Facts about Polar Bear
- 11
Polar bears can hold their breath underwater for nearly 2 minutes, allowing them to dive beneath ice floes to hunt seals and escape predators.
- 10
Polar bear cubs are born during November and December weighing only 1 to 1.5 pounds, roughly the size of a guinea pig, despite their mothers being among Earth's largest land mammals.
- 09
Polar bears possess a specialized hearing system that allows them to detect seal calls from up to one mile away through water and ice.
- 08
The Arctic's ice loss forces polar bears to fast for up to 8 months yearly when sea ice melts, during which they survive entirely on stored fat reserves.
- 07
Approximately 26,000 polar bears inhabit the Arctic today, with about 19 recognized populations distributed across Canada, Russia, Alaska, Greenland, and Norway.
- 06
Mothers nurse their cubs for approximately 2.5 years, an unusually long lactation period for carnivores, allowing offspring to develop the skills needed for Arctic survival.
- 05
Polar bears have a layer of blubber up to 1.5 inches thick that insulates them in Arctic waters where temperatures plunge below minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 04
Male polar bears weigh between 900 and 1,600 pounds, making them the largest land carnivores on Earth today.
- 03
During winter months, polar bears can detect a seal's breathing hole beneath up to 3 feet of packed snow and ice using their exceptional sense of smell.
- 02
In the Arctic, polar bears can swim continuously for up to 60 miles without resting, using their large paws as paddles to traverse frigid ocean waters.
- 01
A polar bear's skin is black beneath its white fur, and each hair is hollow and transparent, reflecting light to create its characteristic white appearance.