Sea ice acts as a hunting, breeding and movement platform for polar bears, and is central to the entire arctic marine. Feeding habits because the polar bear rarely eats vegetation, it is considered a carnivore, or meateater. Size black bears are the largest land mammal in new jersey. Come learn about what polar bears like to eat, why they eat so much and some other interesting facts about their diet. Polar bears are in serious danger of going extinct due to climate change. Fur and skin polar bears have thick insulating fur and blubber.
The usgs alaska science center leads longterm research on polar bears to inform local, state, national and international policy makers regarding conservation of the species and its habitat. Polar bears ursus maritimus are one of 4 marine mammal species managed by the u. Polar bear, great white northern bear found throughout the arctic region. Scientists believe that the polar bear evolved about 200,000 years ago from brown bear ancestors. The polar bears latin name, ursus maritimus, means sea bear. However, due to their wide distribution and the fact that they are often in. A boar adult male weighs around 350700 kg 7721,543 lb, while a. Polar bears are similar in size to a normal bear but have a slimmer neck, longer legs.
So polar bears prowl the edges of the ice that forms on the arctic sea each fall. Summer declines in activity and body temperature offer polar bears limited energy savings. Nov 20, 2019 polar bear facts activity for kids free printable. Black bears can run 35 miles per hour and can live for more than 25 years. Print out the following to make a short book about polar bears. Polar bear facts churchill wildlife guide one of the most remarkable places to view polar bears in the wild is along hudson bays western shore. When sea ice forms over the ocean in cold weather, many polar bears, except pregnant females, head out onto the ice to hunt seals. Polar bears live along shores and on sea ice in the icy cold arctic. Underneath the fur, a polar bear s skin is actually black the black skin soaks up the suns heat and helps them stay warm. The polar bear is often regarded as a marine mammal because it spends many months of the year at sea. Female polar bears prepare large dens on the mainland or on sea ice where. The secretary of interior listed the polar bear as threatened but restricted the endangered species acts protections, and thus the polar.
Grizzly bears need a very large home range 50 to 300 square miles for females. All about polar bears the polar bear is one of eight bear species. The sea ice provides a platform from which polar bears can hunt. Cover polar bear kwl fun polar bear facts page to use a a resource eat, can, have can, have, are can, live, eat 2 different printable options for the facts option 1. One of the surprising facts about polar bear is that the polar bear is related to the brown bear. All polar bears have fat under their fur and fur on the bottom of their paws, so they wont slip on the ice. The scientific name for the polar bear is ursus maritimus, which means sea bear in latin. Here at national geographic kids were heading north far north.
This means their bodies have changed to help them stay warm. Polar bears are some of the most majestic, beautiful, and dangerous creatures on earth. Polar bear additional resources, alaska department of fish. The polar bears main habitat is on along costs, shore side pack ice, and island of the arctic region. Polar bear facts for kids interesting facts about polar. Polar bear is also called arctic bear or white bear. In the spring, bears usually range at lower elevations and go to higher altitudes for winter hibernation. A breakdown of everything you need to know about polar bear living. In late 2008 the polar bear was officially added to the united states list of endangered species. Endangered species act as threatened due to predicted climate change. For more facts on these formidable animals, keep reading below or download the comprehensive worksheet collection to use within the homeschooling or classroom environment the polar bear is a large white bear found in the arctic.
Common animals that live here are polar bears, arctic foxes and arctic wolves, seals, and small rodents. It has no natural predators and knows no fear of humans, making it an extremely dangerous animal. Polar bear viewing in arctic national wildlife refuge u. The weather is extremely cold for most of the year. Male bears are larger than females and can weigh up to 1,500 pounds. The guide provides fun polar bear facts, why they matter, what threats they face, what wwf is doing to help polar bears and the arctic, and what kids can do. Reproduction polar bear cubs are usually born as twins. Polar bear facts for kids is a collection of some of the most amazing and interesting facts about polar bears. Polar bear and arctic preschool and kindergarten activities, crafts, games, and printables.
Pdf the polar bear is, on average, the largest of the eight species of bears found worldwide and. Polar bears are native to the icy cold water of the arctic ocean and its surrounding areas. Polar bear fur is made up of a layer of dense underfur and an outer layer of guard hairs, which appear white to tan but are actually translucent. The bear spends more than half of its life in water which is why it is also called marine mammal. Today, there are an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears living worldwide.
