The gradual increase in average annual temperature continues to make adjustments to the life of our planet. One of the species that will be most affected by a warming climate is polar bear. Melting arctic ice, caused by climate warming, poses a serious threat to these unique mammals.

There are several versions of warming. The first is global warming, which means that the average temperature on Earth has risen by 0.7 °C since the beginning of the industrial revolution (since the second half of the XVIII century), and that “most of the warming observed over the past 50 years is caused by human activity.”

Opponents of the concepts of anthropogenic global warming and greenhouse effect argue that the observed increase in average annual temperature is natural processes taking place on Earth, and they are in no way related to human activity.

But one way or another, the gradual increase in average annual temperature poses a threat to polar bears.

The polar bear is a rare protected species listed in the Red Book Russian Federation. The total number of polar bears is now about 25 thousand individuals. Today, the existence of the polar bear as a species is threatened by industrial development of the Arctic, pollution and habitat destruction, poaching and, of course, climate warming.

Animal advocates are sounding the alarm - according to them, the polar bear population is declining year by year. One of the main reasons is climate change, due to which in the spring the ice moves away from the shore so quickly and far that bears do not have time to swim to the edge of the ice. As a result, they remain cut off from their main prey - seals and seals - and go to the garbage dumps in populated areas to get food, where they meet humans.

Experts say that by 2050, the polar bear population in the Arctic could decline by two-thirds. Today, the amount of drifting ice in the Arctic has greatly decreased. Because of this, the polar bear’s habitat is narrowing, and it is forced to go ashore, where it inevitably encounters people.

Some time ago, to protect the polar bear population, US authorities allocated a special zone for polar bears that live on the disappearing ice of Alaska. The size of the zone - 484 thousand sq. km - is twice the size of Great Britain and covers the northern and northwestern coast of Alaska, including polar ice.

Although climate warming continues to have a negative impact on the polar bear population, scientists say these Arctic creatures are Lately actively adapt to climate change.

For example, Canadian scientists observed several cases when single bears came ashore from sea ice and wandered around the colonies white goose, carrying eggs from nests, and even climbed rocks in search of guillemot eggs and chicks. This is despite the fact that the polar bear’s usual food is ringed seal.

The polar bear is the largest land predator in the animal world. Body length is 1.6-3.3 m, weight of males is 400-500 kg (sometimes up to 750), females - up to 380 kg.

The bear is an excellent swimmer and diver, and can swim tens of kilometers into the open sea. Moves quickly on ice. Leads a solitary lifestyle, but sometimes groups of 2-5 animals are found; several bears may gather near large carrion.

Polar bears hunt pinnipeds, mainly ringed seals, bearded seals and harp seals. They come onto the land of the coastal zones of islands and the mainland, hunt walrus calves, and also eat sea waste, carrion, fish, birds and their eggs, and less often rodents, berries, mosses and lichens.

Pregnant females lie down in dens, which they build on land from October to March-April. In broods there are usually 1-3, more often 1-2 cubs. They stay with the female bear until they are two years old. The maximum lifespan of a polar bear is 25-30 years, rarely more.

Where do polar bears live in Russia? This predator constantly lives in the space from Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya to Chukotka. On floating ice it sometimes reaches Kamchatka. Distances deep into the continent have been noted (up to 500 km along the Yenisei River).

The southern border of the habitat coincides with the edge of drifting ice. As the ice melts and breaks up, bears move to the northern border of the Arctic Basin. With the beginning of stable ice formation, the animals begin their reverse migration to the south.

The polar bear is the largest species of the bear family (Ursidae). In its homeland, in the Arctic, it is, without a doubt, the “king of beasts”, which has practically no natural enemies. But what do we know about polar bears, except that they live in northern latitudes? This article will tell you in detail about the life and behavioral characteristics of polar predators and will help you understand what kind of rulers of the far north they really are?

Polar bears live in the ice of the circumpolar Arctic. There are about 20 populations, which hardly mix with each other and vary greatly in number - from 200 to several thousand individuals. The size of the entire world population is approximately 22-27 thousand animals.

