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Learn about the largest living carnivores on Earth, their amazing adaptations, hunting skills and conservation status. Find out how polar bears use their sense of smell, swim, blend in with their surroundings and raise their cubs.
- Polar bears are classified as marine mammals. Because they spend most of their lives on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean depending on the ocean for their food and habitat, polar bears are the only bear species to be considered marine mammals.
- A polar bear skin is actually black. Beneath all that thick fur, polar bears have jet black skin. The polar bear’s fur is also translucent, and only appears white because it reflects visible light.
- They can swim constantly for days at a time. As well as reaching speeds of up to 6mph in the water, polar bears can swim for long distances and steadily for many hours to get from one piece of ice to another.
- Less than 2% of polar bear hunts are successful. Although about half of a polar bear’s life is spent hunting for food, their hunts are rarely successful.
Jun 29, 2024 · Learn about the polar bear, the largest and most powerful carnivore on land, and its adaptations, diet, and reproduction. Find out how climate change and human activities are affecting its survival and population.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The polar bear is the largest extant species of bear and land carnivore, with adult males weighing 300–800 kg (660–1,760 lb). The species is sexually dimorphic, as adult females are much smaller. The polar bear is white- or yellowish-furred with black skin and a thick layer of fat.
Learn about the largest bear in the world and the Arctic's top predator, which faces a vulnerable future due to climate change. Find out how WWF is protecting polar bears and their sea ice habitat through research, education and action.
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Polar Bear Facts Overview. An adult male polar bear, known as a ‘boar’ averages between 7 – 10 feet (2.5 – 3 meters) in length, and weighs between 750 – 1,550 pounds (350– 700 kg). An adult female polar bear, are roughly half the size of their male counterparts.
How do polar bears survive their Arctic habitat? Is climate change affecting their population? Learn how polar bears have adapted to life on top of the world.
