Polar bears have many different names. They are called white because of the color of their fur, but there are other names for this species - northern bears, polar bears. Polar bears are close relatives of ordinary brown bears, although they differ from them in size and habits.
The northern bear is a very large animal. The body length of such a bear from nose to tail exceeds the height of an ordinary person and can reach 3 meters. The weight of the animal is much greater than that of a human: males grow up to tons in weight, and females up to 300 kg.
What color is a polar bear?
This question may seem strange, but the answer to it is no less surprising. It is generally accepted that the polar bear’s fur is exactly the same color as we see it – white. However, everything is not so simple. The skin of a polar bear under its fur is black, and the hairs covering its body are translucent and have no color of their own. The white color that we see when looking at a northern bear is just a play of light in a huge accumulation of hairs. Inside, each hair is hollow, like a cocktail straw.
Natural enemies
Such a large predator as the polar bear has practically no natural enemies, although killer whales and polar sharks pose some danger. Mostly, adult individuals die as a result of injuries received as a result of skirmishes among themselves or when hunting large walruses, which can easily pierce the body of a bear with their tusks. No less often, polar bears die from starvation.
Humans are considered the most dangerous enemy of polar bears, especially since such northern peoples as the Eskimos, Chukchi, and Nenets have hunted this animal for many centuries and continue to do so to this day. Human economic activity has an equally detrimental effect on the number of polar bears. In one season, hunters killed at least a hundred polar bears. A little more than half a century ago, polar bear hunting was banned, and in 1965 it was included in the list of endangered species.
What are the characteristics of a polar bear?
The bear is very agile both in water and on land. Its body is ideally suited for living in ice. In addition to its camouflage white color, nature gave it an impressive layer of fat under its skin, which warms the northern bear in the cold. The polar bear has well-developed hearing, vision and sense of smell.
Unlike bears living in warm climates, polar bears have fur on the underside of their paws, which allows the bears to avoid freezing while constantly moving on the ice. At the same time, the fur on the front of the paws is tougher than in other places, because of this the bear confidently walks on the most slippery ice floes.
The polar bear's paws are also adapted for swimming. It has special membranes between its toes and when the bear hunts in water, it uses its paws as flippers.
Polar bears are solitary animals. They do not live in flocks or pairs. The only exception is a mother bear with cubs. The cubs live with their mother until they are one and a half years old, and then begin an independent life.
The polar bear does not go into hibernation every year; usually females go to winter hibernation, awaiting the appearance of offspring.
A story about a polar bear for children
The message about the polar bear can be used in preparation for the lesson. A story about a polar bear for children can be supplemented with interesting facts.
Report on the topic “Polar bear” 4th grade
The polar bear is one of the largest predators on Earth. These are inhabitants of the harsh and snowy expanses of the Arctic zone; their southern border of habitat is the tundra zone.
Description of a polar bear
The polar bear has a heavy, massive body and large, powerful paws.
Its weight ranges from 300 to 800 kg, and its length can reach up to three meters. The color of the fur coat can range from white to yellowish. In summer, the fur may turn yellow due to constant exposure to sunlight. Wool stores subcutaneous fat and protects well from the cold, so animals do not freeze either on land or under water. The tail of a polar bear is very short, ranging from 7 to 13 cm in length and is almost invisible under its dense fur.
Interestingly, the bear’s skin under its fur is black, as is its nose.
Their feet have an unusual elongated shape, which allows them not to fall under the snow and cover distances of 30 kilometers. Thanks to the partitions between the toes, animals swim well and hunt underwater.
What do bears eat?
They feed on fish, seals, and sometimes baby walruses. Bears can go without food for a long time, but when they catch prey, they eat up to 10 kg of meat at a time. In summer they can eat plants. Predators are very agile, despite their enormous weight and thick skin. They have a well-developed sense of smell and vision. They can see and smell their prey from kilometers away. And having tracked down the prey, they stun it with a blow of their paw.
Polar bear lifestyle
Basically, these animals are solitary, but in the spring they pair up to create offspring. In small families they explore new territory, but do not stay there for long. While carrying cubs, female polar bears almost never leave their shelter and lose 2 times their weight. After the birth of babies (usually one or two), the bear spends several more months with them in a specially dug den, because they are not yet adapted to the cold. Newborn cubs are taught by their mother to hunt and survive in difficult conditions.
