Arctic Animals Polar Bears

What do we want to learn? What does the polar bear look like and eat? What is a group of polar bears called? Where do polar bears live? What are the characteristics of the baby polar bear? How do polar bears hunt? How do they communicate with one another?

Characteristics of Polar Bears A group of polar bears is called a "Celebration of Polar Bears". Polar bears can grow to 10 feet long and weigh 1,700 pounds. Males are bigger than females. Strong sense of smell. Run up to 40 mph. Wide front paws with webbed toes. Paddle with front feet, steer with hind feet. Paw pads have rough surfaces to help polar bears from slipping on the ice. Webbed toes help the polar bear swim, since they spend most of their time in the water. The smallest foot pad is the front track and the larger is the hind track.

Polar Bears Have: Small heads. Powerful jaws. Black noses. Black tongues. Small flat tails. 42 teeth.

All About Polar Bears Polar bears have : Thick, woolly fur close to the skin. The white-looking coat camouflages them in the snow and ice. Under the fur, polar bears have black skin. Have a thick layer of fat (up to 4 inches thick) under the skin. There fur is so thick that you would never know they polar bear has black skin. They also have very thick (4 inches) layer of fat. Why do you think they need all that fur and fat?

Where Can You Find Polar Bears? The polar bear or the sea/ice bear are the world's largest land predators.  Can be found in the artic, the U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Denmark (Greenland), and Norway.  These rules help keep the polar bear population where its at today.

Polar Bears and Their Families Pregnant females polar bears (called sows) build snow dens. Give birth to 1-3 cubs. Cubs are born 12 to 14 inches long and weigh little more than a pound. They are blind, toothless, and covered with short, soft fur. Completely dependent on mother for warmth and food. Cubs normally stay with the mother for the first two years. Cubs are much smaller than human babies when born. Male polar bears (called boars) are active all year. The snow den is where the mother polar bear will give birth to her babies and where they spend the winters. Mother polar bears usually give birth to one to three cubs at a time. The babies are much smaller than human babies when born. Can grow to full size within a year if they have lots of food. 

How Do Polar Bears Hunt? In cold weather, polar bears, except pregnant females, head out onto the ice to hunt seals. Have been spotted hundreds of miles from shore. When the ice is very thin, polar bears crawl on their bellies to keep from breaking the ice and falling in. Polar bears spend as much time on ice as they do on land. When the weather outside gets cold the ocean water will freeze and the polar bears will head out onto the ice to hunt. *will travel hundreds of miles from shore. When the weather warms up and the ice begins to melt is when the polar bears begin to move back to shore.

What Polar Bears Eat Polar bears are carnivores (meat-eaters). Hunt and catch their prey in the water. Eat mostly seals. Stomach can hold up to 150 pounds. Polar bears don't drink water. *Fierce predators who eat mostly seals,

How Polar Bears Communicate With Each Other? Use body language and sounds. A deep growl gives a warning to other bears. Growls are commonly used to defend their food source. To beg food from another bear, polar bears will approach slowly, circle around the food, and then softly offer a nose-to-nose greeting. When a polar bear wants to play with another polar bear , he wags his head from side to side. An adult bear will stand on his hind legs, chin lowered to chest and front paws hanging by his side. Angry polar bears make loud roars and growls. Mother bears scold their cubs with a low growl or a soft cuff. Polar bears communicate through body language and sounds. Different noises mean different things. A deep growl gives warning to other bears, usually used to defend food. When asking for food from another bear the polar bear will approach slowly, circle the food then offer a nose to nose greeting. When a polar bear wants to play he wags his head side to side, but when an adult bear wants to play he will stand on his hind legs, chin lowered and front paws hanging at his side. When a polar bear is made he will use loud growls and a chuffing sound, which is also what a mother bear usues with her cubs but at lower level.

Sounds of a Polar Bear

Polar Bear Finger Play One momma bear curled up in a ball (hug yourself) Two babies sleeping, so furry and small (use hands to lean head on) Three frisky bears tumble in the snow(making fists, turn in a circle) Four bears paddle “go bears go” (moving both hands and arms to represent moving water)

What have we learned? What does the polar bear look like and eat? What is a group of polar bears called? Where do polar bears live? What are the characteristics of the baby polar bear? How do polar bears hunt? How do they communicate with one another?

Thank You www.nationalgeographic.com/kids www.polarbearsinternational.org/photo-gallery www.junglewalk.com/sound/polar-bear-sounds.htm