Polar Bear Facts

Tag: Polar Bear Habitat

  • Can Polar Bears Survive in Warm Climates?

    Can Polar Bears Survive in Warm Climates?

    Polar bears inhabit one of the coldest places on earth where the average temperature for the warmest month (July) drops down to 10 °C (50 °F). Arctic occurs at the northernmost part of the planet. During winter, alongside high winds, the temperature drops down to −40 °C (−40 °F) with the maximum lowest temperature recorded at −68 °C (−90 °F). So, how can polar bears live in warm weather?

    Can Polar Bears Survive in the Heat?

    No, definitely not! Polar bears have quite many adaptations to survive in extreme cold weather. They cannot survive in warm weather—not even for one day. Polar bears will probably die in minutes if they are bred in warm habitats. Furthermore, polar bears can sometimes get overheated even in Arctic weather if they run for a few minutes continuously. That is why they give up in most chases as the heat inside their body gets entrapped. Now let us study why can’t polar bears live in heat?

    Polar bears have Thick Fur

    Polar bears are perfectly insulated with dense white fur. The bear’s fur has two layers. The guard hairs and the dense underfur both of which keep the bear safe even in Arctic chilling weather. If somehow polar bears are transported to warm countries, they might not be able to survive the heat precisely due to their thick coat.

    Polar Bear Habitat Characteristics

    The sea ice and water are the essential characteristics of a polar bear. They can barely live without it for they use sea ice as a hunting platform. Polar bears catch seals on ice floes. If the weather gets warm as it does in summer, polar bears might not be able to catch seals because the ice disappears rapidly in warm climate. Over time the global warming has also rendered much of the polar bear population redundant.

    Polar Bear’s Prey Live in Cold Climate

    Polar bears live in cold habitats so as their prey. Their primary preys are seals which are not known to survive in warm weather just like polar bears. Thus it is reasonable to assume that if the weather somehow gets warmer in the Arctic (which is highly unlikely) the polar bears and seals are going to die for they are not so adapted.

  • Polar Bear Habitat for Kids

    Habitat is a place where an animal lives. It is the animal’s home. Polar bear habitat is different from other land predators or even other bear species. Most other bear habitats consist of green vegetation but the polar bear habitat is the combination of ice and water. Although the bear is a land animal it is also called marine mammal because polar bear spends half of its life in swimming. It is now time to explore some of the most interesting facts about polar bear habitat for kids.

    Polar Bear Habitat for Kids

    • The polar bear makes home on an annual sea ice especially the ice floes that float in water. It will build dens on the ice to protect their cubs from potential predators.
    • This shows that the primary habitat of a polar bear lies where the sea ice actually meets the Arctic water.
    • Polar bears prefer to choose icy habitats because they hunt seals by standing over the ice floes. They will rarely chase seals into the water.
    • The polar bear habitat is not composed of freshwater because it is mostly locked up in snow.
    • Annual ice doesn’t necessarily occur throughout the year—it melts during the summer. In the James Bay and Hudson Bay the ice completely disappears—making it hard for polar bears to hunt seals.
    • The female polar bear generally builds dens on large frozen ice packs.
    • Polar bears do not make habitats in North Pole because the density of seals is pretty low at the Pole.
    • The temperature of a polar bear habitat is 10 °C (50 °F).

    Polar Bear Habitat for Kids – Video

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  • Do Polar Bears Live in Antarctica? – Are there Polar Bears in Antarctica?

    Polar bears do not live in Antarctica. They never had. Polar bears live in the Arctic which occurs at the northernmost part of the planet. Antarctica on the other hand lies at the south pole of the Earth. Arctic and Antarctica shares many geographical features. Both regions are the coolest places on earth. But they are opposite to each other. Still many people wonder do polar bears live in Antarctica.

    The temperature can drop down to minus 50 degree Celsius in Arctic as well as in Antarctic. One is the frozen desert while other becomes the frozen ocean in winter. More than a century ago scientists possibly tried to introduce polar bears in Antarctica but they couldn’t. As of now the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) discourages any such attempt because it would eventually disturb the ecosystem of arctic and Antarctica. Now let us study why do polar bears not live in Antarctica.

    Do Polar Bears Live in Antarctica? – Are there Polar Bears In Antarctica?

    They would never live in Antarctica precisely because the evolution of polar bears likely occurred in the northwestern Europe much less Scandinavia. During the late Weichselian and early Holocene period about 10,000 – 15,000 years ago polar bears had begun occupying the lands of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. If they had colonized the southernmost regions they would have occurred in Antarctica beyond doubt.

    So, here is the question: Why can’t polar bears live in Antarctica? Polar bears’ absence in Antarctica is not due to their inability to survive the extreme weather. They can and they do go by many days when the temperature falls below 30 degree Celsius. Besides, the polar bear’s dense fur always keeps the animal warm no matter how cold the weather turns out to be. The marine life and the sea ice characteristics in both Arctic and Antarctic are almost similar.

    do polar bears live in antarctica?
    A mother polar bear actively defends her cubs even from a large dominant male polar bear. Polar bears are only found in the Arctic Circle. Do polar bears live in Antarctica? Photo by National Geographic.
    • Should polar bears live in Antarctica they would have thrived in the same way as they do in the arctic. They would have loved to consume Antarctic fur seals which are fairly abundant. Also, penguins are the permanent residents of the Antarctic; they are the easiest of all marine prey.
    • Polar bears are not choosy hunters—they are opportunistic predators. It is just that their evolution occurs at far north—opposite end of the pole. One cannot assume that polar bears would migrate all the way to the south just to have the same kind of habitat and prey. Polar bears are bears not arctic terns that they would fly thousands of miles in a year.
    • Furthermore, during the Holocene periods when polar bears evolved the land between north and the south were not fully covered with sea ice. Therefore the question of connecting southern with northern hemispheres does not arise since polar bears prefer to walk on sea ice.
    • Arctic is home to millions of seals which is the primary diet of polar bears. About 80% of polar bear’s diet consists of ringed and bearded seals. Bears kill seals because they need blubber in order to pass months in starvation. Antarctic also provides the similar nutritious food sources however in the early 19th and 20th centuries humans have hunted Antarctic fur seals so heavily that seals are becoming redundant in their own habitat.
    • The quantity of food could have a negative impact on the lifespan of polar bears should they live in Antarctica. Else, both Arctic and Antarctic are appropriate habitats for polar bears.

    Do Polar Bears Live in Antarctica? – Video