The permanent residence of polar bears is the coastal ice of continents and islands, where the number of their main prey - ringed seals - is quite high. Some individuals live among less productive multi-year ice in the central Arctic region. From the south, their distribution is limited to the southern limit of the seasonal ice cover in the Bering and Barents Seas and in the Labrador Strait. In areas where the ice melts completely in the summer (Hudson Bay and southeast Baffin Island), animals spend several months on the shore, using up their fat reserves, until the water freezes.

Description and photo of a polar bear

The polar bear is the largest representative of the bear family. As an independent species, it was first described in 1774 by K. Phipps, receiving Latin name Ursus maritimus, which means "sea bear".

Polar bears evolved from brown bears during the late Pleistocene; the oldest find, 100 thousand years old, was discovered in the Royal Botanic Gardens in London.

Body length of males is 2-2.5 m, females – 1.8-2 m; the weight of males is 400-600 kg (especially well-fed individuals can weigh a ton), females - 200-350 kg.

In the photo, a polar bear is jumping from an ice floe. Despite massive body, these animals are surprisingly agile. If necessary, they can swim for several hours, and on land they can cover up to 20 km in a day, although sometimes this leads to overheating.

The structural features are associated with living conditions in a harsh climate. The body of the polar predator is stocky; They do not have the raised withers characteristic of brown bears. Compared to other species, the Arctic's head is narrower and longer, with a flat forehead and a long neck. The animal's ears are small and rounded.

Thanks to their thick fur and thick layer of fat, polar predators feel quite comfortable at temperatures of -50°C. Their wool is naturally white; it serves as an ideal camouflage for the beast. However, the fur often takes on a yellowish tint due to pollution and fat oxidation, especially in summer. It is interesting that while the coat is white, the animal’s skin is dark. This feature serves as a natural accumulator for animals of solar energy, which is known to be in great short supply in their habitats.

Large front paws, reminiscent of oars, are an excellent device for swimming, in addition, there are swimming membranes between the toes. When swimming, the hind legs play the role of a kind of rudder. Wide feet increase the supporting surface when moving on snow.

Interesting fact: despite the fact that polar and brown bears are very different in appearance, they are close relatives and can interbreed in captivity. A hybrid of such a cross is called a grolar or pizzly.

Polar bear lifestyle

Polar bears lead a predominantly solitary lifestyle; They stay in pairs only during the rutting season. Cases of their accumulation, sometimes up to several dozen individuals, in places where there is a sufficiently large amount of food, are quite rare. Groups of polar predators are quite tolerant of each other’s company even when feeding on large prey, for example, dead whale. However, ritual battles or games are not uncommon, but each animal does not forget about its hierarchical status.

Animals lead a predominantly nomadic lifestyle, with the exception of the time spent in dens. Dens are primarily used by females to give birth and raise their young. It is also a refuge for winter sleep, but animals hibernate for a short time and not every year.

How are dens arranged?

Dens of breeding females can be divided into generic and temporary. At birth, female bears give birth to offspring. Their stay in such dens averages 6 months. A temporary den serves breeding females for a short time - from 1 day to 2-3 weeks, and in isolated cases up to 1 month or more.

The birth den consists of one or more chambers. The length of the chamber is on average from 100 to 500 cm, width - from 70 to 400 cm, height - from 30 to 190 cm, the length of the corridor varies from 15 to 820 cm. The entrance hole is often poorly visible from a distance of several meters.

Temporary dens differ from ancestral dens in structure. They are usually of a fairly simple structure: with one chamber and a short (up to 1.5-2 m) corridor, as a rule, with completely “fresh” walls and vault, and a slightly icy floor.

Depressions, pits and trenches without a vault and a clearly defined entrance are sometimes referred to as temporary dens, but it would be more correct to call them shelters. Such shelters usually serve polar bears for a short time - from several hours to several days. They provide the animal with minimal comfort, for example, shelter during bad weather.

In particularly severe weather conditions (blizzard, frost), bears, in order to save energy, can lie down in temporary shelters for several weeks. The northern predator has one interesting physiological feature: while other bears can only hibernate in winter, our hero can enter a state similar to hibernation at any time.

What does the lord of the north eat?

