Take a plunge into the wonderful world of these Arctic ambassadors…
1. Polar bears are the largest and longest species of bear. Males can measure up to 10 feet (3 meters) when standing on their hind legs.
2. Scientists believe that the polar bear evolved from a common brown bear ancestor about 200,000 years ago.
3. Even though they look white, a polar bear’s fur is made of clear, hollow tubes filled with air.
4. Polar bears clean themselves by rolling in the snow.
5. They also cool off by rolling in the snow or taking a dip in chilly waters.
photo by Ion Moe
6. A group of polar bears is sometimes called a pack or sleuth.
7. Unlike their brown and black counterparts, polar bears do not hibernate.
8. Polar bears are found in countries that ring the Arctic Circle—Canada, the US, Greenland, Russia, and Norway.
9. Polar bears have no natural enemies.
10. They can swim at speeds of up to 6 miles per hour (8 knots). In fact, their taxonomic name means “sea bear.”
11. Polar bears have been known to swim more than 60 miles (100 kilometers) without rest in search for food. Unfortunately, that distance is increasing due to climate change.
12. Their nose is so powerful it can smell a seal on the ice 20 miles (32 kilometers) away, sniff out a seal’s den that has been covered with snow, and even find a seal’s air hole up to 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) away.
photo by Helene Hoffman
13. When they aren’t hunting, polar bears are resting up to 20 hours a day.
14. Because their habitat vanishes for a few months every year, polar bears have evolved one of the longest fasting periods of any animal.
15. Polar bears typically kill and eat prey every four to five days.
16. A polar bear’s fat acts as a nutritional reserve and energy storage system when food can’t be found. It also increases their buoyancy when they swim.
17. They have built-in socks. Stiff fur on the sole of each foot keeps the polar bear from slipping on ice, and also muffles the sound of the bear’s approach when sneaking up on a meal.
photo By Helene Hoffman
18. Except for females with cubs, polar bears are solitary.
photo by Helene Hoffman
19. Polar bear pregnancies are triggered by a female’s body condition and environmental factors, most often between September and November.
photo by Helene Hoffman
20. This process, known as delayed implantation, is an adaption that ensures polar bear cubs will be born to healthy mothers at a time when their chances for survival are greatest.
photo by Helene Hoffman
21. Polar bear cubs weigh a mere 1 pound (.45 kilograms) at birth. They are hairless and have their eyes closed, depending on their mother to keep them warm and fed.
Do you have any polar bear facts to add to this list? Share yours in the comments below.
Jenn Beening is the social media planner for San Diego Zoo Global. Read her previous post, 11 Animals That Feast Together.
amazing facts, love it
hi
Bad
So bad
Very bad
Keep these animal facts coming, they’re great! Different animals too.
Hey Arne, you might also want to check out Becky’s new article (Nov 7, 2018) entitled “The Cool Bears”. Lots of great information and photos. How wonderful you went to Svalbard! Incredible. My daughter and I dream of being able to do that. Is the weather starting to get cold in Norway?
Great list!
I am making a “polar bear quiz” on my website and might add a couple of questions based on this list! 🙂
I am from Norway and was lucky enough to see polar bears in their “right habitat” when I visited Svalbard in 2016.
hi man im xaver
Nour Rodriguez year 4 koalas-
did you know polar bears are the largest carnivores in the hole tipe of community in the hole bears
i love it its amazing facts
The swimming speed was quotes as 8 knots or 6 mph, I believe this is a typo, or perhaps the numbers are reversed, as a nm. is greater than a sm, mak8ng the statement mathematically incorrect.
Amazing really helped me ???
i love it!!!!!!!!!!!
this has helped a lot with my project. thank you very much.
so more that was some cool pictures.BYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Polar bear sun bear sloth black asiatic Andean giant pandas American brown polar include species eight bears
Seals lions seal black bears white bears polar bear
Fantastic pictures!! Especially love the close up of the paws, which show just how enormous these beautiful creatures really are!
Me and my two friends are doing a project for school on polar bears, and we were trying so hard to find the right website, so we looked up,” 21 facts about polar bears” and then we found this website, and it is really helping us out a lot. all of the other articles we read/saw did not give a lot of information at all.
Blog Monitor’s note: You’ll find even more information on our Animals page!
polar bears also have clear fur
Male Polar Bears can be cannibalistic and eat polar bear cubs due to the dwindling food sources.
Awesome pictures
lot of cool facts!!!!!!!
polar bears are interesting figures i hope you we have to help them there going EXTINCTED!!!!
Tve y arte contemporáneo en las que más
awesome fun facts!
Thanks for the info, Michael … did not ever hear that before!
Because of their natural diet of seal. The liver of a polar bear contains enough vitamin A(retinol) to kill any human that were to attempt eating one. The polar bears liver if consumed will cause a condition know as, toxivitaminosis A. .
yes they are adorable
They are adorable. 🙂
They are cuddly and I like them
I enjoyed the article and the cute pictures! Can you please edit out these other comments that don’t have anything to do with the bears? I enjoy other reader’s comments, but only if they relate to the zoo and the animals!
So nice to see them happy and rolling on the snow!
Is there video of the fun??? Thanks
Monitor’s note: Here’s a video from today’s polar bear snow day: https://youtu.be/ut0yruwNdJM
I see the snow is there! Let the games begin…approximate time? Thanks
Do you have an approximate time for the snow delivery??? Thanks
Thank you cam operator for putting the camera on a crane or some sort of bird when the furry friends are inside:) Enjoying watching the new friend in our Polar Bears territory:-)
Looking forward to the snow day for our three Lovable, Cool, Punk Rock, Furry white friends:)
Was wondering the same think franny.
Monitor’s note: When the past year’s worth of blogs were moved over to this new platform, the comments didn’t transfer over. But happily, you’re here now, and I’m sure others will comment on new blogs as they are posted. If you want to read previous comments, use this link. Also, the polar bears are getting a snow day on December 18, 2015— be sure to watch the frosty fun on Polar Bear Cam!
What happened to all the people who used to post on this blog????
Monitor’s note: When the past year’s worth of blogs were moved over to this new platform, the comments didn’t transfer over. But happily, you’re here now, and I’m sure others will comment on new blogs as they are posted. If you want to read previous comments, use this link. Also, the polar bears are getting a snow day on December 18, 2015— be sure to watch the frosty fun on Polar Bear Cam!
Thanks for the reply! Really looking forward to see them next week.
Just saw Tatqiq and Kalluk sitting together watching the other animals (elks?) enjoying some snow. Felt sad for our White Furry Friends.
Monitor’s note: Our reindeer were given a special enrichment opportunity today, but don’t worry about the bears—they will be getting a whole snow day of their own on December 18! 🙂
I love the new design! So well-organized and curated!
Don’t female polar bears hibernate and have their cubs? They always show them emerging from a den come spring…?
Monitor’s note: Female polar bears “den up” to give birth, but they don’t hibernate (in its most simplified form, a deep sleep with physiological slow down). The snug snow den (about the size of a phone booth!) helps keep the newborns warm, as does mom’s body heat. Read more about polar bear moms and their cubs here.