Common Name:
Polar bear
Scientific Name:
Ursus Maritimus
Unique Qualities:
Polar bears are large, meat-eating bears that are well adapted for life in the frozen Arctic environment. They have creamy white coats and measure about three metres long. Polar bears are also powerful swimmers and runners. They can run up to 40 km/h.
Can be Seen:
Polar bears are found in the northern Arctic. Although they have been seen as far as the North Pole, they don’t usually live there because food is hard to find there. They are well adapted to cold weather and would not survive long in warmer temperatures.
Likes to Hang Out:
Polar bears can be found on Arctic sea ice, islands and continental coastlines. They also like to hang out in leads, which are water channels or cracks through the ice that remain open for several months. Polar bears hunt seals in these leads. For their habitat, polar bears dig tunnels for themselves out of ice and snow.
Likes to Eat:
Polar bears are carnivores. Seals make up a major portion of a polar bear’s diet. However, they also eat young walruses and beluga whales.
Status:
The world population of polar bears is between 21,000 and 28,000. Because of their small population, they are on the endangered species list. Threats to their population include water pollution, global warming and hunters.
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Map credit: The polar bear habitat map is Copyright Earth Day Canada and uses a map by Planiglobe. The original map is licensed under a Creative Commons Attibution 2.5 license.
