Interesting Facts About Polar Bears
There are currently 20-25 thousand polar bears, and they only live in the arctic regions of the world. They survive on floating ice blocks in the Northern regions of the world, and hunt seals + other animals.
In today’s article we will be sharing with you some interesting facts about polar bears.
Polar Bear Life & Appearance
Adult polar bears weigh 1300 lb or 600 kg. They are 10 ft. tall and on average live to be about 25 years old. They reach sexual maturity at about 4 years old.
The polar bear’s skin is actually black, and the fur is clear. Because there is so much fur, light reflects & scatters off of the fur which causes it to appear white or even yellow.
They spend the majority of their life hunting, mating, or relaxing on floating ice blocks in the arctic. They’re usually independent, except for when they’re raising cubs.
Unlike other bears, polar bears do not hibernate during the winter- instead they remain active.
Polar Bear Survival
Polar bears are well-equipped to surviving harsh and extremely cold climates. Two coats of fur and a thick layer of blubber keep the polar bear warm in extreme blizzards.
Their paws are also well-adapted for walking on the cold & even swimming. They can swim in the water for long periods of time- one polar bear was even found to be swimming 125 miles (200 km) away from all other ice blocks!
They don’t prefer to swim for too long though because they lose heat fast and the cubs may die.
Diet/Hunting
Polar bears are strictly carnivorous which means that they only eat other animals. They focus primarily on seals; however will also eat birds or penguins if they’re very hungry. In fact, when hungry they’ll eat almost any other animal!
They have a strong sense of smell which is how they locate their prey. They try to swim up and catch their prey by surprise, and quickly kill it to eat the fat off of it. They can smell seals from over a mile away (1.6 km).
Polar bears are the largest carnivores (meat-eaters) on the planet. While it’s very unlikely you’ll ever come across one, they are very dangerous and powerful compared to humans.
Swimming for long periods of time is usually not a problem for the polar bear, however they prefer to remain on land except when hunting.
Reproduction
Polar bears are primarily independent except when raising cubs or mating. After mating with another polar bear, the female polar bear will hunt a lot for extra fat reserves so she can relax with her kids.
The cubs are often born blind, and weigh a mere one pound. It takes 4 years for a cub to reach full sexual maturity. Cubs depend solely on their mother for survival until they begin to reach adulthood.
Global Warming
Recent increases in the Earth’s temperature are putting the polar population at risk. Polar bears live primarily on floating ice caps, and while they can swim for hours at a time, the continuing shortage of ice caps will put polar bears at risk.
Thanks for reading!
-Wildlife X Team International