1. Males can weigh up to 12 times more than a human.
An adult male polar bear weighs between
351 and 544 kg , or the weight of about five to seven men. The largest polar bear ever recorded was a male weighing 1,000 kg , according to Polar Bear International. On the other hand, adult females weigh only half as much as males, or 50 to 295 kg.
But bears are small when they are born, weighing only 0.5 kg. Males reach adult size between the ages of 8 and 14, while females reach their maximum size between the ages of 5 and 6.
2. They can go days without eating.
If a polar bear doesn't eat for 7 to 10 days , it can slow down its metabolism until it finds its next meal. They survive on the fat reserves from their diet, which consists mainly of seals.
3. Polar bears have transparent fur.
Although polar bears appear white, their fur is actually transparent . It only appears white because it reflects visible light. Beneath the fur, the polar bear's skin is actually black .
To humans and other animals that can only see in visible light, polar bears appear to blend into the snow-covered environment. But reindeer, which polar bears sometimes prey on, can see in ultraviolet light, making polar bears stand out from the snowy surroundings.
4. They have an extremely keen sense of smell.
Polar bears have a keen sense of smell, which they use to find prey. A polar bear can smell a seal on the ice from 32 kilometers away and detect the scent of a seal's breath on the ice from over 800 meters away.
5. Two-thirds of polar bears could disappear by 2050.
Polar bears depend on sea ice to hunt, and studies predict that global warming could melt enough sea ice to lead to the disappearance of two-thirds of polar bears by 2050. The decline in sea ice forces the bears to swim greater distances , consuming energy they cannot afford to use.
The United States listed polar bears as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act in May 2008, and Canada and Russia listed them as a species of particular concern. Unless climate change slows, eventually there will be no bears left to celebrate Polar Bear Day.