 |
| Source: Artic Kingdom |
·
Polar bears are fantastic swimmers.
·
They have pretty small tails (7-12 cm
long).
·
Their whole body is covered with
fur except for their nose tip and paw pads.
·
Polar bears are fast and can run at
25mph for short distances, usually while charging prey
·
There are 20-25,000 polar bears remaining
in the Arctic.
·
Polar bears are perfectly suited to
their environment because they have furry, anti-slip feet and heat-conserving
ears.
·
Their fur is thick, two-layered,
and oily to repel water and prevent their coats from freezing.
·
Interestingly, their fur is white
because the sunlight is reflected back down the hair-shaft to heat the skin.
·
They moult every year whereby they
replace their fur completely
·
Their skin is black in order to
soak up the sun’s heat efficiently.
·
A polar bear is well insulated by a
thick layer of fat under the skin, especially in water.
·
Their ears are furry but smaller
than other bears’ so that they can retain heat more effectively and help keep
them warm in winter temperatures that can reach -30OC.
·
Its nose is a valuable hunting tool
because most of the food occurs under the ice.
·
They also have an amazing sense of
smell. In fact, they can smell a seal up to a km away – even under the ice!
·
Their nostrils close when they’re
under water.
·
They are the biggest of all bear
species.
 |
| Source: Travel4Wildlife |
·
Males (boars), weigh up to 800kg.
 |
| Source: Polar Bear International |
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