World Wonders
Atlas
Wildlife
Celebrities
Movies
Puzzles
Die-Cast
Magazines
Search
FAQ
WonderClub Left Side Planet Logo
WonderClub.com
WonderClub Right Side Planet Logo
line

POLAR BEAR

Buy Polar Bear Products Here!

Polar bears are well suited for life on the icy tundra. They are immensely strong and active - the soles of their feet are covered with fur, which gives them stability on slippery, frozen grounds.

HABITS

Polar bears are found throughout the polar region, but they spend most of their time along the southern edge of the icecap on coastal land near open water. They are solitary animals and are active at all times of the year.

Polar bears are also excellent swimmers. They cruise through the water at speeds of up to six miles per hour, using their front legs to propel them, with their hind legs trailing behind. With their eyes open and nostrils closed, they can dive underwater as well, remaining submerged for two minutes. When they emerge, they immediately shake the water from their coats before it freezes. 

Polar Bear

BREEDING

Springtime is the mating season for polar bears, with most activity taking place in April. Males seek available females; most females breed every third year after separating from their young. 

Polar Bear and Cub

In October and November, the bears dig dens in the snow or tundra. The dens are usually located on south-facing slopes of hills where northerly winds pile up large amounts of snow. The dens are used for giving birth. Young are born in November or December and weigh only 16-32 ounces. They are hairless, blind, and deaf. They first emerge from the den in March or April. They will remain with their mother into the third spring of their lives.

FOOD & HUNTING

Polar bears feed mainly on seals. They wait for them to come to the water surface to breathe, or stalk them while they rest on the ice. The seal is killed by crushing blow to its thin skull. Polar bears eat everything - they cannot afford to leave anything edible behind. 

In the late summer and early autumn, polar bears will patrol the coastal areas looking for whale and walrus carcasses. Sometimes ten to twenty bears may be found feeding together. At this time of year, their diet is more varied, including such land mammals as lemmings, arctic foxes, and eider ducks.

Like most bears, polar bears also eat vegetation.

KEY FACTS

   Size 

              Height:  5 feet to shoulder. 

              Standing height: 8-11 feet.

              Foot size: 12 inches long, 10 inches wide.

              Weight: Males, 880-990 lb. Female, 660-770 lb.

       Breeding

             Sexual maturity: 3-5 years.

             Mating: March-June. 

             Gestation: About 7-8 months. 

             Number of young:  Usually 2.

       Lifestyle

            Habit: Solitary, but sometimes come together to feed. 

            Diet: Mainly seal fat and skin; carrion; vegetation in summer. 

            

 

 DID YOU KNOW?

  • Polar bears have a very acute sense of smell; they can smell carrion, such as a dead whale, from 20 miles away, and can sniff out seal dens that are covered with snow.

  • The black nose of a polar bear on the snow can be seen from six miles away on a clear day through binoculars. It has been said that, when stalking seals, the polar bear will cover its nose with a  paw to escape detection.

  • The temperature inside a polar bear's den can be 40 degrees warmer than the outside air temperature.


CAN'T FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? CLICK HERE!!!