Basic Information
Polar bears are found in the Arctic. Mostly in edges of pack ice where currents and wind interact. The average temperature on the Artic is -30°F (-34°C). Since this temperature is not that cold, they dont hibernate, they only hibernate if it is extremely cold, and they would search for shelter in a snow dean.
Polar bears appear to be white, but their hair is actually transparent; the white results from light being refracted through the clear hair strands. The bears can also be yellowish in the summer due to oxidation, or may even appear brown or gray, depending on the season and light conditions.
Polar Bears are solitary. They will spend days sitting on ice, by a seal breathing hole, waiting for one to pop up. This style of hunting is called still-hunting. They will also seek out seal lairs, crash through the roof and kill the seals inside. Since they are excellent swimmers, they can easily hunt seals in the ocean, and they can swim up to 100 km without resting. Even though they might seem really good hunters they only succeed in catching 2% of their prays.
Most Polar Bears have a life span between 15 and 20 years. The female bears usually give birth during the month of November or December, after being pregnant for 8 months. To have their babies they dig a cave in the snow. Most of the time they give birth to twins, but in some cases triplets or singles can be born.
Polar bears appear to be white, but their hair is actually transparent; the white results from light being refracted through the clear hair strands. The bears can also be yellowish in the summer due to oxidation, or may even appear brown or gray, depending on the season and light conditions.
Polar Bears are solitary. They will spend days sitting on ice, by a seal breathing hole, waiting for one to pop up. This style of hunting is called still-hunting. They will also seek out seal lairs, crash through the roof and kill the seals inside. Since they are excellent swimmers, they can easily hunt seals in the ocean, and they can swim up to 100 km without resting. Even though they might seem really good hunters they only succeed in catching 2% of their prays.
Most Polar Bears have a life span between 15 and 20 years. The female bears usually give birth during the month of November or December, after being pregnant for 8 months. To have their babies they dig a cave in the snow. Most of the time they give birth to twins, but in some cases triplets or singles can be born.
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Excellent Swimmers
Polar bears roam the Arctic ice sheets and swim in that region's coastal waters. They are very strong swimmers, and their large front paws, which they use to paddle, are slightly webbed. Some polar bears have been seen swimming hundreds of miles from land—though they probably cover most of that distance by floating on sheets of ice.
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Cubs
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Females create dens by digging into deep snow drifts, which provide protections and insulation from the Arctic elements. They give birth in winter, usually to twins. Males can kill the cubs if the mother doesn’t protect them.
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Interaction
Fur
Ice Melting Effect
The loss of ice forces them to either head ashore, where they can’t hunt their main seal prey, or to embark on long swims in search of sea ice. A study of 68 satellite-collared female polar bears with cubs found those bears that undertook long swims had a higher cub mortality rate. 5 of the 11 mother who set off on long swims lost their cubs before, during, or shortly after the swim events.
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