Return to Polar BearsAbout Polar Bears
Polar bears live in the Arctic at the North Pole. Most scientists believe that polar bears evolved from brown bear ancestors.The polar bear is a marine mammal. They spend much time on ice and in the water.
Polar bears are meat eaters. They like to eat ringed seals, bearded seals and walrus pups.
Polar bears grow very large. A male bear can be twice as heavy as a female. The life span of polar bears in the wild is about 20 years.
The forepaws on a polar bear are very large. With a diameter of 12 inches and partial webbing between their toes, polar bears are able to use their front feet to propel rapidly through the water.
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The hind feet are slightly smaller. On both the front and hind feet, the bottoms are covered with dense fur which affords better traction when moving on ice.
Polar bears are covered with heavy fur. The color varies from pure white to more of a yellow hue. The white fur is important camouflage for the bears as they hunt their prey on the ice.
Polar bears do not have good eyesight, but they have an excellent sense of smell.
A mother bear usually gives birth to two cubs at a time. At first, the cubs are blind, toothless, hairless and very tiny. They are about the size of a chipmunk. The cubs will normally stay with the mother for the first two years.Polar bears communicate with each other through body
language and sounds. A deep growl warns other bears. When a polar bear wants to play, he
wags his head from side to side.