Polar Bear — Habitat
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The polar bear inhabits Arctic islands, sea ice, and water and continental coastlines. It prefers the sea ice habitat, with water channels or cracks through the ice, next to continental coastlines or islands. Some polar bears spend part of the year on land, although in warmer climates a bear might become stranded. Most pregnant females spend the autumn and winter on land in maternity dens.
A polar bear travels throughout the year within individual home ranges, which tend to be larger than for other mammal species because of the changes in sea ice from year to year and even season to season. Small home ranges (19,000 to 23,000 miles) can be found near Canadian Arctic Islands, while large home ranges (135,000 miles) can be found in the Bering or Chukchi Seas. The polar bear remains in the same area during the same season. A polar bear is capable of traveling 19 miles or more per day for several days, although some are capable of much more than that.
