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10/02/2022

Sometimes polar bears have to travel long distances to get their food, which explains why they've adapted to going months without eating. According to Lisa Kemmerer's book, Bear Necessities, polar bears have the ability to store nearly 150 pounds of food in their stomachs and can enter a "metabolic state similar to that of hibernation" at any point of the year. In fact, pregnant polar bears can actually go without food or water for four to eight months, as they retreat to their den to protect their soon-to-be-born.

10/02/2022

When you think about bears, you often think about the hibernation they go into during the winter. But according to Polar Bears International, unlike other bears, polar bears don't really have a need to hibernate. Only pregnant polar bears stay in a den for months at a time to protect, give birth, and nurse their cubs. But other polar bears just stay outside during the winter, hunting and doing normal things.

10/02/2022

Polar bears typically weigh between 900 and 1,500 pounds, according to the Library of Congress. But the largest polar bear ever recorded weighed in at 2,210 pounds—which is more than a metric ton.

10/02/2022

According to National Geographic, polar bears, on average, can grow up to eight feet tall and weight as big as 1,600 pounds. The only bear that could possibly rival the polar bear in size is the brown bear, otherwise known as the Kodiak bear.

10/02/2022

It's true—polar bears are super swimmers. While most humans can barely last an hour in the water, polar bears can swim for days at a time. The Environmental News Network reports that polar bears regularly swim distances of 30 miles at a time. What's the longest polar bear swim of all time? According to National Geographic, one female polar bear swam for a "record-breaking nine days straight," traveling a distance of 426 miles.

10/02/2022

Polar bears are the only type of bears classified as marine mammals because much of their life depends on the ocean, especially when it comes to food and habitat. Their scientific name is Ursus maritimus, which literally means "sea bear." Other animals classified as marine mammals include whales, seals, dolphins, sea lions, walruses, and sea otters.

10/02/2022

Polar bears heavily rely on their great sense of smell to hunt their prey, according to a 2017 study published in Scientific Reports. It's estimated that they can smell a seal on the ice from up to 20 miles away.

10/02/2022

Don't worry, they look white to us, too. But, the skin of a polar bear is actually black, and their fur is actually translucent. So, we only see white because when sunlight hits their fur, the air spaces between each hair scatter the light of all other colors.

10/02/2022

When female polar bears give birth, they typically do so in December and usually can give birth to anywhere between one and four cubs at a time. But according to Polar Bears International, they typically give birth in pairs of two, which means twin polar bears are not uncommon.

10/02/2022

If you wanted some of your friend's food, you would probably just ask them if they wouldn't mind sharing. Polar bears, on the other hand, ask for a bite to eat with their noses. According to Polar Bears International, a "guest bear will approach slowly, circle around a carcass, then meekly touch the feeding bear's nose" to ask if they can have some of the food.

04/02/2022

04/02/2022

04/02/2022

04/02/2022