How well do you know these amazing Arctic animals?
Polar bears have called the Arctic home for 500,000 years. Their Latin name, ursus maritimus, means “sea bear” – a fitting name for this marine mammal who spends many months at sea each year.
With sows (female bears) weighing up to 294 kilograms (650 pounds), and boars (male bears) up to an astounding 589 kilograms (1,300 pounds), they are the world's largest land predators!
Polar bears are a "keystone species" in the Arctic ecosystem. Arctic foxes and other animals depend on scavenged polar bear kills as an important food source, and much marine life depends on polar bears limiting the population of ringed seals and beluga whales to sustainable levels for the smaller fish and krill populations they feed on.
A female polar bear has her first litter around age five. Polar bears most commonly give birth to two cubs or "twins," followed by single births. Though rare, litters of three and four cubs have been observed. Cubs stay with their mother for 2 to 2.5 years. The mother will not mate again until her cubs have left.
1. Polar bears stay with their mothers…A) 6 - 12 monthsB) 1 - 1.5 yearsC) 1.5 - 2 yearsD) 2 - 2.5 years2. The Latin name, ursus maritimus, means…A) Arctic hunterB) Sea predatorC) Sea bearD) White bear
3. Polar bears have lived in the Arctic for…A) 150,000 yearsB) 500,000 yearsC) 750,000 yearsD) 900,000 years4. Polar bears most commonly give birth to…A) 1 - 2 cubsB) 3 - 4 cubsC) 5 cubsD) 6 cubs
How did you do?Now that you know your polar bear facts, read on to learn how climate change is putting the future of this awe-inspiring species at risk…