During winter hibernation, lasting 50-80 days, mainly pregnant females hibernate. Males and single females hibernate for a short period of time and not annually.
The average life expectancy in the wild is about 20-30 years, in captivity it is longer.
A few animals are listed in the Red Book, and although their population has recently increased slightly, they still remain rare.
We hope the information presented about the polar bear has helped you. And you can leave your report to the polar bear through the comment form.
What does a polar bear eat?
The polar bear hunts both on land and in water. Often he watches for sea animals at the holes and pulls them out onto the ice as soon as they look out of the water.
In times of famine, the polar bear is able to feed on bird eggs, algae and carrion, and in human habitats it is not averse to stealing the remains of human food from the trash heap or stealing supplies from the warehouse of a polar expedition.
Despite the fact that the polar bear is listed in the Red Book, its numbers are not decreasing these days. Hunting of these animals is prohibited and scientists hope that in the future this species will no longer be endangered.
Report-message on the topic: “Polar bear”
The polar or polar bear is an indigenous inhabitant of the Arctic. Along with some subspecies, the brown bear is the largest species of bear.
When thinking about polar bears, ice blocks come to mind - this is the habitat of these predators, which gives them the most important thing - food. The Arctic is their habitat. It includes the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the coasts of North America and Eurasia.
Adults on average have a body length of about 2 meters, weight - half a ton, females are slightly lighter than males. The fur of polar bears, thick and dense, consists of a warm undercoat that protects from severe frosts.
Interesting fact: the polar bear has black skin and a blue tongue.
Color varies from white, yellow and green, depending on external conditions. During the warm period of the year, green algae can grow in a bear’s fur, which gives such an unusual shade to the color of the animal. Knowing polar bears from encyclopedia pictures, you can immediately tell about their large size, muscular body and incredible strength. Their paws have membranes necessary for swimming. Animals also have adaptations for moving on ice and keeping their paws warm - the fur on their paws performs these two functions.
Spending a lot of time in the water, bears developed features that distinguish them from other species: an elongated muzzle, small ears, a long neck adapted to support the head on the surface of the water. Brown bears dig dens in the ground, and white bears dig dens in the snow, and such a den usually has several rooms and even a ventilation duct.
To live in harsh cold conditions, the animal has a thick layer of fat, which is supported by the animal’s nutrition. The diet mainly consists of seals, walruses and sea hares, and in the summer months they can also feed on birds, fish, berries, deer, and sometimes even walruses and whales. Typically, polar bears eat part of the prey, although in case of severe hunger - completely, and the remains are eaten by arctic foxes, polar foxes and seagulls.
The bear's fur helps it perfectly camouflage itself from prey on the white snow. Even high-tech scientists find it difficult to detect these animals in Arctic zones. This means of protection is available not only to bears, but, for example, to weasels and arctic foxes. Therefore, bears are helped by their amazing sense of smell for hunting - they are able to smell prey at a distance of about 15 kilometers.
It is very important to build a den for future offspring to live in. Females prepare dens on the island's rocky shores from the beginning of October. Pre-prepared dens will only be needed in mid-November. The den provides the animals with a sufficient amount of fresh heated air due to the body heat of the animals and their breathing. The mother bear and her cub will live there until March–April.
Polar bears mostly live alone, but are very peaceful towards each other. Reproduction and continuation of this species is very important, as it is listed in the Red Book. As is typical for all mammals, newborn cubs feed only on mother's milk. A month after birth, they open their eyes for the first time. At the age of two months they begin to crawl out of the den. After 3 months, the cubs leave the den completely, but for one and a half years they are close to the mother and continue to feed on milk.
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Types of brown bear with photos
The brown bear species consists of several subspecies, which are characterized by geographical distribution patterns, which form unique geographical races. Moreover, the subspecies differ in both color and size.
You should pay attention to the following subspecies:
- European brown bear . The following maximum indicators are considered characteristic of this subspecies: body length about 2 and a half meters, tail length about 15 cm, height at the withers about 110 cm, body weight up to 300 kg. It is considered a rather massive subspecies, with a strong body and a pronounced hump at the withers. Depending on the habitat, the coat color can range from light grayish-yellow to dark blackish-brown. The body is covered with fairly long and thick fur.
- The Caucasian brown bear is slightly smaller in size, since the maximum body length is slightly more than 2 meters, with a weight of no more than 240 kg. It differs from the European subspecies in having a less bright coat color, while its coat is short and coarse. The coat color varies from pale straw to a uniform gray-brown. A characteristic large dark spot can be seen in the withers area.
