Undoubtedly, polar bears are among themost amazing animals that ever roamed the planet. For the mere fact that these magnificent creatures manage to survive in extreme climatic conditions, they are already worthy of admiration. Polar bears are formidable predators, but they can be irresistibly cute, show remarkable acumen and surprise again and again. We suggest reading interesting facts about polar bears for children and adults to see these unusual animals in a new light!
Born Sailors
Interesting facts about polar bears tellus that even though these animals are born on land, they spend a considerable part of their time traveling in the sea. No wonder their scientific name sounds like Ursus maritimus and means "sea bear". These mighty animals are excellent swimmers, able to cover distances of more than 100 km and swim longer than a day. This helps them large paws (up to 30 cm in width), which they work like oars.
Polar bears can swim at a speed of 10 km / h,which is almost twice as fast as the famous champions of the competition. Even Olympic champions show results at 6 km / h. However, this is still not enough to catch a seal in open waters. Therefore, the bear prefers to trap prey on a hard surface, where it has an advantage in speed and agility.
On land, a polar bear prefers to move at a leisurely pace at a speed of about 5 km / h. But you can’t call this predator slow: when it wants, it can accelerate to 40 km / h.
But this is not all interesting facts from the life of polar bears. Go ahead.
Rarely but aptly
With luck, polar bearsthey usually catch prey every four to five days. If fortune turns away from a predator, its subcutaneous fat acts as a backup energy storage system. The icy expanses of the Arctic can not be called rich hunting grounds. But the thin scent helps the bear to find the victim. The beast can smell a seal that has climbed onto the ice for 20-30 km.
Like ten people
Хотите еще узнать интересные факты о белом bear? This polar animal is the largest land predator on our planet. He does not even have natural enemies. And no wonder: an adult male, armed with sharp fangs and claws, usually weighs from 351 to 544 kg, which corresponds to a weight of 5-7 people.
But there are real giants. The largest ever registered polar bear in Northwest Alaska in 1960, weighed about 1000 kg!
Males reach their maximum size at the age of 8 to 14 years, while females at 5-6 years. The latter weigh half as much as their cavaliers - up to 290 kg.
Pregnancy for later
Удивительный биологический процесс, известный как Delayed implantation provides polar bears with the birth of cubs at the most favorable time of the year, when their chances of survival are greatest. The mating period for these animals lasts from April to May, but embryo development is inhibited at an early stage and lasts only by autumn, when the female has gained enough weight and is ready for the arrangement of the winter den.
But this interesting facts about the polar bear are not over.
The size of a kitten
Полярные медведи почти никогда не впадают в hibernation, like their brown relatives. The only exceptions are pregnant females, who are forced to build dens and spend time in them until February-March. After all, their cubs, like other bears, are born very small and helpless, and they have to be protected from the harsh conditions of the Arctic. It is curious that at birth, the largest land predators on the planet have a body length of about 30 cm and weigh only half a kilogram, almost like a guinea pig.
Bears, as a rule, give birth to a couple of cubs. However, it happens when the baby is only one or three of them.
Until the offspring is stronger, the bear remains ina lair in a state of hibernation: does not eat or drink anything. Later the cubs stay with their mother for about two years, during which they learn the skills necessary to successfully survive in the harsh Arctic.
Close relatives
Over time, it turns out all the new interesting facts.about a polar bear in the arctic For example, in 2006, an unusual beast was discovered on the territory of this region, which turned out to be a polar bear only half.
Genetics assure that the polar bear shouldstand apart as a species hundreds of thousands of years ago. This is shown by relevant studies. But despite this, it turned out that polar bears are capable of breeding offspring with brown bears. Moreover, this offspring will be prolific, unlike other descendants of interspecific crossing (for example, mules). Such hybrids appear both in the wild and in captivity, but very rarely.
Первый такой зверь, появившийся на свет в дикой nature, and was discovered in 2006. However, by that time, scientists had the opportunity to observe an animal similar to him in captivity, in the zoo of the city of Osnabrück in Germany, where polar and brown bears lived in the same aviary. As of 2010, 17 hybrid bears were already known. And in 2012 there were five reports of observations of such hybrids in the wild.
Black polar bears
Polar bears look white, but as statedpopular wisdom, appearances can be deceiving. The hair of the bear (the so-called guard hair) and its undercoat are in fact almost transparent. But the fact is that there is a cavity filled with air inside each back of the hair. Due to such a complex structure, light waves of any length are well reflected from the hairs. As a result, the polar bear looks white.
However, depending on the time of year andThe positions of the sun animals may look yellowish and even brown. Sometimes, in an unusually warm climate, bears even turn green due to the algae settling in their wool.
However, if you shave his wool off a bear,an amazing sight will open: in fact, the polar bear has black skin. It effectively absorbs the heat of the sun, helping the beast to maintain a stable body temperature even in the fierce arctic cold. Now, the next time you see a black nose of a polar bear, remember the interesting facts about the polar bear: in fact, this is its true color.