Polar bears probably do not hibernate in a way they do. Polar bear endangered polar bear facts and information. Facts about black bears black bears can smell and hear very well. Except for one subspecies of grizzly bear, the polar bear is the largest and most powerful carnivore on land. It is the only bear that is considered a marine mammal because it depends upon the marine environment for survival. Bear facts for kids facts about black bears black bears can smell and hear very well. The polar bear ursus maritimus is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the arctic circle, encompassing the arctic ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. Perfectly at home in one of the worlds most forbidding environments, most polar bears drift along the arctic on large chunks of. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. The polar bear or the seaice bear are the worlds largest land predators. It also includes a fun polar bear word puzzle to do with your students. The polar bear rivals the kodiak bear as the largest fourfooted carnivore on earth and can live up to 25 years.
Polar bears are found throughout the icecovered waters of the arctic region and prefer to remain out on the sea ice all year if possible. Staple the pages together, then read and color the pages and answer the questions. Today, over 40 percent of polar bears living on pack ice and along shores of the various island of northern canada. The polar bear ursus maritimus is the largest terrestrial carnivore in the world. Although the polar bears coat appears white, each individual hair is actually a clear hollow tube that channels the suns energy directly to the bears skin and helps it stay warm. Underlying it all is a call for immediate action, which can still save this magnificent creature of the arctic. Hudson bay is an expansive body of water, nearly double the size of texas, spanning 850 miles from north to south and 650 miles east to west. The polar bear is adapted to life in the extremes of the arctic. Welcome to the worlds foremost resource for information on polar bears and their arctic habitat. Polar bears have enormous paws which help them to swim paddle and walk on snow and ice like snowshoes. When a seal pops up to breathe, a waiting bear may grab it and drag it onto the ice for a meal. Polar bear quiz answer questions about polar bears. However, polar bears have evolved a set of special traits for hunting and surviving in the cold northernmost regions of earth. In 2008, the polar bear became the first vertebrate species to be listed under the u.
Polar bear cubs remain with their mother for 214 years. Its long body, neck and skull distinguish it from other types of bears. It is estimated that there arent more than 25,000 polar bears remaining in the world. It is the largest carnivore meat eater that lives on land. Its latin name is ursus maritimus, which means sea bear. The polar bear is the worlds largest terrestrial carnivore, but its latin name ursus maritimusreflects the fact that it spends most of its life at sea. Polar bear facts for kids learn all about polar bears. Polar bear hibernation does not occur like black bear or grizzly bear hibernation. Phipps 1774 first described the polar bear as a species distinct. These adaptations help the polar bear from slipping on ice. It is a large bear, approximately the same size as the omnivorous kodiak bear ursus arctos middendorffi.
Fur covers most of the paw helping to increase grip on snow and ice. Brown bears hibernate during the winter for 58 months, depending on the location, and usually dig their dens on northfacing slopes to ensure good snow cover. The polar bear is the largest predator that lives on land. Polar bears are large animals that need to eat a lot of food to survive. Polar bears live between 20 to 35 years in the wild and up to 40 years in captivity.
The polar bear is the youngest of the eight bear species. Diet seals are the mainstay of the polar bear diet. Black and grizzly bears, unlike polar bears, are true hibernators. Adult female bears, called sows, weigh about 175 pounds. Polar bears have black skin and although their fur appears white, it is actually transparent. The fat on a polar bears body can become two to three inches thick. Tingly facts about polar bear that kids will love to read about. They just enter into a specialized winter dormancy. On the other hand, female polar bears usually only weigh about half as much as males. The parts of the world where a polar climate exists include canada, siberia, and antarctica. But under their fur, polar bears have black skinthe better to soak in the suns warming rays. The bears stark white coat provides camouflage in surrounding snow and ice.
Maps, tables, graphs, and the most diverse collection of polar bear photographs ever assembled in a single blog provide greater insight into this unique mammal. The polar bear ursus maritimus introduction polar bears. Safety in polar bear country parks canada pdf 1,057 kb traveling safely along the northeast. But a momtobe really needs to chow down and fatten up before winter. The hairs dont mat when wet, allowing the polar bears to easily shake free of water and any ice that may form after swimming. Polar bears have a layer of blubber beneath their skin that is 26 inches thick. Polar bears are similar in size to a normal bear but have a slimmer neck, longer legs and fur. Sadly the polar bear is classified as a vulnerable species. Alaska, canada, russia, denmark greenland, and norway.
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