Polar Bear Facts

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  • Polar Bear Cubs Facts – Interesting Facts about Baby Polar Bears

    We have gathered some of the most amazing and unbelievable polar bear cubs facts which you probably don’t know. Just to let you know that all these facts about baby polar bears are real. Although polar bears are one of the largest land carnivores in the world yet baby polar bears are only the size of a ground squirrel when they are born. However they will grow pretty fast in the first couple of months. Let’s take a look at the baby polar bear facts.

    Polar Bear Cubs Facts

    Polar Bear Cubs have Fluffy Furs

    The cubs are well protected with fluffy white fur even when they are only weeks old. While polar bear cubs can survive the frigid arctic weather they are most likely suffer from hypothermia if they get wet. Therefore, mother bear doesn’t encourage her cubs to swim longer distances.

    Polar Bear Cubs can Climb Trees

    Believe it or not, baby polar bears can climb trees. Although there are very few trees in the Arctic but when a polar bear family gets close to the trees, the cubs often climb up the trees during playing. Adult male or a female bear cannot climb for they are too heavy to lift their weight.

    Polar Bear Cubs Mimic their Mother

    Baby polar bears are often seen mimicking their mother, it’s like monkey see monkey do. They will try to drink water, eat food, or stretch in a way their mothers do. The cub’s mimicking habits probably makes easy for their mother to teach them hunting techniques.

    Polar Bear Cubs are Curious

    Baby polar bears are highly curious especially in the first six months. They will wander far from mom and each day they likely bring about a bit more independence. However, cubs rarely go too far from their den and also their mother mostly keeps a close eye on them.

    Polar Bear Cubs’ Weight

    The average weight of captive polar bear cubs is somewhere in between 570 grams and 750 grams (1.2 to 1.6 lbs) at birth. In the wild habitat, they often hardly weigh more than a pound at birth. However, they will attain 7.7 pounds in just 30 days after birth.

    Polar Bear Cubs Stay Inside the Den

    They will stay inside the den for as long as 60 days after birth. While maternity den the polar bear cubs not only stay safe from predators, they also get warm. Once they reach 2-months age, they will leave the den. By the time baby polar bears leave their dens, they weigh 10 – 15 kg (22 – 33 pounds).

    Polar Bear Cubs are Born Blind

    Baby polar bears are completely helpless and they are blind at birth. They are highly vulnerable to potential predators at this stage. Arctic foxes usually hunt baby polar bears inside the den.

  • What Do Polar Bears Look Like? – Polar Bear Description

    Polar bears look like a white mammoth-sized animal that navigates through the Arctic sea ice whilst camouflaging into the Arctic snowy background. Polar bears are remarkable species and quite many aspects of white bears justify a detailed description perhaps rightfully. Andrew Derocher, a leading polar bear researcher, says that if you’re searching a polar bear in the Arctic look for the yellowish white object, preferably one that is moving. In this article we are going to discuss what do polar bears look like in the wild habitat.

    What Do Polar Bears Look Like Facts

    Polar Bears have White Fur

    Main Article: Polar Bear Fur

    • Polar bear fur isn’t actually white. It is pale yellow in color which is precisely due to lack of a pigment. If you take a fur snippet you’ll notice that it appears like glistening glass fibers. That means that the polar bear fur aren’t white at all, they just look like one.
    • Polar bear furs are transparent. They reflect light. Thus, if you observe a polar bear during sunset it’ll probably look orange-red in appearance rather than white.
    Polar Bear sharp Claws

    Size & Weight

    Main Article: Polar Bear Weight

    • Polar bear is a big bear by any standards. The weight of an adult male is estimated at 1760 lbs (800 kg). They grow up to a length of 8.3 feet (253 cm).
    • Female polar bear weighs over 990 lbs (450 kg) and it averages up to 7 feet (214 cm) in the overall length.
    • According to polar bear hunters, there are 10 to 12-foot bears inhabiting the wild but they are not really confirmed.
    • The largest polar bear has the shoulder height of about 133 cm (4 ft 4 in). The evidence suggests that the biggest polar bear weighs over 2,200 pounds.

    Do they have Tail?

    Main Article: Do Polar Bears have Tails?

