Polar bear | Facts & Information

The polar bear (Ursus Maritimus) is found in the arctic polar environment, namely the waters of the Arctic Ocean, but also the surrounding land, being the largest prey animal encountered on land.

In the south, where it is drier, the soil with the polar steppe appears (small bushes, mosses, lichens, grasses). This attracts polar bears. But the polar bears ' favorite place is the Arctic ice cap because there are marine mammals here.

Its survival is being put at risk as scientists have announced by global warming. Already the ice caps have begun to melt, the ice is almost 50% less than 60 years ago. One of the proposed solutions was to transport water to these areas and turn it into ice. It is an animal protected by law, countries such as Norway, Canada, Denmark have banned hunting since 1960.

Feeding Polar Bear

Competing with the brown bear for the title of the largest terrestrial carnivore, the majestic polar bear is the king of the Arctic ice sheets. Its adaptation to water classifies it as a Marine Mammal. When needed, they often eat walruses and whales.

The polar bear is almost entirely carnivorous, eating mainly seal pups, as well as various cetaceans and pinnipeds. They mainly hunt near the sea, on the ice caps of the Arctic islands. The polar bear is a powerful seal hunter.

It is the largest carnivore of all bear species, but also the most persistent and patient. He has an excellent plan of attack: he sits next to a hatchet for hours waiting for the seals to come out. A strong blow brings the bear a tasty meal, and the SEALs unfortunately bring him a quick death.

To maintain its massive body weight, the polar bear must kill a seal every 5-6 days. He has a very large stomach that allows him to eat up to 70kg at a single meal.

Appearance Polar Bear

The polar bear is a large mammal with white fur. Large and powerful claws are capable of knocking down natural opponents. It has a layer of fat under its skin that helps it protect against cold, a feature that is also found in other tundra animals. He's an excellent swimmer.

Their body is similar to that of a brown bear. Can the head reach over 40 cm in length, with girth?a of about 30 cm. They have extendable lips, the teeth are smaller than the other species, but sharper?i, neck stronger. They have extendable lips that are not attached to the gums and can pick small fruits, and some can peel them.

They have a well-developed smell. It senses prey from 30 km away. The ears are small, external, but have well-developed hearing. The coat color is white, but may be yellowish or gray in summer. But the scientific explanation for their color is that the hairs, colorless, are hollow inside like optical fibers and conduct ultraviolet rays to their black skin, where they are absorbed.

It is very hot, and the body temperature remains unchanged when it is very cold. Their heating system is very efficient (there are microscopic air-filled channels in the fur coat that provide excellent thermal insulation) and that is why they sometimes roll through the snow to cool off.

The front paws are used for swimming being large and membranous to provide propulsion. The hind ones serve as a rudder. It shows non-retractable claws. The legs are larger than the other bears (22 cm wide) and have hair on the soles and suction cups to give them stability on the ice.

On land he does not run as fast as his relatives. In the water it reaches 10 km / h paddling only with its hind paws, and submerged it can stay up to 5 minutes. As humans move around touching the ground with their heels and soles, they can adopt a bipedal posture which benefits them when they have to observe dangers, seek food or fight. The height of a polar bear is 1.6 m.

Adults weigh between 300 and 700 kg. They can reach a length of 2.5 m. females are smaller weighing 180-360 kg and being 1.8-2 m long.

Polar Bear Behavior

Solitary by nature, polar bears roam large expanses, in a year they can roam over 51,000 km2 of frozen land and daily travel over 40km. Their speed on the surface of the ice reached in a clumsy crawl of the feet is lower, averaging 4km per hour, but if needed, they can run at a top speed of about 40km per hour.

They get tired faster on land, and although they can walk through the snow with their big paws, they feel better on ice and sometimes on the land of golas. They can climb steep icy cliffs and have been seen sliding down hills down their bellies, using their forelegs as brakes.

Positive aspects: their fur and meat are used by the population in this area. Negative aspects: are they considered?dangerous. Have there been any reports of death from the encounter with ace?tia among the popula?take native.

It is an animal protected by law, its hunting is strictly prohibited. It is estimated that there are about 40,000 specimens in the wild. The polar bear is famous for the story Fram, the polar bear by Cezar Petrescu.

Fram is an artist at the circus and is taken back to his environment because otherwise he would have died from captivity. In reality it is difficult to train even taken as a child from its natural environment, it is very difficult to adapt to new conditions.

Polar Bear Breeding

Spring is the season when they look for their mate and can travel tens of kilometers to find a bear without cubs. The mating period is from March to June.

Gestation lasts 195-265 days. The female begins the construction of the shelter for the Cubs starting in October. It digs a gang several meters long followed by a cave 2 meters deep, leaving an exit to the south so as not to be clogged with snow by blizzards from the North.

Females give birth to two cubs on average. Puppies are born with closed eyes and have a thick coat. They weigh almost 600 grams. The bear will spend 10 days near the den for the Cubs to adapt to the cold climate. In April they come into contact with the climate and the environment.

The Barlog is a place of shelter for them because the temperature can reach +20 degrees. The Cubs stay with the mother for 2 or 3 years. They reach sexual maturity at 5-6 years.