Polar Bear Facts

Category: Characteristics

  • Do Polar Bears and Penguins Live Together?

    Do you have any idea where do polar bears and penguins live? No! Polar bears and penguins live in absolutely different locations. Polar bears live in the Northern Hemisphere while penguins inhabit the Southern Hemisphere. They are far apart—living on the opposite ends. It is reasonable to believe that none of them ever saw the other in their native habitats. Possibility may exist that some polar bears migrate to the South Pole (since habitat conditions are almost the same) but no such movement has ever been reported. Let us study as if polar bears and penguins live in the same place.

    Do Polar Bears and Penguins Live Together?

    Penguins are flightless aquatic birds while polar bears are marine mammals but they do hunt on land. Polar bears live in the Arctic which is a polar region and it occurs at the northernmost tip of the earth. Penguins, on the contrary, live in the southernmost part of the earth, Antarctic.

    What if Polar Bears and Penguins Live Together?

    Should polar bears start living in the Antarctic no penguin would dare to survive because polar bears are land-based predators and also due to the fact that penguins are flightless birds. They cannot escape if they cannot fly—not at least from polar bears.

    But penguins are able to dive into the water. Well, let’s not forget that polar bears are outstanding swimmers too. They do it all too well as a matter of fact white bears spend half of their entire life in water. Had penguins been living in the Arctic or polar bears in the Antarctic the relationship between the two would be a predator-prey relationship. Thanks to nature that has kept both species apart and alive.

    Do Polar Bears and Penguins Live in the Same Place? – Video

  • Do Killer Whales Eat Polar Bears?

    Do Killer Whales Eat Polar Bears?

    Like polar bears killer whales (orcas) are also apex predators. They are called the wolves of the sea primarily because orcas hunt in packs. However killer whales do not eat polar bears. Sea turtles, fish, cephalopods, and sea birds form the essential components of killer whale’s diet.

    Do Killer Whales Eat Polar Bears?

    • Orcas are able to reach the maximum speed of 25 miles per hour which qualify them as one of the fastest marine mammals. At this speed they feed on medium-sized preys to as large as minke whales. Polar bears can never become the diet of orcas but certain unreported incidents in the past showed that orcas do kill polar bears.
    • Still scientists do not recognize the fact of polar bears getting killed by orcas because both marine mammals seem to share many behavioral traits. Besides, none of them has any natural predator in the arctic.
    • The polar bear cubs can fall prey to the killer whales (when their mother is not around) which made biologists to believe that orcas eat polar bears. Apart from that polar bears never become the regular part of the killer whale’s diet.
    • Killer whales must eat polar bears at regular intervals (which they don’t!) just like they eat fish or turtles; only in this way white bears can become the orca’s diet. Merely one or two incidents doesn’t make either of them predator of the other. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that killer whales do not eat polar bears.

    Do Killer Whales Eat Polar Bears? – Video

  • Difference Between Male and Female Polar Bears

    Difference Between Male and Female Polar Bears

    Male and female polar bears not only differ in their sizes but also somewhat in behavioral traits. Polar bears are the most sexually dimorphic mammals that is to say there is a significant and obvious difference in their sizes as well as in weight.

    Male polar bears are nearly twice the size of female bears. The typical weight of an adult male is about 450 kg (992 lb) in contrast to female’s weight of 150 – 250 kg (331–551 lb). Clearly there is a substantial difference in weights. Similarly the female is also smaller in body length as compared to males.

    Difference Between Male and Female Polar Bears

    Mature males are far more aggressive than adult females. Cannibalism is quite common in male bears as they often engage in killing and sometimes eating cubs that belong to the other social unit.

    Females are extremely devoted mothers whereas males take no part in raising cubs. The female bears take the responsibility not only for rearing cubs but also to protect them against predators. Many a times it is seen that a female in a desperate attempt to relocate to a new dens, carrying cubs in her mouth. The devotion of a female bear is so much so that she can even rear a cub that doesn’t originally belong to her family.

    Males neither defend their social unit nor do possess any unusual skills as a father. They just remain with female for as long as two weeks after which they leave once for all.

    Difference Between Male and Female Polar Bears – Video

  • Can Polar Bears Jump? – How High Can a Polar Bear Jump?

    Can Polar Bears Jump? – How High Can a Polar Bear Jump?

    Polar bears do not jump in a way other land predators do. Tigers have got the amazing ability to jump right from the spot they’re standing. Siberian tigers can jump up to 12 feet high vertically. Their hind limbs are strong enough to push their body upwards and lift heavy weight. Polar bears on the other hand have massive stocky body and their back is relatively high as compared to the front. The physical built of a polar bear makes her difficult to jump vertical upwards.

    Polar bears can nevertheless jump horizontally which is often seen when they move from one ice floe to the other. However they cannot jump while running. The unorthodox physic of bear doesn’t seem to allow her to jump during running. But they can and they do (often) stand on their hind legs especially during play-fight. Ice bears also jump when they are about to dive into the water. An act of jumping always takes place in a forward horizontal direction in polar bears.

    Can Polar Bears Jump? – Video