Polar bear - description, habitat, lifestyle

The Arctic may seem like a lifeless space, but this snowy expanse also has its inhabitants. In particular, a polar bear.

Basic information

The Latin name of this beast literally sounds like a sea bear, and this name is quite relevant, since polar bears feel great in the water. They can hold their breath for a minute quite calmly and swim in cold waters, perfectly control their own body there. Throughout its existence, the polar bear often uses not only terrestrial snow, but also water expanses to move and search for food.

The polar bear is the largest predator on the planet, but the size may vary depending on the region of habitat. As a rule (statistically), the smallest individuals live on Svalbard, and the largest (whose body reaches up to three meters in length) are found in the Bering Sea. The mass of a large male can be about half a ton or more.

A distinctive feature of this bear is a special thick coat, which provides resistance to cold. I must say, these animals often find themselves in a situation of temperature around -60 and in an active wind up to 160 km / h, therefore, special survival tools are needed here.

The hair of a bear consists of two layers and covers the body completely, even the inner side of the ears and the lower part of the paws. Hair is filled with air, as it has a hollow structure. Thanks to this, a special air gap is created between the bear’s body and the outer space. In addition, subcutaneous fat, which is something like underwear, plays an essential role. In general, it warms the body itself.

Huge paws crowned with claws up to 20 centimeters long. Bears also have a number of rather massive teeth, which provide the necessary benefits for receiving and cutting food.

Bears live in rather warm and cozy dens that are located in the depths of the snow layer and allow you to bask and warm offspring.

Polar bear behavior

Polar bears are loners, they are not inclined to form flocks, prides or something like that. They are not inherent in competition within the framework of their species, much less open aggression (if you do not take into account the mating season).

For people, they are quite dangerous and not afraid of people, so whenever possible, meetings with polar bears should be avoided.

If we are talking about Arctic bears, then they spend quite a lot of time on the ice, moving from ice to ice. In general, polar bears easily equip their den in the snow and love to travel.

A distinctive feature of this species is the ability to dive perfectly in cold water and overcome significant distances in the harsh conditions of the north.

In the winter, they fit into their own dens, but do not fall into hibernation, they simply reduce activity. In fact, about two-thirds of the existence of a polar bear is a dream or the expectation of prey, that is, actually measured inaction.

Typical food

Bears are carnivores, that is, they eat the meat of other animals. In fact, only this option is the only one possible for two reasons:

1. In the Arctic, there are practically no plants and plant food is not optimal for cold weather, only in the summer, when the ice falls and plants appear, the bears eat grass, berries and the like.
2. Only meat can give the right amount of energy and allow you to be active in the cold.

Bears have no other choice, and eat other animals, mainly seals, which in the Arctic are huge:

• spotted;
• Greenlandic;
• blue - are considered the most delicious among bears.

In order to fulfill the daily calorie intake, the beast needs about two kilograms of seal meat, but in fact, to get this amount is not so easy. Seals only look clumsy, but in fact they are quite fast. In order to catch a seal, a bear needs to spend a lot of time under water and track its prey.

Such an interaction is similar to an exciting strategic competition in which not only physical qualities are needed, but also experience, ability. Competition conditions are as follows:

1. A seal may remain in the water for a long time, but it still needs to be inhaled sometimes, approximately every 20 minutes.
2. In order to get a portion of oxygen, seals use small holes in the ice, which are slightly visible on the surface of the snow.
3. Bears can smell a seal for 30 kilometers and are able to smell it through the water.
4. A seal can hear a bear walking on ice.
5. In order to catch prey, a weary wait is required.

The essence of the process is not only to understand between which holes a seal swims, but also to be there imperceptibly and correctly to guess through which hole a seal will again inhale.

In addition, there are other ways to get food, but seals remain the main source. In fact, although bears have many advantages over prey, only one in 20 hunts ends with food.

A much rarer option is to hunt for marine inhabitants of a larger size, for example, for whale whales. These belugas gather in rather large flocks and are comparable in size to bears, so it takes a lot of effort to get such prey. Often, the hunt ends only with a pair of scars on the body of a beluga whale and no more.

The situation with walruses is similar. A bear cannot manage to eat large walruses not often because of almost identical dimensions. If it succeeds, then mostly fat and skin are eaten, and the remaining parts go to other animals.

More productive is the hunt for walrus calves. However, such an enterprise is undertaken quite rarely and only on land, where bears have an advantage.

In the summer, polar bears become almost omnivorous and can eat plants, carrion and much more.

Quite effective is the consumption of food that remains from expeditions or belongs to people. Polar bears may well open canned food with their claws, therefore they regularly examine human garbage cans, if any.

Regarding the topic of food, it should be noted the high reasonableness of these animals, who are perfectly able to stockpile and create storage. If there is more food than is required, then the bear does not leave the prey received (although often a small part of the remains still goes to the scribes), but it stores and uses this warehouse in more severe times. Thus, they are easily able to provide for themselves for very long periods and do not suffer from a lack of food.

Reproduction and development

At this time, these animals are listed in the Red Book and, although the population is gradually increasing, they are protected by the government of different countries. For example, in Canada, bears, which can be potentially dangerous and come quite close to people's homes, are not shot, but put in a special bear prison.

Reproduction is rather slow and the development of the population also suffers from a significant number of deaths in young animals, including sometimes due to competition. Seldom there are situations when, during the mating season, bears eat young rivals. In addition, just harsh conditions limit survival.

External factors should also be noted:

1. Shooting by poachers - almost all parts are appreciated, a scarecrow is worth unimaginable money.
2. Environmental reasons - for example, some call this a decrease in glaciers, as you know, the planet is a little warmer, the glaciers melt, and the bears have to travel long distances between the ice floes.

Nevertheless, a limited part of the population, one way or another, is maintained at a fairly stable level thanks to zoos and nature reserves.

The polar bear cubs are born very small and blind, and for about a week they remain in the den, much warmer than the outer space, and only then come to the surface. A bear feeds her newborn baby bear with her milk, which is 15 times fatter than cow's milk. Thanks to this, the bear kids grow strong, healthy and quite active.

A bear has a fertile age of four years, and she can give birth to only about fifteen cubs. In one pregnancy, as a rule, only one teddy bear appears. Sometimes two or three.

Throughout the period when the child is growing up, the mother continues to guard him and teach various skills. The fathers of polar bears, in turn, practically do not care about offspring and, moreover, can even eat a baby.

During estrus, the female runs on her own territory and is followed by a certain number of males, one of which manages to get location.

The period of existence of these animals is about 30 years. However, we are talking about wild conditions, and in captivity, but in optimal conditions, polar bears easily live much longer than this period.

Video: polar bear (Ursus maritimus)