Polar bears are the largest of the eight species of bears. Also the largest terrestrial carnivore, polar bears live in areas known as the Arctic Circle covered by sea ice!
polar bear
They may be found in numerous frozen seas and bays in the United States (Alaska), Norway, Canada, Russia and Greenland. They spend most of their time on ice!
Polar bears evolved only about 100,000 years ago from brown or grizzly bears, with special teeth, fur and foot structures that allow them to survive and reproduce in a cold, frozen world.
Polar bears' eyes have adapted to seeing things underwater, and they are known to be able to swim like fish and dive when necessary, holding their breath for up to two minutes at a time. Once an omnivore that lived in the forest, today's polar bears are true carnivores, feeding on large prey such as seals and elk, and are so dependent on the ocean that they are considered marine mammals!
Being able to swim for tens of miles without rest and survive for months without eating in sub-zero temperatures is a very rugged animal.
Bears are considered the most intelligent mammals after great apes, whales, and elephants, and while they have a terrible reputation, polar bears rarely attack humans and are not particularly aggressive with each other.
polar bear
polar bear
Polar bears have many special physical characteristics that allow them to survive in the Arctic environment.
Lighter-colored animals are naturally more successful in the pure white conditions of the Arctic. Thanks to their ability to avoid detection - help with defense and hunting!
Polar bear breeding
Polar bear moms and babies
Polar bear cubs
Polar bears mate in early spring, and they congregate by the sea during the beautiful hunting season.
Once the male finds the preferred female, he may have to duel with other males to keep her company. Sometimes these battles are very intense, but usually it's more of a wrestling match to show strength and strength.
When paired, they may be together for a week or more, courting, playing and mating frequently.
In another very unique aspect of polar bear breeding, female fertilized eggs will actually be in a net worth state and will not grow or develop for the first four full months of pregnancy.
During these important months, the female must eat as much as possible, and usually double her size to ensure the growth of the child!
Sometime in the fall, in September or November, the pregnant female would dig a huge snow hole for herself, and once she had settled down, she wouldn't venture out again for four or five months, or even eat
She doesn't hibernate, which requires slowing down her heartbeat, but her metabolism is really slow, in the dark lair, in the harsh winter, after 6 months of pregnancy, she gave birth to her baby. Polar bears usually give birth to two, although there are up to four cubs, and these babies are only the size of guinea pigs.
The exhausted and hungry mother came out of the nest in the spring with her fragile party and embarked on a long journey back to the iceberg.
The first few months are extremely dangerous periods for the cubs, with a very low survival rate.
After spending nearly three years with her mother, the bears will leave her mother. Polar bears reproduce very slowly.
For this reason, the maternal instinct is extremely strong!
What do polar bears eat?
Polar bear fighting
One of the main differences between polar bears and brown bears is diet.
Brown bears are omnivorous and eat a wide variety of foods, from small to berries and moths.
Polar bears are almost entirely carnivorous. Although they eat things other than meat, they mainly prey on seals for a living.
They don't even eat a wide variety of seals, mostly only ringed seals and bearded seals. Both species of seals live under the ice during the winter months, and occasionally, seals come out and rest on the ice next to the cave entrance, but usually when they pry air out of the water, they have the potential to be caught by lurking polar bears.
In the spring, these seals are forced out of the water to mate and raise their cubs. These weeks are crucial for polar bears, especially female polar bears with cubs, who must hunt as many seals as possible for the summer.
As soon as the summer thaw arrives, the world of polar bears melts and restaurants close.
Polar bears are forced to fast for two months, chewing on whatever meager food they can find on land until the Arctic Sea freezes again.
polar bear
polar bear
Today, our beautiful polar bears are in danger of extinction.
Climate change is making a huge difference to their environment. As sea ice melts earlier and earlier this season, polar bears take much less time to hunt the seals they depend on.
Traditionally, large numbers of polar bears have no food in the summer, but have enough fat stores to survive.
Now, as winter shortens, polar bears are starving to death, while populations, especially in the southern regions, decrease as the climate rises.