ThePolar Bear(Ursus Maritimus)

By: Lena Sequeira

Polar Bear Stats• Polar Bears measure 5 feet to their shoulder• They stand 8-11 feet tall• Their foot average is 12 in. long and 10 in.

wide• Weight: Females average from 660 pounds to

770 pounds. Males average from 880 to 990 pounds.

• Polar Bears swim at about six miles per hour.• Rarely live past 25 years.• Normally white or off white.• There are an estimated 20-25,000 worldwide

Habitat

• Their preferred habitat is the sea ice covering over the waters over the continental shelf.

• The polar bear tends to inhabit areas where sea ice meets water

• Polar bears are found primarily around the polar ice pack, not closer to the north pole.

Habitat Map

Food Source

• Mainly hunts seals, but will eat anything• Feed in whale carcasses • Hunts other mammals such as lemmings, arctic

foxes, and eider ducks• They also feed on vegetation, but it’s scarce

Human Interaction

• Polar bears can be destructive when people establish communities where they live. This is very rare, but it happens.

• Polar bears are losing their ice cap habitats because of global warming, which is caused by humans.

• People also hunt polar bears for their fur, but because their numbers have decreased dramatically officials have made it so you can only kill a polar bear if it’s a threat.

Random Facts

• There are often fights between multiple males over mating rights.

• Polar bears have a gestation of about four months. They breed everyday for about a week while the female is in heat.

• Aren’t territorial animals and often scare away in confrontations.

• Live solitary for the most part.• Polar bears have different posture for

different tasks/behaviors.• Are excellent swimmers

Photo Credits• Slide One:• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Ursus_maritimus_us_fish.jpg/220px-Ursus_maritimus_us_fish.jpg• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/Polar_bear_hg.jpg/220px-Polar_bear_hg.jpg• Slide Two• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Ursus_maritimus_Polar_bear_with_cub_2.jpg/220px-Ursus_maritimus_Polar_

bear_with_cub_2.jpg• Slide Three:• http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2009/04/PolarBearCV1LG.jpg• http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSePyCYbnqTJPJn64h4pwejAUCcSdoEB5Npf4het1czn_5mz8AyVA&t=1• http://www.energyefficienthomes.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/polarbearenergyefficienthomes.jpg• http://library.thinkquest.org/19689/media/maps/polar_bear.gif• Slide Four• http://library.thinkquest.org/19689/media/maps/polar_bear.gif• Slide Five• http://www.mycuteanimals.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/snowylemming.jpg• http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQVyPIQJD6IIA_5G-kY2Vp6t44ZbmpVw3X38C7ltDAD8RGkQUGn7Q&t=1• http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5058/5442162036_37ded25190.jpg• http://www.lisisoft.com/imglisi/5/Screensavers/149452ShowcaseScreenshot.jpg• Slide Six• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Greenland-polarbear-skin_hg.jpg• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Polar-Bear-Warning-Longyearbyen.jpg/800px-Polar-Bear-Warning-Longyearb

yen.jpg• Slide Seven:• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Polar_Bears_Play_fight.JPG/683px-Polar_Bears_Play_fight.JPG• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Polar_bear_arctic.JPG/800px-Polar_bear_arctic.JPG

Work Cited

• King, Judith. Wildlife Fact File. Pittsburg, PA. International Masters Publishers, 1997

• "Polar Bear." Wikipedia. 26 Apr. 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_bear>.