About Polar Bear

Polar Bear and Melting Arctic ice

The world's largest land carnivores, Polar Bears, are classified as marine mammals found throughout the frozen Arctic sea ice region, often covering hundreds of miles in their range. Males can weigh up to 1,430 pounds and grow as long as 10 feet in length. Currently, there are only 20,000-25,000 polar bears in the wild, specifically located in these five nations: US(Alaska), Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Norway. 

Despite their large, dull-look size, polar bears are extremely fast runners and wide-range travelers. They are also expert swimmers, with their thick layer of fur and fat insulating against the extreme cold of their climate. Polar Bears feed on fish, seal, caribou, birds, seaweed, grass, and even an occasional whale. Getting the essential nutrient would enable them to reproduce. They give birth to 1-4 cubs at a time in the winter and the cubs stay with their mother for up to 3 years.(Land, 2003)

Unfortunately, polar bears are vulnerable to natural disaster and man's excessive hunting which put their survival in jeopardy.

Polar bear's scientific classification and name: 

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Ursidae

Genus: Ursus

Species: Ursus maritimus (sea bear)

  

Poor Polar Bear looking for help

References:

Caleb. (1998). Polar bears [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://library.thinkquest.org/3500/polarbear.htm

Land, T. (2003, September 11). Polar bear habitat. Retrieved from http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/polar-bear/  

Wikipedia online dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_bear