Polar Bear Facts
Polar bears look incredibly cuddly, but are the biggest, baddest bears on the planet. Here are some polar bear facts for you to chew on.
Polar Bear Facts
Polar bears are an amazingly beautiful animal. Unfortunately, they are under a lot of pressure as a species due to climate change in the Arctic. Receding ice and pollution issues are leading to concerns polar bears will be added to the endangered species list.
Here are some polar bear facts:
- Polar bears are only found in the Arctic.
- Polar bears never drink water, the get it from their food.
- Only 25,000 polar bears are estimated to exist.
- Polar bear skin is black.
- Polar bear fur is not white. It is made up of hollow and colorless hairs which appear white when massed.
- A common myth is polar bear hair can conduct fiber optics. Studies show this to be false.
- Polar bears are the largest bear species.
- An average polar bear can way over 1,100 pounds.
- Female polar bears usually give birth to twins.
- Newborn polar bears weigh roughly one pound.
- Polar bears are typically born in the last two months of the year.
- Mothers dig dens in the ice where they give birth. They will not leave the den to eat until the cubs are able to.
- Mothers will watch cubs for two years and then leave them.
- Polar bears primarily eat seals.
- To catch a seal, polar bears wait above holes in the ice and swat the seals when they come up for air.
- For some unknown reason, polar bears always seem to use their left paw to swat seals.
- Polar bears will scavenge for food, eating dead animals they come upon.
- Polar bears have been known to walk 40 miles in a day.
- After one seal meal, the polar bear can go without food for five days.
- Polar bears can swim over 60 miles in at one time.
- When swimming, polar bears paddle with their front legs and steer with their hind legs.
- Polar bears have been known to smell potential food from more than 10 miles away.
As these polar bear facts show, these animals are very impressive. Let’s hope they survive the climatic changes occurring in the arctic.
