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- Polar bears are classified as marine mammals. Because they spend most of their lives on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean depending on the ocean for their food and habitat, polar bears are the only bear species to be considered marine mammals.
- A polar bear skin is actually black. Beneath all that thick fur, polar bears have jet black skin. The polar bear’s fur is also translucent, and only appears white because it reflects visible light.
- They can swim constantly for days at a time. As well as reaching speeds of up to 6mph in the water, polar bears can swim for long distances and steadily for many hours to get from one piece of ice to another.
- Less than 2% of polar bear hunts are successful. Although about half of a polar bear’s life is spent hunting for food, their hunts are rarely successful.
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This article is about polar bears and provides ten interesting facts about them, including their habitat, size, adaptation to the environment, hunting habits, fur color and cubs. It also mentions that they are vulnerable due to climate change.
The article provides 10 facts about polar bears, including their habitat, size and weight, adaptation to the environment, hunting skills and cubs. They are vulnerable due to climate change.
Polar bears have thick fur and a layer of fat called blubber that protects them from the cold air and water in the Arctic. They also have black skin under their coat which helps absorb sun rays for warmth.
Polar bears use their excellent sense of smell to track seals as prey up to 16km away; they swim well but hunt mainly on ice platforms near seal breathing holes or at the edge of ice.
Female polar bears give birth in snow dens where family is protected from harsh environment; cubs stay with mother for 2 years learning survival skills in Arctic.
Learn about the largest living carnivores on Earth, their amazing adaptations, hunting skills and conservation status. Find out how polar bears use their sense of smell, swim, blend in with their surroundings and raise their cubs.
Aug 23, 2024 · Learn about the polar bear, the largest and most powerful carnivore on land, and its adaptations, diet, and reproduction. Find out how climate change and human activities are affecting its survival and population.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- For a polar bear, home is on the sea ice. Polar bears rely on Arctic sea ice for their survival, a habitat that is literally melting away as the planet warms.
- Polar bears are BIG. In fact, they are the largest four-legged predator. Adult males normally weight 350 to more than 600 kilograms (775 to more than 1,300 pounds).
- Polar bears are champion travelers. Polar bears are one of the most mobile four-legged animals, if not the most. They can travel more than 3,000 kilometers per month and can have home ranges that exceed 600,000 square kilometers (an area larger than California or the entire Yukon in one year!).
- Polar bear cubs are born in dens hidden under the snow. After feeding throughout the winter and the spring seal-pupping season, a pregnant female polar bear digs a den in the fall where she gives birth to her cubs and nurses them.
Learn about the polar bear, a large white-furred bear native to the Arctic and nearby areas. Find out how it is related to the brown bear, what it eats, how it adapts to sea ice, and why it is vulnerable to climate change and human activities.
Curious about polar bears' habitat, food, life cycle and more? Get to know the bears and explore our polar bear facts.
Learn about the polar bear, the largest land carnivore and a marine mammal that lives in the Arctic region. Find out about its fur, skin, diet, swimming, mating, cubs and conservation status.