What to Know about Polar Bears

The polar bear, Ursus Maritimus, is a very large creature focused in the Arctic regions. These creatures are titled the largest bears. On average, the males are larger than the females, weighing 775 to 1,300 pounds compared to 330 to 650 pounds. When looking for a polar bear, you can find them in something called the polar basin. The polar basin is the continental shelf and inter-island archipelagos.

The polar basin is the ideal place for polar bears because of the ice available for hunting. Polar bears rely on these icy environments for hunting as their main source of food are seals.

Ringed seals and bearded seals are commonly found in the polar basin and therefore are the most common prey of the polar bear. Polar bears need a diet that is high in fat to sustain themselves between meals, making the seals the perfect meal. The ringed seal (pictured above), being the smaller of the two, is often preyed upon by younger cubs and females. The bearded seal (pictured below) is usually hunted by the males. Generally, the polar bear will feast only on the fat of the seal and leave the rest behind for other animals. They are also known to feed on other organisms, such as fish, when presented. Polar bears have no natural predators. Rarely, with the decreasing food sources, polar bears have been known to turn to cannibalism.

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, polar bears are under the classification “vulnerable”. A species with the classification of vulnerable is said to have a high probability of going extinct. Currently, there are an estimated 26,000 polar bears walking the earth today. While this may seem like a very large number, in the greater scheme of things this actually very small. With their small range of climates that can adequately host them, pollution seems to have a magnified effect. Once the ice caps completely melt and they are forced inland and away from their ideal habitats, the populations will begin to decrease. Without change, these creatures will not survive.