There are an estimated 21000-28000 polar bears in the world today. The ratio of male to female polar bears is one to one. A male polar bear usually grows to be two to three times the size of a female polar bear. Male polar bears, also known as boars, weigh about 770-1433 pounds and are about 8-9 feet long. Female polar bears, also known as sows, weigh about 330-550 pounds and are 6-8 feet long. They can live to up to 20-30 years but only a small portion of them live past 15-18 years old.
Polar bears have a coat of fur that can range from pure white to creamy yellow to light brown depending on the season and the angle of light. Under all that fur they have black skin but the only black that shows on a polar bear is their broad black nose and the bottom of their paws. Their coat is thick and has a layer of dense, insulating underhair that is covered in a relatively thin layer of stiff clear gaurd hair. Their fur is oily and water repellent and reflect the light.
Polar bears have a 5 toed paw that is large compared to their body reaching 12 inches in diameter. They act like snow shoes when walking on ice and snow. Each toe has thick, curved, nontretractable claws which are used for grasping prey and traction when running on the ice. The sole of the paw has thick, black pads covered with small, soft papillae (bumps) that create friction between their foot and the ice.
The red in this picture shows where polar bears live. They live in the circumpolar artic which includes countries such as Canada, Greenland, the North Pole and Russia. Sixty percent of polar bears live in Canada. Polar bears live on ice packs and prefer to travel on ice.
Polar bears are omnivores which means they eat both animal and vegetable food sources. They feed mainly on ringed seals and bearded seals but depending on thier location, they also eat harped and hooded seals. They are also known to ear carcasses of beluga whales, walruses and bowhead whales. When seals are not available polar bears will also eat marine mammals, small rodents, sea birds, ducks, fish, berries and more.
Polar bears are basically solitar animals but two social units do exist. One is between adult females and cubs and the other is between breading pairs. Females give birth once every three years. The social interaction between the mother and cubs is attentive, with frequent touching and grooming. Breading pairs remain together for one week or more, mating several times during that period.To find out more information about polar bears visit this website:
http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/PolarBears/home.html