    • Yes, polar bears have tail but it is probably not as noticeable as bear’s other parts. The bear tail measures around 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 cm) in length.
    • Scientists do not know however what function does polar bear’s tail serve apart from keeping the bear’s rear warm.
    • Andrew Derocher claims that he has seen quite many polar bears that have long tails.
    • When the bear defecates, the tail opens up just like a trap door.

    Legs, Feet, Claws & Paws

    Main Article: How Long are Polar Bear Claws?

    • Polar bears have short sturdy legs which are all covered with dense fur.
    • They have unusually wide paws. Bear’s furs are also found underneath its paws to protect her from cold during long walks. The pads of the paws provide polar bears with traction and grip on the ice.
    • The 30-cm-wide feet distribute the polar bear weight over the sea ice.

    What Do Polar Bears Look Like? – Video

  • How Long Do Polar Bears Sleep? – Polar Bear Sleeping Habits

    Do you know how long do polar bears sleep in a 24-hour day? Well, you will not believe that polar bears sleep as much as we do. Scientists have lately collected polar bear sleeping data and they concluded that the average length of time polar bear spends in sleeping is estimated at just over 7 hours each day. Now let us study in detail about the sleeping pattern of a polar bear.

    How Long Do Polar Bears Sleep?

    Although polar bear generally spends a quarter of their daily time sleeping they have different sleep sessions.

    They will continuously sleep for up to an hour.

    The average length of time is estimated at 7 hours and 45 minutes which probably matches our sleeping time.

    During summer, polar bears usually sleep more during the day as compared to night. But the overall sleeping time in 24-hour daylight remains the same.

    Polar bears can also become active at night because sometimes seals come to the ice floes. Ringed seals are thought to emerge at night to feed on their prey. It indeed increases the polar bear’s chances of catching a seal for the latter shows up in a breathing hole.

    See also: Where Do Polar Bears Sleep?

    Polar bear sleeping in a shallow ice pit. The bear will be covered with snow during windy hours. How long do polar bears sleep?

    When Do Polar Bears Sleep?

    • Polar bears usually fall sleep 60 to 100 minutes after the feast.
    • They become little lethargic (just like we do) after the meal.

    Polar Bears also Sleep in Shelter Dens

    • Unlike maternity dens, shelter dens are not really permanent. Polar bears use shelter dens for specific purposes. They will never raise their cubs in a shelter den or pit. Polar bears build shelter dens not only on the sea ice, but also on land.
    • During summer, the polar bear will use shelter dens to sleep while waiting for the sea ice to return in winter.
    • In winter, polar bears are thought to use shelter dens quite regularly. They may stay in these less-developed dens for as long 1 to 4 months in winter.

    How Long Do Polar Bears Sleep? – Video

  • Where Do Polar Bears Sleep? – Polar Bear Sleeping Location

    During summer, polar bears will spend as much as 7 to 8 hours a day sleeping. But it’s pretty hard to observe polar bear sleeping because the bear also sleeps when it sits in a still-hunting style. So, it’s not really straightforward to catch a moment when a bear wakes up or when it sleeps using a telescope. Many researchers however agree that most, if not all, polar bears spend one-third of their daily time sleeping. Let’s see where do polar bears sleep in the tundra.

    Where Do Polar Bears Sleep?

    Polar bear can sleep anytime of the day. When they are bit lethargic and they need a nap, polar bears will dig a shallow pit in the snow that mostly occurs on the lee side of the pressure ridge and lie down. The pits are also dug on the grave as well as on sand.

    During extreme windy hours, the bear is going to be covered with a blowing snow because it likely stays in its sleeping posture for several hours.

    They don’t always dig a pit to sleep. Sometimes, polar bears can sleep on an open sea ice or flat surface. On a flat surface, the polar bear will lie on its stomach. However in the Hudson Bay, polar bears are thought to sleep in pits which they dig into gravel ridges or sand.

    Many polar bears inhabiting Svalbard and Radstock Bay likely sleeps on snowy hillsides. The female bear along with her offspring will not only climb up to 100 meters to get to the snow slopes—they will also dig a sleeping pit to lie down.

    Most polar bears let alone female bears fancy choosing hillsides to sleep for they can have a better view of the area. They can also see any approaching adult male that can kill her cub. The mother bear one that moves with her cubs often prefers to sleep in high areas because by doing so it reduces the probability of killing her cub by a dominant male.