The ringed seal (ringed seal) is food No. 1 in the diet of polar bears; to a lesser extent, the sea hare becomes their prey (the animal catches it when it comes up to breathe). The animals hunt for seals by waiting for them near “breeding holes”, as well as at their breeding sites on ice floes, where inexperienced pups become easy prey for predators. The bear sneaks up on the victim unnoticed, then makes a sharp throw and plunges into the water. To expand the small “vents”, the animal breaks the ice with its front paws, using its impressive mass. Having immersed the front part of the body in the water, it grabs the victim with its powerful jaws and pulls it onto the ice. Bears can find the location of a seal's hole through a meter-long layer of densely packed snow; they walk towards it from a kilometer away, guided solely by smell. Their sense of smell is one of the most acute among all mammals. They also hunt walruses, beluga whales, narwhals, and waterfowl.

For the nutrition of hungry polar predators, emissions from the sea are essential: the corpses of dead animals, the waste of sea animals. A large number of bears usually accumulate near the carcass of a beached whale (photo).

The polar bear, being a typical carnivore, nevertheless, being hungry and not being able to hunt its main prey - seals, can easily switch to other foods, including plant foods (berries, seaweed, herbaceous plants, mosses and lichens, twigs of shrubs). This, apparently, should be regarded as an evolutionary adaptation of the species to harsh environmental conditions.

In one sitting the animal is capable of eating a very large amount of food, and then, if there is no prey, for a long time starve.

IN modern conditions Increased technogenic impact on ecosystems may lead to a deterioration in the food supply of the polar bear, forcing it to increasingly switch to secondary food, visit landfills in populated areas, destroy warehouses, etc.

Eternal nomads

Constantly changing ice conditions force northern bears to regularly change their habitats, looking for areas where seals are more numerous and among the ice fields there are open or covered with young ice leads, channels and cracks, which make it easier for them to catch prey. Such areas are very often confined to the french zone, and it is no coincidence that many animals concentrate here in winter. But from time to time, the french zone is completely closed due to pressure winds, and then the bears have to migrate again to other areas in search of more favorable places for hunting. Fixed ice remains stable, and then only for the period of winter and early spring, but it is not everywhere suitable for the existence of seals, and therefore, polar bears.

In search of more suitable places for hunting, animals sometimes travel hundreds of kilometers. Therefore, their habitat varies significantly even within one season, not to mention interseasonal and annual differences. In the absence of territorialism in the polar bear, individual individuals or family groups take over a relatively small area for some time. But as soon as conditions begin to change dramatically, animals leave such areas and migrate to other areas.

Continuation of the family line

Mating season falls in April-May. At this time, there is quite an intense struggle between males for females.

Females are characterized by induced ovulation (they must mate many times over several days before ovulation and fertilization occurs), and therefore pairs remain together for 1-2 weeks to successfully reproduce. In addition, polar bears are characterized by a delay in implantation until mid-September-October, depending on the latitude at which the animals live. After 2-3 months, cubs are born in most areas. This happens in a snowy den. Babies are born weighing about 600 grams. At birth, their fur is so thin that they appear to be hairless. Until 7-8 months of age, the basis of nutrition for cubs is mother's milk. The milk is very fat – 28-30%, but it seems to be separated in small quantities.

Sometimes a she-bear leaves a den that has become “dysfunctional” when the cubs are still weak. They move with difficulty and require constant care. If such a family is disturbed at this time, the female, saving the cubs, carries them away in her teeth.

When the cubs reach a weight of 10-12 kg, they begin to accompany their mother everywhere. They freely follow her along steep slopes, often starting games during walks. Sometimes the games end in a fight, with the cubs roaring loudly.

Some female bears who go for a walk do some kind of gymnastics in the snow. They clean themselves on the snow, rub their snouts against it, lie on their stomachs and crawl, pushing off with their hind legs, slide down the slope in different poses: on their backs, sides or stomachs. For adult bears, these are apparently hygienic procedures aimed at keeping their fur clean. In cubs imitating their mother, this behavior also has a playful overtone.

The mother bear's training of the younger generation probably lasts as long as the family group remains. Imitation of the mother is already evident when the babies are in the den, for example, digging activity. They also sometimes imitate her when eating plants.

Having finally left the den, the family goes to the sea. On the way, the female often stops to feed the cubs, sometimes she feeds herself, digging out plants from under the snow. If the weather is windy, she lies with her back to the wind; if the snow is deep enough, it digs a small hole or temporary den. Then the families go into the ice. In the first half of May, sometimes females and cubs are still seen on land, but probably from among those who, for some reason, left their den with a delay.

