Polar Bears are cool…
well, actually.. they’re not.
Although they live in one of the coldest places in the world, a running polar bear can suffer heat exhaustion! They are so well insulated against the cold that overheating can be a problem. So, they walk everywhere and… they nap. A lot!
But, they are cool.
They have hairy feet, which stops them from slipping on the ice.
They have black fur – to
soak up all of the sun’s rays.
How about this –
their fur has a hollow core...
another way to keep them warm.
They have up to 11 centimetres
of fat under their skin.
With large, slightly webbed front paws,
they are excellent swimmers.
Their back feet are like rudders.
Their paw can be over 30 centimetres long –
imagine that smacking you in the face!
They have a great sense of smell
– and a lot of patience.
A polar bear can sit quietly at
a breathing hole, waiting...
...and waiting...
...and waiting...
...until a seal pokes it’s
head out of the water.
The waiting polar bear uses its huge paw and smack!
Dinner.
If another bear begs well enough,
it will be allowed to share the meal.
They are fussy about being clean
and will wash after eating...
(Dirty fur will let in the cold)
A female will lie in a den, nursing twins ...
And when she emerges from the den, she’ll be watching out for male polar bears...
They’d eat her cubs – But she’s pretty ferocious and will fight them off!
They are smart, too – just as smart as apes.
During a blizzard, they’ll burrow into the snow
and sleep until the weather clears.
If there’s not enough food around,
They’ll slow their metabolic rate.
(This is called a walking hibernation.)
Polar bears are the top of their food chain.
They are cool animals –
Even if they constantly work
at not overheating!
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/polar-bear/
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/polar-bears-playing-canada/
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/polar-bear-cubs-playing-pod/
Photographs by Norbert Rosing
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