Fun Facts about Polar Bears 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polar bear cubs learn to freeze and remain still while their mother hunts. If they move, the mother disciples them, with a whack to the head. 

Female polar bears would rather build their dens in "old snow" from previous years rather than the freshly fallen snow. 

Some female polar bears deviate from the one room den. They build dens with multiple rooms and even a ventilation system in the roof. 

Adult females often weigh between 500 and 600 pounds. Female polar bears do not start having cubs until they

are about 4 or 5 years old.  Polar bear babies weigh a little more than a pound when

they are born.  Polar bears swim using their large front paws to propel

themselves through the water and their back legs to steer. 

 

When curled up, a polar bear may cover its muzzle (nose) with a paw to help conserve heat. 

Polar bears tend to overheat more than to be cold.  Adult males can grow to be 10 feet tall and weigh over

1400 pounds.1  Polar Bears do not hibernate. Female polar bears will

den with their young. All polar bears may den for a short time to avoid bad weather. 

Polar bears can swim an average of 6 miles per hour.  Polar bears can swim up to 100 miles.  Polar bears fur is oily and water repellant. Allowing them

to shake dry after swimming.  Paw pads with rough surfaces help prevent polar bears

from slipping up on the ice.  Man made pollution is a cause of death for polar bears.   

 

Name _________________________

rounded ears

black nose

black eyes

white fur

large paws 1 - 2 - 3 Learn Curriculum Polar Bear

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Fun Facts about Arctic Hares

Arctic hares weight: 6 to 15 lbs. The arctic hare lives in the harsh environment of the

North American tundra. These hares do not hibernate, but survive the

dangerous cold with a number of behavioral and physiological adaptations.

Arctic hares sport thick fur and enjoy a low surface area to volume ratio that conserves body heat, most evident in their shortened ears.

Arctic hares sometimes dig shelters in snow and huddle together to share warmth.

Hares are a bit larger than rabbits, and they typically have taller hind legs and longer ears.

Like other hares and rabbits, Arctic hares are fast and can bound at speeds of up to 40 miles an hour.

In winter, they sport a brilliant white coat that provides excellent camouflage in the land of ice and snow.

 

In spring, the hare's colors change to blue-gray in approximation of local rocks and vegetation.

Arctic hares are sometimes loners but they can also be found in groups of dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of individuals.

Food can be scarce in the Arctic, but the hares survive by eating woody plants, mosses, and lichens which they may dig through the snow to find in winter. In other seasons they eat buds, berries, leaves, roots, and bark.

Arctic hares stay on their hind legs when looking around. In any danger, they start hopping off on their hind legs just like kangaroos.

 

 

 

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Ears finely edged in black

Whiskers

Big eyes

Long fur is white in winter, gray in summer

Huge hindfeet 1 - 2 - 3 Learn Curriculum Arctic Hare

Short, white tail

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Fun Facts about Walruses

Walruses sound like church bells. They make a variety of noises from snores, roars and snorts to whistles, teeth clacking, knocking and bell-like tones.

The only natural predators for walruses are polar bears, orcas and humans.

Walrus can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes. Walrus have extra blood to carry oxygen. A walrus's

blood makes up about 12 percent of their weight, compared to seven percent in humans.

The average size for male walruses is about 10.5 feet long and 2,700 pounds.

Adult females are generally smaller than males, with an average weight of about 1,900 lbs and an average length of approximately 9 feet. Calves of both sexes weigh between 100 to 150 pounds and are about 4.5 feet in length.

Walrus can eat up to 120 lbs of food a day.

The name of the walrus means tooth walking sea horse. 

The name of the walrus means tooth walking sea horse. The tusks of a full grown walrus can weight over 3

pounds each. Each one features from 400 to 700 whiskers. From a distance the walrus appears to be without fur.

However, the entire body is covered with a very thin layer of it. The blubber, which is the layers of fat, on a walrus can be more than 5 inches thick.

During migration they can travel up to 1,800 miles. When a calf is very young it will ride on the back of its

mother in the water. However, it does know how to swim on its own. This method of movement is for protection and for bonding.

When a walrus needs to break ice, it will do so by slamming its head against it. Then it will use the tusks to make the hole in the ice as large as it needs to. This process allows them to have breathing holes so they can stay under water for longer periods of time.

Walruses don't have very good eyesight, but their hearing and sense of smell is excellent. Touch is also an important sense in walrus communities. Walruses seek physical contact with each other.

The skin on the bottom of their flippers is thick and rough to provide protection and traction on the ice.  

 

Name _________________________

Tiny ears

Whiskers

Small eyes

Reddish-brown skin

Rear flippers

1 - 2 - 3 Learn Curriculum Walrus

Front flippers

2 Long tusks

 

Fun Facts about Seals

Male gray seals can grow to a length of ten feet. Females are usually between seven to seven and a half feet long.

Male seals are darker in color while females are lighter. Male seals weigh approximately three-hundred to eight-

hundred pounds while females weigh on average two-hundred to five-hundred.

A seals diet usually consists of squid, shrimp and a variety of fish.

The average lifespan of a seal is between thirty and forty years.

There are eighteen species of seals. A seals milk consists of forty to fifty percent fat so their

offspring gain weight quickly and grow quite fast. The offspring are usually weaned at three weeks of age.

The largest seal is the Elephant seal. It can weigh more than five thousand pounds.

Seals propel themselves with their rear flipper and steer with their front flippers.

 

Seals can dive up to five-hundred to one thousand

feet deep and can remain under water for twenty to thirty minutes at a time. 

Seals have excellent eyesight and are able to see well both in and out of water. They also have sharp hearing and a good sense of smell. 

The long whiskers of a seal help them to detect vibrations underwater. 

Seals can close their nostrils when swimming.  A seal has more blood for its body size than any

other land animal.  Seals can live in bitter cold climates due to their thick

fat layer called blubber.  A group of seals is called a herd or pod. 

 

Name _________________________

Tiny closable ears with no external flip

Whiskers

Dark eyes

Thick, short, dark gray-brown fur with lighter

motted patched

Fore flippers with 5 claws

1 - 2 - 3 Learn Curriculum Seal Hind

flippers

Sensory whiskers called vibrissae

Canine teeth pointing outward

Closable nostrils Thick neck