Females can reproduce once every 3 years, since the cubs are with her for up to 2.5 years. Females become mothers for the first time, usually at the age of 4-5 years, and then give birth every 3 years until death. Most often, 2 bear cubs are born. The largest litters and the largest cubs are found in females aged 8-10 years. Young and old female bears more often give birth to 1 cub. There is evidence that adult females in natural conditions can exchange cubs or adopt cubs that have lost their mother for some reason.

The lifespan of female polar bears is 25-30 years, males - up to 20 years.

Diseases, enemies and competitors

A dangerous intestinal-muscular invasive disease such as trichinosis is widespread among polar bears. They have other diseases very rarely.

Much more often they suffer from various injuries, including those inflicted in a fight with each other for the possession of a female or food. But they do not have serious consequences for the population.

A polar bear's competitor can only be a person who hunts seals for their skin, fur and meat, upsetting the natural balance between predator and prey.

The wolf and arctic fox have a minor impact on the population, attacking and killing bear cubs.

Polar bears and humans

Thanks to measures to protect polar predators, the risk of their extinction is low. They were previously considered a vulnerable species, but after the 1973 Polar Bear Conservation Agreement came into force, the population size stabilized.

Provided that the hunting of northern bears is controlled, they are not in danger of being destroyed. However, there are concerns that their numbers may decline due to low reproduction rates. They are shot mainly by the local population, whose representatives kill about 700 individuals per year. But the main danger for our heroes is climate warming and environmental pollution.

In the Arctic regions, due to population growth, the likelihood of a polar predator colliding with humans has potentially increased. As a result, it is created conflict situation, dangerous for both sides. Polar bears, however, cannot be considered aggressive towards people, but there are exceptions. Most animals retreat when they meet a person, others do not pay attention to him. But there are also those who chase a person, especially if he runs away. Most likely, at this moment the animal’s instinct of pursuit is triggered. Therefore, to claim that the polar bear is a completely harmless animal would be a dangerous misconception. The real threat is posed by exhausted individuals. First of all, these are old animals that have lost the ability to successfully hunt for their usual food, as well as young ones that have not yet adequately mastered hunting techniques. Females protecting their cubs also pose a considerable danger. The polar bear can also become aggressive if it unexpectedly encounters a person or if it is being chased.

In contact with

- a predator belonging to the suborder Canidae, the bear family and the genus bear. This unique mammal is an endangered species. Its most famous names are umka, oshkuy, nanuk and polar bear. It lives in the north, feeds on fish and smaller animals, and sometimes attacks humans. Just a few centuries ago, its population exceeded hundreds of thousands of individuals, but their systematic destruction forced conservationists to sound the alarm.

Where does the polar bear live?

The polar bear lives exclusively in the subpolar regions of the northern hemisphere, but this does not mean that the animal lives everywhere where there is non-melting Arctic snow. Most bears do not go further than 88 degrees north latitude, but the extreme point of their distribution in the south is the island of Newfoundland, the few inhabitants of which risk their lives every day trying to get along with a dangerous predator.

Residents of the Arctic and tundra zones of Russia, Greenland, the USA and Canada are also familiar with the polar bear. Most animals live in areas with drifting, multi-year ice, where many seals and walruses also live. Most often, the bear can be seen near a large hole, on the edge of which it freezes in anticipation of a seal or fur seal rising from the depths.

It is impossible to accurately determine the continent where the polar bear lives. The most extensive populations of these animals were named after the location of their main concentration. So, most predators prefer:

• eastern shores of the Kara and East Siberian seas, cold waters of the Laptev Sea, New Siberian Islands and archipelago New Earth(Laptev population);
• the shores of the Barents Sea, the western part of the Kara Sea, the islands of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, Franz Josef Land and Spitsbergen (Kara-Barents Sea population);
• Chukchi Sea, northern Bering Sea, eastern East Siberian Sea, Wrangel and Herald Islands (Chukchi-Alaskan population).