    Read More: How Long Do Polar Bears Sleep?

    Polar bears spend one-third of their 24-day time sleeping. In summer they will sleep more during the day than in winter. Where do polar bears sleep?

    There are two types of pits they dig on the ground; one is dug on the beach ridges alone the coast while the other occurs near the edges of inland lakes. Polar bears will dig pits in areas where wind blows quite frequently. The reason behind is that the wind not only cools the bear, it also takes off the insects living inside the pits.

    Pits are probably the resting place for polar bears.

    The diameter of the polar bear pits is measured at 5 feet (1.5 meters) with the depth reaching at 1.5 feet (0.5 m).

    Andrew Derocher, a polar bear researcher, calls pits as ‘polar bear armchairs—they function as a comfortable place to sit or lie.

    Polar bears are more likely to feel comfortable in pits as compared to the flat surface. Pits also provide them cooling.

    While most of the times pits are well dug, sometimes however it’s no more than a surface scrape. On a high snowy surface, the pits are (sometimes) dug so deep that they look like the surface of a golf ball right from the air.

    Read More: Do Polar Bears Hibernate?

    Where Do Polar Bears Sleep? – Video

  • How Many Babies Can a Polar Bear Have? – Polar Bear Litter Size

    Do you have any idea how many babies do polar bears have at a time? In this article, we’ll try to explain just about anything on the reproductive biology of polar bears. The polar bear litter size generally depends on quite many things which is why each polar bear population has its own litter size. Twins are common throughout much of the polar bear range. Triplets are extremely rare.

    How Many Babies Can a Polar Bear have?

    Ian Stirling, a leading polar bear scientist, suggests that more than two-thirds of the litters consist of twins. It’s fairly common for a female polar bear to produce two cubs at time. While twins are almost the norm, about 20% to 30% of the polar bear’s reproduction produces a single cub.

    Scientists have rarely observed triplets because the litter size generally depends not only on the time frame—it also rests on the geographic distribution. In 1908s, Ian Stirling had examined 119 litter sizes in the Western Hudson Bay out of which 20% mainly consisted of twins; only 12% were triplets, and he witnessed a single case of four cubs.

    When scientists examined the litter sizes in the Canadian High Arctic, Svalbard, Beaufort Sea, and the Baffin Island, they observed that only 1 to 3% of all litters were triplets.

    However, when scientists examined the litter sizes in the Canadian High Arctic, Svalbard, Beaufort Sea, and the Baffin Island, they observed that only 1 to 3% of all litters were triplets. The litter sizes in these areas were four times lesser than the one observed in the Hudson Bay.

    Over the past 15 years, the triplets have become less frequent as they were in 1980s. They are still recorded nevertheless.

    Read More: Polar Bear Cub

    A mother polar bear with her twins. How many babies can a polar bear have?. Photo by Arctic Mission

    What are the Factors that Determine the Polar Bear Litter Size?

    It’s a pretty tough ask to measure the polar bear litter sizes because scientists mostly count when polar bear cubs emerge from the dens. They just can’t find out how many cubs are unable to make it outside the den before they are weaned. Scientists do however aware that the litter size might be greater than they initially anticipated since a few cubs likely die of natural causes inside the den.

    Read More: How Do Polar Bears Reproduce?

    The average number of polar bear babies in the spring season ranges from 1.5 to 1.9 depending on the location. Andrew Derocher, a leading polar bear researcher, claims that there seems to be no real relation between the litter sizes and latitude. It is quite possible that different litter sizes are observed in different time periods. Therefore, it is logical to assume that the litter sizes primarily depend on the availability of food as well as other environmental conditions instead of latitude. As a rule of thumb, the litter size decreases as more cubs die naturally. Still, scientists find it pretty hard to measure the original litter size when they see a female polar bear with her cub. That single cub doesn’t tell anything about its siblings which might have possibly died before weaning.

    In the winter of 1937, Father Van de Valde had obtained data on the polar bear litter sizes from various sites he traveled along the way. He observed the average litter size of 1.88 to 2.0 cubs from December to February.

    In 1970s, the largest litter sizes were recorded long the southwestern coastlines of Hudson Bay. Dick Robertson and Dale Cross had observed the litter sizes from the air. The average litter size was found to be 2.0 which were probably the greatest. Paul Prevet and George Kolenosky also tracked polar bears along the northern Ontario coast somewhere between 1974 and 1978. They also found the litter size to be 2.0.

