The Polar Bear The polar bear lives mainly in the Arctic. They are the largest land carnivores in the world. Because they spend so much time swimming, they are considered a marine mammal.

Polar bears live in countries that ring the Arctic Circle: Canada, Russia, the United States (in Alaska), Greenland and Norway. They like to live on the edges of ice packs so that they can hunt seals. Habitat

Diet Polar Bears mainly eat seals, but they can also eat walrus or whale. These bears are scavengers as well. They will find bird eggs and occasional vegetation. They will travel great distances in search of food. These bears are considered carnivores. Humans who have moved near polar bear territory will find that the bears will be interested in their garbage and dump sites.

Polar Bear Facts Polar bears actually have black skin. This allows them to absorb heat from the sun. Every year, they molt and replace their fur. They have hollow hairs that are oily which helps to repel water. Polar bears have large paws compared to body size,. The large paws of a polar bear act like snowshoes, spreading out the bear's weight as it moves over ice and snow. These bears can go days and even weeks without eating and they often do. When they have a hard time finding food, their metabolism actually slows down. Until they find their next meal, they will live off of their fat reserves.

Male polar bears can weigh the equivalent of a dozen men and be 11 feet tall. Females give birth once every 3 years after gestating for 7 months. 2 cubs are usually born small and hairless. They will need to nurse 6x a day for about 4 months. As our planet’s climate continues to change, 2/3’s of our world’s polar bears could disappear by 2050. The Arctic ice melting has resulted in less hunting areas for the bears, who have begun to starve in search of the food they need. The bears sometimes swim so far, they drown from exhaustion as there is no ice for them to climb out on to rest. They are listed as a threatened species. More Information