Directly in the Arctic, polar bears are rarely found, preferring more southern and warmer seas, where they have a better chance of survival. Habitat is variable and bounded by boundaries polar ice. If the Arctic summer drags on and the ice begins to melt, then animals move closer to the pole. With the onset of winter, they return to the south, preferring ice-covered coastal areas and the mainland.

Description of a polar bear

Polar bears, described below, are the most large mammals predators on the planet. They owe their significant dimensions to their distant ancestor, who became extinct thousands of years ago. The giant polar bear was at least 4 meters long and weighed about 1.2 tons.

The modern polar bear is somewhat inferior in both weight and height. So, maximum length a polar bear does not exceed 3 meters with a body weight of up to 1 ton. The average weight of males does not exceed 500 kilograms, females weigh 200-350 kilograms. The height of an adult animal at the withers is only 1.2-1.5 meters, while the giant polar bear reached a height of 2-2.5 meters.

Coat, structural features of the body and head

The entire body of the polar bear is covered with fur, which protects it from severe frosts and allows it to feel comfortable even in icy water. Only the nose and paw pads are devoid of fur. The color of the fur coat can be crystal white, yellowish and even green.

In reality, the animal’s fur is devoid of pigmentation, it is colorless, the hairs are hollow, dense, hard, located at a minimum distance from each other. There is a well-developed undercoat, under which black skin with a 10-centimeter layer of fat is found.

The white coat color serves as an ideal camouflage for the animal. Even a hidden bear is not easy to spot experienced hunter, seals and walruses often become victims of this cunning and cruel predator.

Structure of the torso, head and legs

Unlike a grizzly bear, a polar bear's neck is elongated, its head is flat, its front part is elongated, and its ears are small and rounded.

These animals are skilled swimmers, which is achieved due to the presence of membranes between their toes and is determined by where the polar bear lives most of the year. At the moment of swimming, it does not matter how much a polar bear weighs; thanks to its membranes, it can easily overtake even the fastest prey.

The legs of the predator are columnar, ending in powerful paws. The soles of the feet are covered with wool, which serves as ideal protection against freezing and slipping. The front parts of the paws are covered with hard bristles, under which sharp claws are hidden, allowing them to hold prey for a long time. Having captured the prey with its claws, the predator then uses its teeth. Its jaws are powerful, its incisors and fangs are well developed. A healthy animal has up to 42 teeth and no facial vibrissae.

All representatives of this species have a tail, the polar bear is no exception in this regard. Its tail is small, from 7 to 13 centimeters long, lost against the background of the elongated fur of the back.

Endurance

The polar bear is an extremely resilient animal; despite its apparent clumsiness, it is capable of traveling up to 5.6 kilometers per hour on land and up to 7 kilometers per hour in water. The average speed of a predator is 40 kilometers per hour.

Polar bears hear and see well, and their excellent sense of smell allows them to smell prey located at a distance of 1 kilometer from them. The animal is able to detect a seal hiding under several meters of snow, or hiding at the bottom of a hole, even if it is at a depth of over 1 meter.

How long does a polar bear live?

Oddly enough, polar bears live longer in captivity than in their natural habitat. Average duration life in this case does not exceed 20-30 years, while a zoo inhabitant is quite capable of living over 45-50 years. This is due to the shrinking food supply, the annual melting of glaciers and the ongoing extermination of predators by humans.

In Russia, polar bear hunting is prohibited, but in other countries there are only some restrictions on this matter, allowing the extermination of no more than several hundred predators per year. In most cases, such hunting has nothing to do with the real needs for meat and skins, and therefore is a real barbarism in relation to this beautiful and powerful animal.

Features of character and lifestyle

The polar bear is considered a cruel predator that even attacks people. The animal prefers a solitary lifestyle; males and females gather together only during the rutting period. The rest of the time, bears move exclusively through their own territory, conquered from their other brothers, and this applies not only to males, but also to females with newborn offspring.

Hibernation

Unlike its brown counterparts, the polar bear does not have to hibernate for the winter. Most often, only pregnant females sleep on the eve of giving birth. Adult males do not sleep every season; the duration of hibernation is no more than 80 days ( Brown bear sleeps from 75 to 195 days a year).

Reproduction of polar bears, care of offspring

Polar bears behave quite peacefully towards each other; most fights occur between males during the rutting period. At this time, not only adult animals can suffer, but also cubs, which prevent the female from re-participating in mating games.