    How Many Babies Can a Polar Bear have? – Video

  • Polar Bear Liver – Polar Bear Liver Vitamin A Toxicity

    According to a legend, many centuries ago one of the individuals of some indigenous group consumed a polar bear liver and he got ill and soon died of it. Although it isn’t clear if that individual fell ill or actually died of eating polar bear liver, he nevertheless left many of the researchers to wonder if the polar bear liver is really poisonous. Let us study some facts about its liver and see if we can come up with some conclusive evidence in respect to the toxicity of a polar bear liver.

    Polar Bear Liver – Toxicity and Symptoms

    Even so, the Arctic explorers of the 16th century had reported that the Inuit were probably aware of the toxic contents in a polar bear liver. There is written evidence in the form of a diary which was written in 1597. The one who wrote the diary was living in Novaya Zemlya, Russia then. He mentioned quite clearly the dangers associated with eating polar bear liver. However, many of the later researchers appeared to ignore this particular evidence because they thought that early Arctic explorers would make numerous writing tales of woe such as this.

    Is Polar Bear Liver Poisonous? – If So, How?

    In March 1907, about 19 men ate the polar bear liver and their condition was reported by a Danish physician. While the polar bear liver doesn’t seem to be just as fatal, the early Inuit claimed that eating a polar bear caused immediate death. Let’s see scientifically if it is really poisonous to consume liver of a polar bear.

    Soon after the World War II ended, researchers carried out a study in which they fed polar bear liver to laboratory rats. You know what might have happened to the rats? The rats died immediately! However, when the researchers removed Vitamin A from a polar bear liver and fed it again to other rats—the rats lived.

    Eventually they concluded that eating a polar bear liver is most likely to cause hypervitaminosis A not only in rats—but in humans too. Hypervitaminosis is a condition that occurs when you take in excessive Vitamin A.

    A Polar Bear liver.

    Studies suggest that in any organism, the percentage of Vitamin A is highest in its liver. There are fat droplets which are present in the hepatic stellate cells also called Ito cells. The Vitamin A is mainly found in these fat droplets.

    Compared to humans, polar bear liver contains 20 to 100 times the content of Vitamin A; however, they have equally greater number of Ito cells to counter toxic contents of a liver. The polar bear liver has 4 times as many Ito cells as of human liver.

    According to scientists, the content of a Vitamin A (in your liver) primarily depends on your ranking in a food web. If you’re at the top of your food web then you’ll probably accumulate the highest levels of Vitamin A. Similarly, since polar bears are the apex predators and for the most of their consumption they rely on seals, their liver is rich in Vitamin A perhaps not surprisingly. Just to let you know that seals also contain high levels of Vitamin A. The bottom line is that the level of Vitamin A is highest in a polar bear liver.

    What Happens If you Eat a Polar Bear Liver? – Symptoms

    • There are quite many symptoms that begins 2 to 3 hours after eating a polar bear liver. These symptoms include excessive sleep, sluggishness, headaches, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, and pain in the eyeballs.
    • The symptoms might not be limited to the above pains if you’ve consumed a significant amount of polar bear liver. You’re most likely to suffer from cramps or muscle spasms in your legs and arms.
    • You might feel (perhaps not as much) a little loss of appetite.
    • Your mouth becomes distasteful.
    • Your tongue turns grey in color.
    • After 24 hours your skin likely peels around your mouth, feet, and hands. The skin will continue to peel for as long as 30 days.

  • International Polar Bear Day 2024 – In the Name of a Polar Bear

    What is International Polar Bear Day?

    The International Polar Bear Day is also called the National Polar Bear Day. The day is celebrated each year in February. The sole purpose of celebrating the polar bear day is to spread the word for Arctic bear one that is likely to become endangered in the years to come should the climate continues to change at a current pace. On this day, you can probably help these Arctic predators by rising awareness on a social media, electronic media, or even giving donations to the polar bears international organization. On this day, you’ve got to think differently in that how you can practically step up and tell polar bears that yes, we do care for you!

    International Polar Bear Day 2024 – National Polar Bear Day

    When is Polar Bear Day?

