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Polar Bear — Ursus maritimus

Polar bears are such great creatures. And to think that it’s only in recent evolutionary time that bears adapted to arctic sea life. It started during the Ice Age, in the northern seas, when the seals needed to breathe and reproduce at the surface. By doing this, the seals put a rich year-round food source within reach of a population of brown bears, who then started to live on the ice, evolving into something like the polar bear of today around 100,000 years ago.

Weighing about 330 to 1,760 pounds, the length of the polar bear’s body is approximately 6.6 to 10 feet. The male body is usually larger than the female. The polar bear, similar to the brown bear, is large and stocky. It has an elongated neck and small head. Its fur, usually white, sometimes appears yellow, due to oxidation.

A polar bear has black skin, which helps it absorb and hold heat from the sunlight. It is definitely well dressed for the weather with a layer of fat more than 4 inches thick to provide good insulation. The heavy fur on its feet (its foot is about 9 inches wide and 12 inches long) provides warmth and traction. Since each foot is so large, it acts as a handy snowshoe.

It is a good swimmer with its broad forepaws that serve as paddles. When swimming underwater, the small ears flatten for protection and its nostril close. It paddles at about 6 and one-half miles per hour — front feet only, hind feet trailing — and can remain submerged for about 2 minutes. The hairs of its waterproof coat are hollow which is a good insulator and increases the bear’s buoyancy when swimming.

A polar bear has a good sense of smell, sensing prey at a distance of about 20 miles. Although little is known about its sense of touch (its eyesight and hearing is acute), a polar bear is able to manipulate various objects with great dexterity.

With canine teeth larger and sharper than those of other bears, the polar bear is the most carnivorous North American bear.