Polar Bear
Ursus Maritimus
Habitat and Appearance
Polar Bears live on the Arctic Ice and swim in the coastal waters. They are strong swimmers with their large, slightly webbed, front paws. They live on a cold enviroment so they depend on insulated fur above a layer of warming fat to keep them warm. This fur even grows on the bottom of their paws to protect from cold surfaces and to help with their grip. They are usually 7.25 to 8 ft from head to body, and their tale is usually 3 to 5 inches. The average weight is about 900 to 1,600 lbs. A Polar Bears fur is white which helps camouflage with the ice. Under the fur their skin is black because it helps soak in the sunlight. The usual life span is from 20 to 25 years.
Supplementary Needs and Behavior
Polar Bears are among the group of the largest carnivores. The most common food for a Polar Bear to eat is ringed seals and bearded seals. They may also eat Kelp, Whales, and Walruses. They sometimes eat Carcasses, usually from dead whales. It is believed that there are about 20,000 to 25,000 Polar Bears in the world. Polar Bears are usually most active during the first 2 thirds of the day. They hunt most of the time and when they are not hunting they are either sleeping or resting. Sometimes adult and subadults feed and travel together for short periods of time, but they are usually independent. Subadults and females with cubs are most likely to attack humans. Most aggresion is in male Polar Bears during breeding season or when one bear tries to steal another bears food. The average walking speed of a Polar Bear is 3.4MPH and when they charge it is 25MPH.
Breeding Season
Most Polar Bears do not hibernate except for Pregnate females. Mating season is usually from late March to May. The Polar Bear mates may stay together for one or more weeks. Females locate a den in October, their young is born while the mother is hibernatng, usually anytime during November to January. They can give birth from 1-4 cubs, the most comon is twins. The mothers stay with their cubs for about 2 and a half years. The males may sometimes kill the youngest or weakest of the liter. The mothers get no help from the mates and they aggresively protect their young.
Two Polar Bears play fighting
A Polar Bear swimming
A mother and her cubs
Threats
Polar Bears have a habitat threat. Melting ice caps fom global warming creates less habitat space for Polar Bears to roam on. Less habiat space forces Polar Bears to move to area where humans live causing danger to both humans and Polar Bears. Industries also cause disturbance to Polar Bears, and if an oil spill were to happen the outcome would not be good. Illegal hunting of Polar Bears or places without monitering are also a threat to them.
Works Cited
- http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/polar-bear/- http://www.defenders.org/polar-bear/basic-facts - http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/polar-bear/behavior.htm- http://worldwildlife.org/species/polar-bear