Biography of a polar bear
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Polar Bear
Polar Bear
Ursus maritimus
Status: Threatened
Description
Polar bears are the largest carnivorous land mammals on Earth. They are about seven to eight feet long, measured from the nose to the tip of their very short tail. Male polar bears are much larger than the females. A large male can weigh more than 1,700 pounds, while a large female is about half that size (up to 1,000 pounds). Bears can weigh about 50 percent more after a successful hunting season than they do at the start of the next; most of this additional weight is accumulated fat. A newborn polar bear weighs only about 1.5 pounds.
Many of the polar bear's physical adaptations help it maintain body heat and deal with its icy habitat. The bear's outer layer of fur is hollow and reflects light, giving the fur a white color that helps the bear remain camouflaged. The skin under the polar bear's fur is actually black; this black is evident only on the nose. Polar bears also have a thick layer of
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Polar bear
Species of bear native to the Arctic
This article is about the djur. For other uses, see Polar bära (disambiguation).
"Ice bear" and "Northern bears" redirect here. For other uses, see Ice Bears (disambiguation) and nordlig bears (disambiguation).
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a large bära native to the Arctic and nearby areas. It is closely related to the brown bear, and the two species can interbreed. The polar bära is the largest extant species of bear and land carnivore, with adult males weighing 300–800 kg (660–1,760 lb). The species is sexually dimorphic, as adult females are much smaller. The polar bära is white- or yellowish-furred with black skin and a thick layer of fat. It is more slender than the brown bear, with a narrower skull, längre neck and lower shoulder hump. Its teeth are sharper and more adapted to cutting meat. The paws are large and allow the bear to walk on ice and paddle in the vatten.
Polar bears are both terrestr
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NATURAL HISTORY
POLAR BEAR } Ursus maritimus
FAMILY: Ursidae
DESCRIPTION: The largest of the bear species, the polar bear sports luxurious white fur with water-repellent guard hairs and dense underfur. It also has a layer of blubber up to five inches thick, black skin, a short-furred snout, small ears, and a streamlined body with large, oar-like feet. Males measure from eight to 11 feet from nose to tail and generally weigh about 1,300 pounds but can reach more than 1,700. Females measure about six to eight feet and are usually about half the weight of males.
HABITAT: Polar bears live throughout the ice-covered waters of the circumpolar Arctic, with distribution dependent on food availability and sea-ice conditions; they are most often found at the convergence of sea ice and open water, and where seals congregate. These bears are totally reliant on the sea ice as their primary habitat, using it for a number of essential activities including hunting and feeding on seals,