POLAR BEARS

  POLAR  BEARS  

BASIC FACTS

Polar bears are largest land carnivores in the world.  Polar bears sit at the top of the food chain in the biologically rich Arctic. The most carnivorous of the bear species, polar bears feed primarily on the fat of ice-dependent seals.

Polar bears are marine mammals, and spend much of their time on Arctic sea ice. Many adaptations make polar bears uniquely suited to life in icy habitats. Their fur is thicker than any other bears’ and covers even their feet for warmth and traction on ice. A thick layer of blubber beneath their fur provides buoyancy and insulation. The long neck and narrow skull of the polar bear probably aid in streamlining the animal in the water while warming the air that they breathe, and their front feet are large, flat and oar-like, making them excellent swimmers.

Did You Know?

Polar bears have black skin to absorb heat, but their fur appears white to blend in with their environment.

DIET

Polar bears feed almost on ringed seals and bearded seals. They are also known to eat waryls, beluga white and bowhead whale carcasses, birds’ eggs, and (rarely) vegetation.

POPULATION

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) estimates that there are between 20,000-25,000 polar bears in the world.

RANGE & HABITAT

Polar bears are only found in the Arctic sea area. The most important habitats for polar bears are the edges of pack ice where currents and wind interact and refreezing matrix of ice patches and leads (open spaces in the ocean between sea ice). These are the areas of where polar bears can find the greatest number of seals.

Click here to see more about polar bears.