Polar Bears Stuff
These great white bears are an icon of the Arctic, and many people feel a connection to polar bears, even if they’ve never seen one in person. Polar Bear Crisis Infographic But you’ve probably also seen images circulating on the internet of starving polar bears struggling to stand, let alone hunt and contend with the […]
Polar Bear Locomotion
Walking and resting Most plantigrade (soles flat to the ground similar to humans) of all the Carnivora. Dogs and cats are digitigrade (stand on toes with most of sole elevated). Digitigrade animals tend to be faster than plantigrade animals partly because of a longer stride. Top speed recorded: 11 m/sec (25 mph). Top speed for […]
King Polar Bear
Archeologists studying the existence of “king” polar bears find information on these bears elusive. There is little information available from the indigenous people in northern Alaska. The skull is just over 16 inches long and forms a bit of a cone in the back. It is believed to be 1,300 years old and may offer […]
Hunting
More predatory than other bears (less omnivorous). Locate birth lairs and breathing holes of Ringed Seals by smell and sound. Approach slowly to minimize their own sound. May break into lair immediately or wait motionless for several hours for seal to return. Studies on polar bear hearing of bears raised in managed care indicate that “auditory […]
Thermoregulation
Retaining and losing heat In bears, the basal metabolic rate varies with climate and season Polar Bear has the highest Overheat easily when running; can’t travel any great distance at speeds more than a walk. Low surface-area to volume ratio favors heat retention. Tendency to overheat enhanced by thick layer of fat Thin adults and […]
Threats to Survival
Habitat degradation and disturbance of dens Ongoing oil and gas exploration and development Tourism Scientific research Recreational activity (all-terrain vehicles, aircraft boats). Possible oil spills Decomposes slowly and is highly toxic to Polar Bears when ingested through grooming or contamination of food source Environmental pollution As a carnivore at the top of the Arctic food […]
Activity Cycle of Polar Bears
Daily Pattern Most active during first third of the day. Least active in last third. In summer, grooming/washing occurs after 30 minutes of feeding. Amount of time spent hunting changes depending on availability of seals. In general, less than 2% of hunting attempts are successful. An experienced adult catches a seal every 4-5 days. Yearly […]
Polar Bear Communication
Bear vocalization (and hearing) not well known. Knowledge of the bears’ hearing range important for establishing effects of noise disturbance on these bears. (Owen 2007) Females and cubs use chuffing call with each other. 1-32 low intensity sound pulses emitted in rapid succession Most frequent in cub’s early months. Chuffing call infrequent in adults; may […]
Activity Cycle of Polar Bear
Daily Pattern Most active during first third of the day. Least active in last third. In summer, grooming/washing occurs after 30 minutes of feeding. Amount of time spent hunting changes depending on availability of seals. In general, less than 2% of hunting attempts are successful. An experienced adult catches a seal every 4-5 days. Yearly […]
Polar Bears 101
They can go months without eating. Sometimes polar bears have to travel long distances to get their food, which explains why they’ve adapted to going months without eating. According to Lisa Kemmerer’s book, Bear Necessities, polar bears have the ability to store nearly 150 pounds of food in their stomachs and can enter a “metabolic […]