy arctic habitat.
5. Polar bears do not have white fur as we might think. Their fur is transparent, which means that light passes through it. The reason they look white is because their fur reflects light in a way that makes it appear white to us.
6. Polar bears are the largest of all eight bear species. They are also the largest carnivores living on land. The heaviest polar bear ever recorded weighed over 1,000 kilograms.
7. Polar bears have the shortest tail of all bears. The 2.4 to 3 meter long polar bear has a tiny tail only 7 to 13 centimeters long.
8. Polar bears have an incredible sense of smell. They can smell seals that are almost 1.6 kilometers away, and even buried under a meter of snow. Their hearing and ability to see long distances is also very good.
9. They are considered marine mammals because they spend most of their time on ice, not on land. Polar bears hunt, mate and live on the ice for many months each year, making them unique among bears.
10. Polar bears mostly eat meat. They hunt animals such as ringed seals and bearded seals, along with other animals such as seals. They also eat dead fish, whale carcasses, and sometimes even garbage near human settlements.
11. Many land animals in the Arctic can run faster than polar bears because polar bears can overheat quickly.
12. In winter, polar bears dig snow pits to stay comfortable during bad weather. They rest there until the storm passes.
Things you might not know about polar bears
Polar bears can survive several days without food
Polar bears can go without food for several days. When they haven’t eaten for about seven to ten days, their bodies slow down to conserve energy until they find food again. They mainly eat ringed and bearded seals, relying on their fat reserves for energy. However, climate change is causing food shortages, causing some polar bears to resort to cannibalism.
Polar bears can swim for a long time
Polar bears are excellent swimmers and can swim for a long time. They usually swim at about 6 mph. This skill comes in handy because as the ice melts, they have to swim more. In one study, a tagged female polar bear swam 426 miles in nine days across Alaska’s Beaufort Sea. She lost 22 percent of her body weight while swimming. Another bear in the study swam for 12 days, but took breaks along the way.
Polar bears are higher than us in the food chain
Polar bears are at the top of the food chain, higher than humans. They don’t have many predators, and mostly eat meat, which puts them alongside species like killer whales at the top of the chain. Humans, on the other hand, are more in the middle of the food chain.
However, don’t worry too much about polar bear attacks on humans. A 2017 study found that there have only been 20 fatal polar bear attacks in the past 144 years in countries where polar bears live. However, if polar bears become scarce with food, people living in their territory could face greater danger from hungry bears.
Polar bears fast for a long time
Polar bears spend a lot of time without food. When they are not hunting seals on the ice, female polar bears fast for a long time. In Canada’s Hudson Bay, pregnant polar bears can survive without food for up to 240 days, which is almost eight months. With less ice, polar bears have less chance to hunt and build up the fat stores they need to survive without food. In the past, non-pregnant polar bears fasted for 120 days between hunting seasons.
Scientists can get a polar bear’s DNA from its footprints
Scientists have found a way to get the DNA of polar bears just from their footprints. This helps them learn more about polar bears and how to protect them. They can even figure out what the bears eat by looking at the DNA in their prints.
Polar bears choose to live alone
After spending four to five months in the den, the polar bear family comes out. Cubs stay with their mother for about two years. During this time, they learn essential skills for survival in the Arctic.
Disclaimer: The above information is for general information purposes only. All information on the website is provided in good faith, however we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of any information on the website.
Categories: General
Source: HIS Education