Animals become sexually mature when they reach 4 or 8 years of age, while females are ready to bear offspring 1-2 years earlier than males.

The mating season lasts from late March to early June. One female can be pursued by up to 7 males. Gestation of offspring takes at least 250 days, which corresponds to 8 months. Pregnancy begins with a latent stage, which is characterized by a delay in embryo implantation. This feature is associated not only with the physiology of the animal, but also with its living conditions. The female must prepare for fetal development and long hibernation. Around the end of October, she begins to equip her own den, and for this purpose sometimes travels hundreds of kilometers. Many females dig dens near existing buildings. Thus, on the Wrangel and Franz Josef islands there are at least 150 nearby dens.

Embryo development begins in mid-November, when the female is already sleeping. Its hibernation ends in April and at about the same time 1-3 cubs, weighing from 450 to 700 grams each, appear in the den. The exception is the birth of 4 cubs. The babies are covered with thin fur, which practically does not protect them from the cold, therefore in the first weeks of their life the female does not leave the den, maintaining her existence at the expense of accumulated fat.

Newborn cubs feed exclusively on mother's milk. They do not open their eyes immediately, but a month after birth. Two-month-old babies begin to crawl out of the den, only to leave it completely when they reach 3 months. At the same time, they continue to feed on milk and stay close to the female until they reach 1.5 years. Small cubs are practically helpless, so they often become prey for larger predators. The mortality rate among polar bears under 1 year of age is at least 10-30%.

A new pregnancy in a female occurs only after the death of the offspring, or its introduction into adult life, that is, no more than once every 2-3 years. On average, no more than 15 cubs are born from one female during her entire life, half of which die.

What does a polar bear eat?

The polar bear feeds exclusively on meat and fish. Its victims include seals, ringed seals, bearded seals, walruses, beluga whales and narwhals. Having caught and killed the prey, the predator begins to eat its skin and fat. This part of the carcass is what polar bears eat in most cases. They prefer not to eat fresh meat, making an exception only during periods of prolonged hunger strikes. Such a nutritious diet is necessary for the accumulation of vitamin A in the liver, which helps to survive a long winter without consequences. What the polar bear does not eat is picked up by the following scavengers - arctic foxes and wolves.

To satiate, a predator needs at least 7 kilograms of food. A hungry bear can eat 19 kilograms or more. If the prey is gone and there is no strength left to pursue it, then the animal feeds on fish, carrion, bird eggs and chicks. At such times, the bear becomes dangerous to humans. He wanders to the outskirts of villages, feeding on garbage and tracking down lonely travelers. In hungry years, bears also do not disdain algae and grass. Periods of prolonged fasting generally occur during summer time when the ice melts and retreats from the shore. At this time, the bears are forced to spend their own fat reserves, sometimes starving for over 4 months in a row. The question of what a polar bear eats becomes irrelevant during such periods, since the animal is ready to feed on literally everything that moves.

Hunting

The bear tracks its prey for a long time; sometimes it stands for hours near the hole, waiting for the seal to come up for air. As soon as the prey's head is above the water, the predator strikes it with a powerful paw. He grabs the stunned carcass with his claws and drags him to land. To increase its chances of being caught, the bear expands the boundaries of the hole and practically immerses its head in the water in order to have time to notice the appearance of prey.

Seals cannot spend all their time in the water; they need to rest sometimes, which is what they take advantage of. polar bears. Having noticed a suitable seal, the bear quietly swims up and turns over the ice floe on which it is resting. The seal's fate is sealed. If a walrus became the bear's prey, then everything is not so simple. Walruses have powerful defenses in the form of their front tusks, with which they can easily pierce an unlucky attacker. An adult walrus can be much stronger than a bear, especially if it is young and does not yet have sufficient experience in such battles.

With this in mind, bears attack only weak or young walruses, doing this exclusively on land. The prey is tracked for a long time, the bear creeps up to the closest possible distance, after which it makes a jump and leans on the victim with all its weight.

In its natural habitat, the bear has minimal amount enemies. If an animal is wounded or sick, it can be attacked by walruses, killer whales, wolves, arctic foxes and even dogs. A healthy bear is larger than any of the named predators and can easily cope with even several opponents attacking en masse. A sick animal takes a significant risk and often prefers to avoid battle by resting in a den.

