Polar Bear Facts

Tag: Polar Bear Claws

  • How Many Claws Does a Polar Bear have? Number of Claws

    Like all bears, the polar bear has five pointed horny nails on each digit of its foot. The polar bear claws aren’t only shorter than their grizzly cousins, they are slightly curved too. (See in detail: Polar Bear Claws). In this article, however we going to discuss the number of claws a polar bear have and compare it with other bears.

    How Many Claws Does a Polar Bear have?

    Simply put; polar bears have five claws. These are all non-retractable. Many other land carnivores in particular big cats have retractable claws in that they show their claws only when they are hunting. Polar bears are unable to do so. Therefore, bear’s claws are thought to be more vulnerable to injuries in comparison to tigers or lions.

    A big polar bear claw. How many claws does a polar bear have?

    The grizzly bear’s claws are not only longer—they are also straighter as compared to polar bear claws. Grizzly bears probably use their long straight claws in excavating insect-filled logs or dig up roots. Unlike polar bears, grizzlies rarely use their claws in snagging fleeing prey.

    Polar bears do not use their sharp claws in climbing nor do they use them in digging. American black bears, the smallest of the bears, have probably the shortest of the claws. Black bears use their curved claws in climbing trees. They are excellent climbers.

  • 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

  • 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

  • How Big is a Polar Bear Paw? – Polar Bear Paw

    Like polar bear’s skull, polar bear paws are massive in size. The front paws points inwards as the polar bear walks. It does seem like a pigeon-toed. Polar bears most often walk rather than trot. They do however gallop on their paws. Do you want to know how big is a polar paw as compared to other animal’s paws?

    How Big is a Polar Bear Paw? – Polar Bear Paw

    The polar bear’s paw measures 30 cm (12 inches) in width—almost four times the size of a human’s paw. The Siberian tiger’s paw measures only 15 cm that is only half the size of a polar bear paw. Similarly, African lions have 12.9 wide paws. Clearly, polar bears have got the biggest paws of all land carnivores.

    There are small soft papillae or bumps that cover the paw pads. These bumps essentially play a vital role in providing traction on the ice. The polar bear paws resemble other bear’s paws but the former are surprisingly dexterous.

  • Why Do Polar Bears have Large Feet?

    Polar bears have pretty large feet—they are quite heavy too. Polar bear’s 12-inch wide feet are all covered with dense hairs that are not only meant to keep the bear warm it also provides perfect grip on the ice. The reason as to why polar bears have large feet is that their feet must be large enough to lift the 800-pound-animal. The larger feet also spread the entire weight of a polar bear over deep snow and thin ice to prevent it from falling into the water.

    The large polar bear feet however does not prevent the bear from sprinting in that the bear can achieve the speed of 30 miles per hour in short bursts. Usain Bolt, the fastest human runner, can run at a speed of 27.49 miles per hour so there’s no chance that you can ever outrun a polar bear. While polar bear’s feet appear to be quite different from ours they walk in pretty much the same way as we humans do. This is quite rare in land predators. Let’s find out why do polar bears have such big feet.

    Why Does a Polar Bear have very Wide Large Paws?

    The polar bear paws are designed to assist it not only to carry the massive weight—it also provides an additional grip so that the bear doesn’t slip on the ice. Polar bears can also stand on their paws which they usually do whilst searching for the prey. Their paws also help them to climb up the hill but they are probably not so perfectly designed for climbing as the black bear’s paws.

    Polar bears typically sprint on their paws but they also use it in walking. Unlike most other land carnivores, the polar bears are great travelers—covering as much as 70 to 80 miles on foot. They are thought to cover that much distance in a single day. Thanks to their wide paws and large feet without which they might not be able to walk comfortably on the sea ice.

    Why Do Polar Bears have Large Feet? – Video

  • Polar Bear Claws | How Long are Polar Bear Claws?

    The polar bear claws are not only relatively curved–they are also shorter in length in comparison to the brown bear’s. Brown bears seem to possess the longest and heaviest claws. But polar bear claws supersede black bears in claws’ length and weight. The bear’s claws are not only meant to grip prey properly but can also clamber over snow or rocks. They are black in color and lack pigment just like polar bear hair. Let us learn many more interesting facts about polar bear claws.

    Polar Bear Claws – How Long are Polar Bear Claws?

    Polar bears’ claws are sharper and longer than that of black bear’s. They have a typical length of about 3.5 inches (9 cm). They are black-brown in color but the tips of the claws display light brown shade. The claws becomes white as the bear grows older. The subadult bears seem to have brown-bronze colored claws. Polar bear claws aren’t only short and curved, they are pretty sharp too. Andrew E. Derocher, one of the leading polar bear scientists, suggests that:

    One should bear in mind that the polar bear claws are sharp. More than once I have cut my hand while repositioning the claw.

    The claws are so much curvy that their undersides are deeply scooped which is probably an adaptation to dig well on the dense icy surface. Scientists have found that the polar bear right claws are more likely to receive injuries as compared to the left claws. This indicates that ice bears use their right claws and forelimbs more often which in turn makes them right handed animals.

    Read More: How Big is a Polar Bear Paw?

    Polar bear sharp claws.

    Polar bears have non-retractable claws that is to say that they can neither pull it back nor can they show it when needed. Tigers on the other hand have retractable claws and they only show them during hunting. Thus polar bear claws are more susceptible to injury whereas tiger’s claws are relatively thought to be safer.

    They seem to possess smaller claws and larger forepaws. The reason is that polar bears spend a great deal of time in water as they are remarkable swimmers. Polar bear’s forepaws assist them in paddling. It also facilitates the bear in climbing on snow and ice or hauling-out lairs of seals.

    Polar bear have long been hunted in Canada, Greenland, and Russia for their claws which are exported to the other parts of the world. However Canadian authorities put on ban on the commercial trading in polar bear’s parts.

    Polar Bear Claws? – Video