    The Polar Bear Day is going to be held on Wednesday February 27, 2024. The Day is annually organized by the Polar Bears International. The Day says that you must reduce your carbon emissions and lower your thermostat level at least on February 27. On this day, many zoos will advertise and encourage visitors to show their support for polar bears in the best possible way. The Polar Bear Day has also gained popularity in the political arena. In 2014, Barack Obama, the U.S. president had insisted on the Polar Bear Day to take immediate action in respect of the climate change.

    Read More: How Can We Save Polar Bears?

    Things to Remember on an International Polar Bear Day

    It’ll be the day that is going to remind you how we as humans are threatening the very existence of remarkable creatures such as this.

    • It’ll be the day that tells us how selfish we humans have turned out to be. We talk about the worlds most endangered species yet we couldn’t manage to cut down the emission level of carbon.
    • It’ll be the day that reminds us how we humans and animals are connected globally. Our activities thousands of miles away can affect their lives and it’s not the other way round.
    • It’ll be the day that tells us why the world behaves the way it does about certain things.
    • It’ll be the day that reminds us that our words aren’t enough to protect these species—every individual no matter how far he lives ought to do something on its own that adds real value to his efforts. To put it in the words of Amstup, a leading polar bear researcher, “If you think there is nothing you can do, then you will do nothing,” he said. “So start doing something. Make a personal commitment and share what you are doing with your colleagues, your church, your synagogue and your other social networks.”

    International Polar Bear Day – Video

  • How Far Can a Polar Bear Swim? – Polar Bear Swim

    Polar bears are pretty strong swimmers—probably the strongest of all the land-based predators. They will spend much of their time in swimming and thus they are sometimes referred to as marine mammals. Polar bears are capable to swim many a miles without stopping. However, they will less likely to swim in open waters because bears need ice floes to stop and relax. Let’s see now how far can a polar bear swim without stopping.

    How Far Can a Polar Bear Swim?

    • Polar bears will cover great distances in swimming and thanks to their large webbed feet that aid them in swimming. They are thought to travel across bays with no hesitation whatsoever. During summer, many polar bears swim from one ice floe to the other searching for a seal. Sometimes they do swim in open water for without any specific purpose.
    • Polar bear scientists claim that in summer subadult bears are more likely to enjoy swimming as compared to the adult bears. That is not to say that mature bears are less skillful. It’s just that young bears haven’t probably had enough of swimming and so they enjoy every bit of it.
    • At times, polar bears swim in open water 60 to 70 miles offshore in Barents Sea, Greenland, and Labrador. Scientists attached radio collars to the bear so they could measure the distance covered by a polar bear in swimming.
    • Many a times, they have seen polar bears traveling several kilometers most probably while stopping on ice floes. Nonetheless, scientists do believe that polar bears are not really used to marathon swimming and their presence in open water is more of accidental than normal routine.
    • During spring and summer, the ice floes move to the south thereby forcing bears to travel along with them. As it turns out, many polar bears tend to follow ice floes and by doing so they often find themselves swimming in open water.

    READ: [How Fast Can a Polar Bear Swim?]

    how far can a polar bear swim?
    Polar bears are generally comfortable at swimming between ice floes but recent melting of the Arctic Ocean ice have put a lot of stress on them. How far can a polar bear swim? Photo by Chelsea Tischler — National Geographic Your Shot

    Polar bears swimming in the northern coastline of Iceland often get drowned. The polar bear’s health defines as to how far it can swim in open water.

    Healthy polar bears are likely to travel great distances for they are well insulated by a layer of fat which keeps them warm in cold water.

    Female polar bears do not fancy their chances swimming long distances especially when their cubs are with them. Young polar bears aging less than a year are pretty much vulnerable to hypothermia if they swim for several miles. That is why mother bears usually carries them on her back (but only when the cub is small).

    What’s the Longest Swimming Distance Covered by any Polar Bear?

    The longest distance covered by any polar bear in swimming is about 427 miles—held by a female polar bear. She swam for up to 9 days continuously through the Beaufort Sea and covered as much as 427 miles (687 km). After resting on a sea ice she resumed her journey to travel another 1,800 kilometers but this time she covered some distance on foot too.

