Polar Bears

Polar bears are bears from the north pole! Their scientific name ‘ursus maritimus’ means bear from the sea. In Russia and Quebec they are called ‘white bears’, and in Norway ‘ice bears’. Inuit, the native people of the arctic circle, call them nanook or umka.

Polar bears have lots of handy features that have evolved to make them better suited for the harsh environment of the North Pole.

Their paws are huge which means that their weight is more spread out, so they don’t break through the ice, and their claws give extra grip.

They can hold their breath for two minutes so they can sneak up on their prey.

Their skin is actually black in colour and their fur looks white, but the hairs are actually transparent. This lets them get heat into their body and keep it in.

Polar Bears spend most of their time hunting and can smell seal lairs from over a mile away! After they eat, they like to clean up their fur so they blend in with the snow again.

They love to nap and sleep for more than 7 hours at night.

Polar bears are unfortunately a vulnerable species as the ice caps they live on are melting because of climate change.