The polar bear, the youngest species of bear evolved from the brown bear during the last Ice Age, 250,000 years ago. The polar bear is the lagest of the bear family, which includes the North american Grizzly bear and the Kodiak bear. They are excellent swimmers and have an acute sense of smell. The black nose of a polar bear can be seen for miles away with binoculars.
The average female polar bear weighs between 660-770 pounds, and has a standing height of 8-11 feet. The average weighs between 880-1000 pounds, and has a standing height up to 12 feet. The foot size of the average polar bear is 12 inches long and 10 inches wide.
The coat of the polar bear varies in color from pure white to shades of yellow. Its coat blends well with its surroundings.The fur on the polar bear is thinner on its belly, this helps keep the bear cooler in summer. The soles of their feet are covered with fur, this keeps them from slipping on the ice.
The polar bears' habitat is mostly the ice cap coastal land near open water. Their "home range", the scientists call the area in which the polar bears live, can cover an area twice the size of Iceland. In October and November, the bears dig dens in the snow, the dens are between 30' and 40' warmer than the outside environment. A polar bear's range is so large because of the food supply.
The polar bear's favorite meal is the seal. On average a polar bear eats a seal every four or five days, but a mother bear with two cubs may kill one seal every two days. Polar bears also eat the carcasses of whales and walrus. During the summer months polar bears are also known to eat vegetation.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lynch, Wayne., Bears, Bears, Bears, published 1995.
McDearmon, Polar Bear, published 1976.
