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Polar bears are forever linked to the Arctic sea ice, where they hunt their seal prey. The bears are found in five range states: the U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Norway (Svalbard). Scientists have divided them into 19 populations, some of which are shared by more than one country.
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Aug 23, 2024 · Polar bear, great white northern bear found throughout the Arctic region. The polar bear is the largest and most powerful carnivore on land, a title it shares with a subspecies of brown bear called the Kodiak bear.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Polar bear habitat. Polar bears are excellent swimmers, but their preferred habitat is on top of the ice that covers Arctic seas much of the year. That is where they mate, hunt and rear their young.
- Description
- Habitat and Distribution
- Diet and Behavior
- Reproduction and Offspring
- Conservation Status
- Sources
Polar bears are easily recognizable by their white fur, which yellows with age. Each hair on a polar bear is hollow, and the skin beneath its fur is black. Compared to brown bears, polar bears have an elongated body and face. With their small ears and tails and short legs, polar bears are adapted to life in the Arctic cold. Their large feet help to...
The polar bear's scientific name means "maritime bear." Polar bears are born on land, but they spend most of their lives on ice or open water in the Arctic. In fact, they can live as far south as Newfoundland Island. Polar bears are found in five countries: Canada, the United States (Alaska), Denmark (Greenland), Norway (Svalbard), and Russia. Alth...
While many bearsare omnivorous, polar bears are almost exclusively carnivorous. Seals are their primary prey. The bears can smell seals from up to a mile (1.6 kilometers) away and buried beneath 3 feet (0.9 meters) of snow. The most common hunting technique is called still-hunting. A bear locates a seal's breathing hole by smell, waits for the seal...
Female polar bears reach sexual maturity and begin breeding at four or five years of age. Males become mature around six years of age, but rarely breed before age eight due to fierce competition from other males. Male polar bears fight for mating rights and court females in April and May. Once mating takes place, the fertilized egg is suspended unt...
The IUCN Red List classifies the polar bear as a vulnerable species. The bear has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Actsince 2008. At present, the estimated polar bear population ranges from 20,000 to 25,000. Polar bears face multiple threats, including pollution, various impacts from oil and gas development, hunting,...
DeMaster, Douglas P. and Ian Stirling. "Ursus Maritimus". Mammalian Species. 145 (145): 1–7, 1981. doi:10.2307/3503828Derocher, Andrew E.; Lunn, Nicholas J.; Stirling, Ian. "Polar Bears in a Warming Climate". Integrative and Comparative Biology. 44 (2): 163–176, 2004. doi:10.1093/icb/44.2.163Paetkau, S.; Amstrup, C.; Born, E. W.; Calvert, W.; Derocher, A.E.; Garner, G.W.; Messier, F; Stirling, I; Taylor, M.K. "Genetic structure of the world's polar bear populations". Molecular Ecology....Stirling, Ian. Polar Bears. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1988. ISBN 0-472-10100-5.- Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
- 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.
The polar bear 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 bear is white- or yellowish-furred with black skin and a thick layer of fat.
How do polar bears survive their Arctic habitat? Is climate change affecting their population? Learn how polar bears have adapted to life on top of the world.
