Polar Bears

Habitat A polar bear is a large, carnivorous land mammal that lives natively in the arctic circle. They can be found in places such as Russia, Alaska, Canada, Norway and Greenland.

Diet The polar bear has many special adaptations to help it survive the cold, harsh winter climate, and lives mainly off hunting seals and fish. If there is no food for a long period of time, they will live off fat reserves until their next meal.

Reproduction Female polar bears are ready to mate and reproduce when they are approximately 4-5 years old. Baby polar bears are called cubs. They are usually born in the spring season.

Physical Characteristics Polar bears are specially adapted for living in the cold. They have small appendages (external body parts) in order to reduce heat loss. They also have a thick layer of fur and a thick layer of fat under their skin for insulation.

Status Climate change is one of the main contributors to this decline. Global Warming is making the sea ice melt earlier in the year, forcing polar bears back to shore before they have sufficient fat reserves to survive. The polar bear is a vulnerable species. They became vulnerable due to large-scale hunting but this was soon stopped after  controls and quotas began to take effect. A recent report says that there are currently 20,000-25,000 polar bears and that this number is on the decline.