![]() This layer of fat can reach more than four inches thick. Polar bears are also equipped with a thick layer of fat that keeps them warm. This type of fur reflects light, making it look white from a distance. ![]() Despite their appearance, polar bears don’t have white fur, but hollow and pigment-free hair. ![]() These animals actually risk overheating due to how much fur and fat is on their bodies. However, polar bears have two layers of fur that help them regulate their own body temperature and stay warm. The Arctic regions where polar bears live are known for being frigid and cold, and not many animals are equipped to survive it. Not only are polar bear paws ideal for walking across thin areas of the ice, they also allow these large mammals to be great swimmers and ferocious predators. They have massive paws reaching around eleven inches wide, which is around the size of an average dinner plate. The paws found on polar bears are specifically adapted for helping them thrive in the Arctic regions where they live. Polar Bear Paws Polar Bear Paws | image by Sharon Mollerus via Flickr | CC BY 2.0 While this works to keep polar bears from getting too cold, it also keeps them from overheating. This is achieved through their thick layer of fat, extra fur, and slow-moving habits.Ī polar bear’s body temperature should be around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, and they are able to maintain this even in temperatures that reach negative 34 degrees Fahrenheit. Thermoregulation is the way that polar bears maintain their body temperature and survive below-freezing temperatures. This list will look at ten different polar bear adaptations and how useful they are for these large mammals. The Arctic regions where polar bears thrive can be harsh, but these animals have developed several adaptations to allow them to keep thriving. ![]() 10 Polar Bear Adaptations Polar Bear 358611 from Pixabay Because of the polar bear’s adaptations, it can thrive in a harsh environment. These large carnivores, Ursus maritimus, are the top predators of the Arctic, and the largest bear species in the world. We mustn’t let them down.In the Arctic, there are a few animals that have adapted to survive the harsh habitats, and one of these animals is the polar bear. There are around 22,000 polar bears left in the wild, but man-made climate change and global warming are making life tough for these impressive, powerful predators-so saving the polar bears could be in our hands. Polar bears are not classified as endangered at present, but that doesn’t mean their populations aren’t vulnerable. Their thick white coat and a layer of fat keep them warm and camouflaged in their harsh Arctic environment. They mainly eat seals – using their remarkable sense of smell they can detect a seal in the water beneath a metre of compacted snow, and from almost a kilometre away.Īdults are strong swimmers – they can swim for several hours to get from one piece of ice to another. Polar bears generally live and hunt alone, though they can be quite social too. So they’re at particular risk from global warming, which is melting the Arctic sea ice they depend on. Polar bears are the planet’s biggest land-based carnivores – although they actually spend most of their lives around water and ice (their Latin name means ‘sea bear’).
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