Classification: Class Mammalia, Order Carnivora, Family Ursidae (bears), Genus Ursus, species maritimus.

Polar Bears are large, meat-eating bears who are well-adapted for life in their frozen Arctic environment. They are powerful swimmers who hunt seals in the water. Polar bears can run in bursts up to 25 mph (40 kph). Females (called sows) build snow dens in which they give birth to twins. Male polar bears (called boars) do not hibernate.

Anatomy:

Male polar bears or boars can weigh around 350 to 650 kg (772-1,433 lb.) and are about 2.5 to 3 m (8.2-9.8 ft.) long. Females or sows weigh about 150 to 250 kg (331-551 lb.) and are about 2 to 2.5 m (6.6-8.2 ft.) long. Both males and females have small tails that are about 7 to 12 cm (2.8-4.7 in.) long.   The hind limbs are longer than the forelimbs, giving the polar bear their formidable stance.These bears have a small head and a black nose. The head is long and relatively small with a long muzzle and a slightly arched snout, which ends in a broad, black nose. They have wide front paws with slightly webbed toes that help them swim. Polar bears have large paws (approximately 12 inches across, which act like snowshoes, spreading out the bear's weight as it moves over ice and snow. Each foot has five-toes, and each toe ends in a thick, curved, non-retractable claw. They use their claws for grasping prey and for traction when running or climbing on ice.They paddle with the front feet and steer with the hind feet. They have black pads on their feet that are covered with small, soft bumps, and long hairs growing between the pads and toes help to create friction between the foot and ice to prevent slipping.

Fur and Skin:

Polar Bears have two types of fur. They have thick, woolly fur close to the skin that keeps them warm. They also have hollow guard hairs that stick up and protect the bears from getting wet. These guard hairs are clear-colored (not white). The white-looking coat camouflages them well in the snow and ice.A polar bear's skin is black and has a dense and woolly coat that is 2.5 to 5 cm (1.2 in.) thick. The fur has an insulating layer of under hair, which is covered by a relatively thin layer of stiff, shiny, clear hairs. The hairs reflect light, giving the polar bear its white coloration. Oxidation from the sun, or staining, can make the hairs look yellow or brown.  Polar bears completely shed and replace their fur annually, in May or June. The molt can last several weeks. They also have a thick layer of fat under the skin that helps keep them warm. This layer of fat is called blubber and can be up to 11 cm (4.3 in.) thick, which helps to keep them warm in the cold weather and while swimming. Since they are so well insulated they tend to overheat, in order to avoid this they move slowly and rest often.

Diet:

Polar Bears are fierce predators. They are carnivores (meat-eaters) who frequently hunt and catch their prey in the water.The polar bear's diet in the wild consists of seals, walruses and fish. They will also eat shoreline carrion such as beached whales and crabs. Polar bears don't drink water. Also, a female polar bear doesn't eat during gestation.
 
 

Polar Bear Cam

Watch long enough, and you'll see the Toledo Zoo's three resident polar bears (Ursus maritimus) hanging out on this rock outcrop or splashing in the water below. Three-year-old Marty enjoys napping or surveying the view outside the exhibit, and cubs Mizar and Alcor, who are brothers, sometimes wrestle and horse around up here.

Polar Bear - Animals of the Arctic
Student handbook covers Arctic animals, including these white bears. Read FAQs, see bear tracks, or hear the Eskimo word for polar bear.
 
 

Polar Bears (ursus maritimus):the largest carnivores on land
 

• What Do Polar Bears Eat?
• Where Do Polar Bears Live?

A Glossary of Terms for Wildlife
 

• Carrion: is the body of a dead animal.
• Carnivore: A carnivore is an animal that eats meat.
• Herbivore: an animal that eats only plants.
• Nocturnal: A nocturnal animal is one that stays awake at night, and usually one that hunts for its food at night.
• Olfactory System: an animal's sense of smell. Prey: An animal's prey, is the animal being hunted.
• Stalk: When an animal sneaks up on another to attack it, we say that it stalks its prey
• Tundra: the treeless plains of the Arctic Circle.

Polar Bear Worksheet
 

Answer these Polar Bear Questions:
 
 

• Can a polar bear be different colors?
• Do polar bears stay in groups?
• Do polar bears hibernate?
• How do polar bears catch seals when they live under the ice?
• How do the native arctic people benefit from the polar bear?
• Pictures of Polar Bears

• Picture One
• Picure Two
• Picture Three
• Picture Four
• Picture Five
• Picture Six
• Picture Seven
• Picture Eight
• Picture Nine