By Callie o. February 2013

Table of contents Body…………………………………………………………..pg 2 Fur …………………………………………………………….pg 5 Food and Enemies………………………………………pg 7 Lives……………………………………………………………pg 9 Important months……………………………………….pg 10 Facts page……………………………………………………pg 13 Glossary ………………………………………………………pg 14 Resouces …………………………………………………….pg 15-18

Introduction When you think of a polar bear, you probably think of a brown or black bear stomping their feet loudly on the forest floor. Have you ever heard of a Ursus Maritimus? I bet you haven’t. An Ursus Maritimus is the scientific name for a polar bear. Polar bears are bears that have a lot in common with brown and black bears. One of their similarities is that they both are carnivores. This is a polar bear staring off into the day. 1

Body Mouth Polar Bears mouths are lined with 42 sharp teeth that can shred things like their prey easily. Also with their 42 sharp teeth is a black tongue. Their black tougue makes them unique. For example, if you were to look at a black or brown bears tougue it wouldn’t be black it would be pink like humans. When you put the black tougue and the 42 sharp teeth together, it turns out to be really dangerous. 2 This polar bear looks cute and cuddly But when it’s teeth show it is a nasty sight.

Blubber Polar bears (Ursus Maritimus)has 4 inches of thick fat blubber. That helps the polar bear keep warm during the cold winter days. Blubber is a very important part of a polar bears body. If they didn’t have blubber they would probably freeze! Almost all polar and arctic animals have blubber. They all need blubber to survive. Blubber - This is a diagram of a polar bears fur. The yellowish part is the blubber. 3

Black skin? Who has ever heard of black skin? Well, under all polar bears fur and fat is a dark, dark layer of black skin. It’s black skin helps it absorb and store heat. If a polar bear didn’t have black skin, they probably wouldn’t be as warm. These are 2 polar bears together. 4 Black skin

Fur Color Fun fact So you think you know what color a polar bears fur is correct? You probably say it is white but it is actually incorrect. It is actually a creamy color.The sun and the snow reflects off of it to make it’s fur look white. Did you know that the older the polar bear gets, the darker it’s fur gets? 5 If you look up close at these 2 polar bears fur it is more creamier than white

Hollow Fur Did you know that polar bears have hollow fur? They have hollow fur so they can trap heat inside their bodies. The hollow fur and the black skin work together to absorb heat from the sun. Can you imagine what it would be like to have no fur, blubber or black skin? You would be freezing! This is a diagram of a polar bears fur. 6

Food and Enemies Main food items Polar bears have many main food items. Here they are: Seals, birds, rodents, fish and garbage. With their fierce sharp teeth, they can tear open their prey Easily. Do you know how polar bears catch their food? No? well, let me explain. If you were a polar bear, and wanted a big fat juicy seal for lunch, do you know what you would do? Yep, you got it. You would quietly wait by a seals breathing hole until it came up for air. This is a seal just waking up on a bright sunny day. 7

Enemies Did you know that polar Bears have enemies? Usually you would think that polar bears don’t have enemies because their big and fierce, but they do. Killer whales, walruses and humans are their main enemies. Polar Bears are very fierce to their enemies. 8 This is one of the polar bears main enemies.

Lives Polar bears live in Greenland, Russia and on the coast of Canada! They need to live in those places because they like it cold. If it was warm the polar bear would have a hard time adapting to the environment. Polar bears can also live in Alaska. This is a picture of Greenland. 9

Important months December December is a very important month for a polar bear because that is when cubs are usually born. Female polar bears usually eat a lot of seals before birth. Do you know why? It is because they want to bulk up for the long winter approaching cubs stay with their parents for up to 2 years. This is a polar bears den. 10

April April is an important month for a polar bear because that is when most polar bears mate. Mating to us humans is kind of like dating to us humans. Polar Bears mostly mate in April, like I said before but they can also mate in early May. Even though cubs are born in December, the polar bears 11 Still mate early. These are a few polar bear cubs and their mom coming out of their den after a long winter.

Conclusion Now do you know what an Ursus Martimimus is? I bet you Do. Remember polar bears are A very important part of our Environment. Polar bears need the arctic. We can at least try to be green so they can live where they need to. This is a polar bear exploring the world around him. 12

Fact Page About Polar Bears Did you know………….. -Newborn cobs look like rats -Males weigh more than 1000 Lbs -Excellent swimmers -Smell food from 1 mile away -Hibernate -Shakes like a dog -Can hold breath for 2min -Usually peaceful -Really sharp claws -Lives years -Cubs weigh 1 ½-2lbs -Angry bears are fierce -Females give birth to 2 cubs at a time 13

Glossary Absorb [ab-sawrb]: To suck up Environment [en-vahy-ruh-muh-nt]: The circumstances, objects, or conditions by witch one is Surrounded. Mating [meyt-ing]: To join or fit together Reflects [ri-flekts]: To cast back. 14

Resources websites books “Adaption” bear” world book kids world book 2013.web.15 Jan “Bear” world book kids world book 2013.web.15 jan 2013 “Polar bear” world book kids world book 2013.web.15 jan 2013 Hemstock, Annie wildlife of north america: the polar bear, Osborne, Mary, and Boyce, Natalie polar bears and the Arctic U.S.A, 2007 Mankato, Capstone press,1999 World book inc. “polar bears.” World book p-15, 2004 ed.,

Resources Books Helbrough, Emma, Bears, New york. scholastic inc.,2002. Glassman, Jackie, Amazing Arctic Animals, 345 Hudson street, New York, scolastic inc Downs, Matthews, polar bear cubs, New York, Simon and Schuster books for young readers, Morgan, Sally, Polar Animals, New York, Scolastic inc This polar bear is enjoying a nice afternoon swim.

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