Lizabeth DuncansonNathan Hale School

Second Grade

A polar bear's fur is not white. Each hair shaft is pigment-free and transparent with a hollow core.

Polar bears look white because the

hollow core scatters and reflects visible light, much like ice and snow does

Its fur, usually white, sometimes appears yellow, due to oxidation.

A polar bear has black skin, which helps it absorb and hold heat from the sunlight.

Height: 8 to 10 feet

Weight: Adult males 550-1700 lbs females 200-700 lbs (91-318 kg)

Lifespan: 20 - 25 years

Geographic Location

•Polar bears are found through out the Arctic Circle including Canada, Norway, Alaska, Russia and Greenland.

•Depending on the weather, polar bears can be as far south as Hudson Bay.

How I Adapt to my Habitat

•Polar bears are well-adapted to the region's fiercely cold weather. Winter temperatures in the Arctic often plunge to -40 degrees or -50 degrees F

•A thick layer of blubber (up to 4.5 inches thick) provides polar bears with insulation to keep its temperature just right.

•Polar bears have two layers of fur for further protection from the cold.

•It has compact ears and a small tail that also helps prevent heat loss.

•The paws of a polar bear spread out when they step to act like snow shoes to help them walk over snow and ice.

•The body of a polar bear is large and stocky, similar to that of a brown bear, except it lacks the shoulder hump.

•Cubs are born with their eyes closed; they have a good coat of fur and weigh about 600 grams.

•Polar bears have a keen sense of smell and use their sensitive lips and whiskers to explore objects.

•A polar bear’s vision and hearing is not exceptionally well developed.

•Polar bears use a "chuffing" sound as a form of greeting.

• Polar bears are among the largest carnivores in the world.•Polar bears can have a varied gestation period from 190 to 260 days. 

A Polar Bear’s Prey

Polar bears are meat eaters.

Their primary food consists of ringed and bearded seals but depending on where they live.

On occasion, polar bears kill young walruses and beluga whales.

Polar bears may also scavenge on the remains of dead whales and walruses.

A Polar Bear’s Predator

•There are no natural predators of the polar bear except for humans.

•Generally speaking, the polar bear is an apex predator.

• In rare cases, the orca, or killer whale, has been know to kill and eat the polar bear if it catches it swimming in open water.

Polar bears need about 4 pounds of

fat per day to survive.