Polar Bear Fact

September 30th, 2005

· Polar bears are the largest land predator in the world.

· A polar bear’s fur is not white; it is colorless. A reflection off the bear’s fur shatters light and makes the fur look white.

· If you plucked out a polar bear’s fur (which I don’t recommend) you would find that its skin is black. The black skin absorbs the light from the sun and keeps the polar bear warm when temperatures plummet to -50 degrees Fahrenheit

· Almost five inches of blubber provides polar bears with an insulating blanket.

· If temperatures plummet, polar bears dig a snow cave, curl up into a ball and cover their nose with a paw. Why? Because the bear’s muzzle radiates heat and helps it to keep warm.

· A polar bear has small ears and a small tail in proportion to the rest of its body. Being so compact heat cannot be lost through these areas.

· Polar bears can communicate with others of their species through body language and vocal sounds.

· Adult polar bears love mock battles and fighting. It’s their form of entertainment.

· Submissive polar bears always travel down wind of dominant polar bears in order to avoid confrontation.

· Polar bears signal aggression by lowering their head, hissing and snorting. If a polar bear is planning to attack, its head will be down and its ears will be laid flat on its head.

By Mary M. Alward

9 Responses to “Polar Bear Fact”

  1. Dorothy Says:

    Love this one. I love polar bears and these facts are so interesting. Imagine the hair not being colored and that the skin underneath is black. I love the bit about the bears putting their paws over their nose to keep the body heat in. That’s similar to humans wearing hats so our body heat doesn’t escape through the top of our head.

  2. Jade Says:

    I believe that animals of all species can communicate with each other. I know dogs and wolves can and dolphins and whales as well. They just speak a different language than humans, so humans think they don’t communicate.

  3. marvin Says:

    Polar bears are very intelligent. If you are caught in a blizzard, dig a snow cave, curl into a fetal position and put your hand over your fact to preserve body heat. It helps to prevent hypothermia from setting in. Also, you need to keep your head covered as Dorothy said.

  4. Jim Says:

    Interesting facts. Nature does marvelous things.

  5. lisa and frank Says:

    i think i read once that a polar bear can smell a human from 20 miles away. Is this true, any comment?

  6. marina Says:

    WoW!!! I was checking out some interesting facts on polar bears for my 8 year old son for a school project. This site told me so much about polar bears that i did not know. very well done.

  7. your ma Says:

    i love polar bears

  8. missy and sarah Says:

    polar bears are so cute

  9. marissa reeves Says:

    polar bears are very intelegent!!!

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