Creature Feature – Polar Bear
In honour of Polar Bear Week, this week’s featured creature is the Polar Bear!
This iconic species is an exceptionally large bear species found in the frozen wilds of the Artic. Though residing in one of the harshest environments on our planet, they are well adapted: they have thick fur and a layer of fat (blubber) which insulates them, they have black skin under their glistening coat, which helps them soak up the Sun’s rays and keep warm and they have an incredible sense of smell which they use to track their favourite food. Like many marine species, polar bear numbers are dwindling.
Taxonomy
Scientific Name: Ursus maritimus
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Ursus
Polar Bear Fact File
Size: Adults measure over 2.5m long and can weigh around 680kg. They are the largest living on-land carnivores!
Distribution: Polar bears can be found in the frozen wilds of the Arctic, in Canada, Alaska (US), Greenland, Russia and Norway
Diet: The polar bear is the most carnivorous member of the bear family, and throughout most of its range, its diet primarily consists of ringed and bearded seals. Being both curious animals and scavengers, polar bears investigate and consume garbage where they come into contact with humans
Behaviour: Though they live in one of the harshest environments on our planet, they are well adapted: they have thick fur and a layer of fat (blubber) which insulates them, they have black skin under their glistening coat, which helps them soak up the Sun’s rays and keep warm and they have an incredible sense of smell
IUCN Status: Vulnerable. Their biggest threat is climate change. Rising global temperatures means that sea ice is melting earlier and forming later each year, leaving polar bears less time to hunt for food
