Polar Bears

The Amazing Mammals from the Arctic

Scientific Classification
Kingdom- Animalia
Phylum- Chordata
Class- Mammalia
Order- Carnivora
Family- Ursidae
Genus- Ursus
Species- Ursus Maritimus (Sea Bear)

Fur and Skin
Skin- They have black

skin with a 4.5 inch layer of fat
Fur- Polar bears have an insulating undercoat with fur of different length on top of that
Hair- Polar bears have long, translucent hollow tubes for hair

Polar Bear Paws

Polar Bear Paws
Paws measure up to 12 inches across
Help distribute the weight of the polar bear on ice
Their paws serve almost as flippers do when they

swim
On the bottom of their paws, they have black pads that are covered with papillae, or small bumpsthis helps them with traction
The claws of a polar bear measure about 2 inches long They use their strong claws to catch prey and from slipping on the ice

Diet
 Bears will also eat
 Polar bears eat a diet

that consists mostly of ringed seals
 The bears will stalk the seals on ice and pounce on them
 They will also find the seals breathing holes and wait by them for the seals to come up

vegetation, fish, geese, eggs, or caribou, walrus, or whales but they prefer the blubber of seals
 Some polar bears beg the bear “in charge,” who killed the actual prey
 They can eat up to 100 pounds of seal blubber in one sitting

Environment
They live in the

circumpolar north
Canada is home to about
60% of polar bears
They can also be found in
Alaska, Russia, Norway, and Greenland
Polar bears live in the
Arctic

Reproduction
Polar bears usually give birth to 1-

2 cubs but are able to give birth to
4 cubs
Cubs are born between November and January
Only pregnant mothers hibernate;
Males and non-breeding females do not
Cubs weigh around one pound when they are born
Mothers will nurse cubs until they are about 20 pounds
Cubs will stay with their mothers until they are 2 years old
Polar bears can only have up to 5 liters in their lifetimes

Polar Bears

Hunting Threats
During the 1960’s and 1970’s, hunting

became a huge threat against polar bears
The International Agreement on the
Conservation of Polar Bears
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Prohibited unregulated hunting
Required Nations to protect