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Description:
Description:
Polar bears are classified as marine mammals because they spend most of their lives on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean. They have a thick layer of body fat and a water-repellant coat that insulates them from the cold air and water. Considered talented swimmers, they can sustain a pace of six miles per hour by paddling with their front paws and holding their hind legs flat like a rudder.
Habitat:
Habitat:
Polar bears live along shores and on sea ice in the icy cold Arctic. The most important habitats for polar bears are the edges large pieces of floating ice, where the wind and ocean currents cause the ice to continually unfreeze and refreeze.
Diet:
Diet:
Polar bears spend over 50% of their time hunting for food. A polar bear might catch only one or two out of ten seals it hunts, depending on the time of year and other variables. Their diet mainly consists of ringed and bearded seals because they need large amounts of fat to survive.
Causes of Endangerment:
Causes of Endangerment:
The biggest risk for polar bears is potential and ongoing climate change. As the earth continues to warm, their habitat decreases. They are not at much risk from other animals due to their large size and sharp teeth. Since much of their habitat is in places where it is too cold for humans to live, hunting does not have a major effect on their population. The biggest concern for polar bears today is the rising temperatures of the air, land and sea, and its effect on the size of their habitat.
Why it Matters:
Why it Matters:
Polar bears are at the top of the food chain and have an important role in their entire habitat. Over thousands of years, polar bears have also been an important part of the cultures and economies of Arctic peoples, who have hunted them and used their fur for warmth. Polar bears depend on sea ice for their existence and are directly impacted by climate change. Scientists look at their population as once of the ways of determining the effects of climate change.
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