    Polar Bears of the Beaufort Sea

    In the Beaufort Sea, the Arctic Ocean sea ice is beginning to disappear. It’s going further north each passing year—away from the polar bear’s reach. Now polar bears must compromise their prime feeding areas in order to follow the ice. Scientists believe that polar bears inhabiting the Beaufort Sea had to swim only 10 to 15 miles earlier to find sea ice. However, now they may have to swim as far as 60 miles in search of the ice.

    READ: [How Do Polar Bears Swim?]

    Polar bears inhabiting Hudson Bay do not often swim long distances. The Hudson Bay population isn’t a major concern for scientists. Scientists are particularly worried about bears living in the Beaufort Sea.

    According to Canadian researchers, the polar bears found in the Beaufort Sea likely swims at least 50 kilometers which is even greater than our marathon (42.2 km). They are thought to swim 92 to 100 kilometers in approximately 4 days.

    Andrew Derocher, a leading polar bear researcher, says ‘it’s true that polar bears are pretty strong swimmers but that doesn’t in any way mean that all bears are born equal when it comes to the ability to swim.’

    “They [long distance swims] have a very high cost,” said Pilfold, now a postdoctoral researcher at the San Diego Zoo. “The concern is that might have a negative effect on polar bear survival.”

    How Far Can a Polar Bear Swim? – Video

  • Can Polar Bears Climb Trees?

    Polar bears have got quite many adaptations to survive in the Arctic. They can swim great distances; they can run pretty fast, they can tolerate the frigid Arctic weather—but the question here is; can polar bears really climb trees just like black bears, giant panda, or even koalas. It’s a question that demands a little explanation. Well, first you must know that the Arctic is a treeless land. There are some plants that grow in summer, but the land is almost exclusively free of trees.

    Can Polar Bears Climb Trees?

    Polar bears cannot climb trees for they are probably too heavy to lift their weight up into the trees. Besides, unlike American black bears or giant pandas the polar bear’s claws are not really adapted to climbing. The black bear’s claws aren’t only relatively short, they are rounded too. It becomes generally comfortable for a bear to climb with rounded claws. Although the polar bear’s claws resemble American black bear’s, they are not really curved (like black bear’s claws) which would otherwise aid polar bears in climbing. No polar bear let alone adult bear has ever been noticed climbing trees.

    And so, American black bears are expert climbers. It comes in handy for them because by doing so they can protect themselves from potential predators. Even polar bear’s closest cousins, grizzlies have evolved to get up into the trees—perhaps not as quickly as others do. Nonetheless, grizzles do not often climb trees.

    Polar bears don’t have the climbing abilities—there’s no doubt about that. American black bears are specialist climbers. They will climb either to purse prey into the trees or avoid from becoming one. Black bears also climb in order to hibernate. Polar bears, on the other hand, do none of these. They neither rely on arboreal species, nor do they hibernate in trees—in fact they don’t hibernate at all. Furthermore, polar bears do not need to climb to escape predators. They are at the top of food chain in the Arctic. Therefore, it is logical to assume that polar bears’ inability to climb doesn’t in any way affect their lifestyle. Polar bears are way different from koalas, giant pandas, or even American black bears in their behavioral adaptations.

    Can Polar Bears Climb Trees? – Video

  • Do Polar Bears Cover their Nose?

    Yet another myth about polar bears is that they cover their nose while hunting seals. It just doesn’t stand to logic for the statement isn’t only bizarre—it’s highly contradictory. Why would a polar bear cover its nose when it relies on its remarkable sense of smell for hunting? No wonder Dr. Ian Stirling, a leading polar bear scientist, used telescopes to actually observe polar bears in the Canadian High Arctic as much as 24 hours a day. He never reported anything like that. Let’s see how do polar bears cover their nose during hunting.

    Do Polar Bears Cover their Nose?

    Let’s say, for the sake of argument, polar bears really cover their nose. If that is so, then how can polar bears possibly walk or stalk on the remaining three legs when one of their paws covers their nose for an extended period.

    Most, if not all, polar bear hunts cover as much as 50 – 200 meters so polar bears just cannot afford to do that. In fact, they can either stand still whilst holding one of their paws over their nose or just go after the prey. Many researchers and scientists have quite deeply studied the polar bear hunting behavior. None of them came up with facts such as these.

    Why Do Polar Bears Cover their Nose? – Video