- East Siberian brown bear . It is distinguished by a large skull and weighs almost 350 kilograms. The body is covered with soft long fur, which has a characteristic shine. The coat can be colored in tones from light brown to dark brown. At the same time, there are individuals whose color includes clearly visible inclusions of yellowish or black tones.
- Ussuri or Amur brown bear. In the vastness of our country, this subspecies is also called the black grizzly. Adult males are very impressive in size, reaching a weight of almost half a ton. This subspecies is characterized by the presence of a large, physically developed skull with an elongated nasal region. The fur is almost black. The subspecies is distinguished by the presence of long hair on the ears.
One of the largest subspecies is the Far Eastern or Kamchatka brown bear, whose body weight exceeds 500 kilograms. Adult individuals are characterized by a large, massive skull, the front part of which is relatively wide and, as it were, raised upward. The body is covered with long, dense and soft fur, which is pale yellow, blackish-brown or completely black in color.
Birth and wintering of the brown bear
By winter, the bear fattens up its hidden fat and goes into a den to hibernate. In different regions, the bear's sleep lasts from 3 to 6 months. During the wintering period, a bear loses up to 85 kilograms of fat. There is a belief that the bear sucks its paw and does not starve. Bear cubs are also usually born in winter, in a den. They are blind and also somewhat deaf, but after some time they begin to feel, and later to observe. When they leave the den in the spring, they have every chance to eat not only their mother’s milk, but also berries and grass. The cubs adhere to their mother until they are 3 years old.
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Brown bear hibernation
Brown bears, although they hibernate during the winter, are not so active if we compare this process that occurs with other mammals. The hibernation period of a brown bear is characterized by the fact that its body temperature, breathing intensity and heart rate are almost at the same level as before hibernation. In the first days he practically does not sleep, but only dozes.
Despite this half-hibernating state, the bear listens sensitively to all sounds. In case of danger, he is ready to immediately leave the den. When the winter is warm and there is little snow, some individuals do not sleep in winter, since they can easily find food. When severe cold occurs, predators hibernate, and this period can last no more than a month. During this period, the animal feeds on subcutaneous fat, which the bear managed to accumulate before the onset of cold weather, although this is not always possible.
Preparatory period before bed
For winter sleep, bears choose deaf, dry places, within windbreaks or under the roots of fallen trees. Adults, with the help of powerful paws, dig deep and voluminous holes for themselves. In addition, they can occupy caves and crevices in rocks. Pregnant females try to dig a shelter with the future offspring in mind. After this, the den is covered from the inside with moss, spruce branches and fallen leaves.
Important point! Once born, cubs always spend the winter in a den with the female. Bear cubs that have entered their second year of life can also spend the winter in this company.
All solitary individuals spend the winter alone, although on the territory of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands there are bears that spend the winter in the company of several of their relatives.
Duration of hibernation
Brown bears, depending on weather conditions and a number of other factors, can stay in a den for up to six months. As a rule, the bear lies down in a den after feeding on the required amount of nutrients. This process is also influenced by other factors, including the physiological state of the animals.
It is important to know! An old animal that has managed to stock up on all the necessary nutrients goes into hibernation much earlier, even before the first snow falls. Young individuals that have not had time to fatten can lie down in a den at the end of autumn or at the beginning of winter.
In this regard, the hibernation process can drag on for several weeks or months. First of all, pregnant females go to the den, and last of all, old, weakened males. A brown bear can winter in the same den for several seasons if it is not occupied by a stronger individual.
Bears-rods
Bears that for some reason were unable to stock up on fat for the winter do not hibernate and are therefore called “connecting rods.” This is due to the fact that the animal wanders around the surrounding area all winter in search of food. It is easy to distinguish him from other bears by his uncertain, shaky gait and tattered, exhausted appearance.
Interesting fact! Having met a dangerous opponent, a brown bear stands on its hind legs and lets out a loud roar. In a duel, he uses his front paws to knock down his opponent.
Often, in search of food, bears appear in places where people live. Connecting bears are quite common in northern regions where harsh winters prevail. This phenomenon can be widespread, especially in lean years, with a frequency of once every 10 years. It is often necessary to shoot such animals because they pose a certain threat to humans. Since they are hungry, they can attack humans.