Sometimes small bear cubs, whose mother has gone hunting or is inattentively watching them, become prey for wolves and dogs. The life of the bear is also threatened by poachers who are interested in killing the animal in order to obtain its luxurious skin and large amounts of meat.

Family ties

First appeared on the planet approximately 5 million years ago. The polar bear separated from its brown ancestors no more than 600 thousand years ago, and yet its closest relative continues to be the common brown bear.

Both the polar bear and the brown bear are genetically similar, therefore, as a result of crossing, completely viable offspring are obtained, which can subsequently also be used to produce young animals. Black and white bears will not be born naturally, but the young will inherit everything best qualities both individuals.

At the same time, polar and brown bears live in different ecological systems, which affected the development of a number of phenotypic characteristics in them, as well as differences in nutrition, behavior and lifestyle. The presence of significant differences in all of the above allowed us to classify the brown bear, or grizzly, as a separate species.

Polar bear and brown bear: comparative characteristics

Both polar and brown bears have a number of distinctive features, the essence of which boils down to the following:

	Polar bear, or Umka	Black and brown bear
Length	At least 3 meters	2-2.5 meters
Body mass	1-1.2 tons	Up to 750 kilograms maximum
Subspecies	Doesn't have any	The brown bear has big number subspecies that have spread throughout the world.
Physiological characteristics	Elongated neck, medium-sized flattened head.	Thick and short neck, massive rounded head.
Habitat	The southern border of the polar bear's habitat is the tundra.	Brown bears are distributed throughout the planet, at the same time preferring more southern regions. The limit of their habitat in the north is the southern border of the tundra.
Food preferences	The polar bear eats meat and fish.	In addition to meat, the brown bear eats berries, nuts, and insect larvae.
Hibernation time	Hibernation does not exceed 80 days. Mostly pregnant females go on vacation.	The duration of hibernation is from 75 to 195 days, depending on the region where the animal lives.
Gon	March-June	May - July
Offspring	No more than 3 cubs, most often 1-2 newborns in a litter.	2-3 cubs are born, in some cases their number can reach 4-5.

Both the polar and the brown bear are dangerous predators, which leads to natural questions about who is stronger in a fight, a polar bear or a grizzly bear? It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to the question posed about who is stronger, or who will win, a polar bear or a brown one. These animals almost never intersect. In a zoo, they behave quite peacefully.

Interesting facts about the polar bear

There are many legends and myths about the polar bear. At the same time, some features of his behavior are so interesting that they deserve the attention of not only lovers of legends, but also young admirers wildlife. Today the following is known about the polar bear:

• The largest predators are found in the Barents Sea; smaller animals prefer the island of Spitsbergen and the area near it.
• In photographs taken under ultraviolet light, the polar bear's fur appears black.
• Starving bears can cover enormous distances, moving not only on land, but also by swimming. In this, both the polar and the brown bear are similar. A bear swim lasting over 9 days was recorded. During this time, the female traveled over 660 kilometers across the Beaufort Sea, lost 22% of her body weight and her one-year-old cub, but remained alive and was able to get ashore.
• The polar bear is not afraid of humans; a hungry predator is capable of making him its prey, tirelessly chasing him for many days. In the city of Churchill, which belongs to the Canadian province of Manitoba, there is a special place where bears that wander into the settlement are temporarily imprisoned. The existence of a temporary zoo is a necessary measure. Unfrightened by human presence, a hungry predator can enter a house and attack a person. After an overexposure and a hearty meal, the bear leaves the city less aggressive, which allows us to hope that it will not return soon.
• According to the Eskimos, the polar bear embodies the forces of nature. A man cannot call himself such until he enters into an equal confrontation with him.
• The giant polar bear is the ancestor of the modern bear.
• In 1962, a bear weighing 1,002 kilograms was shot in Alaska.
• The bear is a warm-blooded animal. Its body temperature reaches 31 degrees Celsius, which makes it quite difficult for the predator to move quickly. Running for a long time can cause your body to overheat.
• Children are introduced to the image of the polar bear through such cartoons as “Umka”, “Elka” and “Bernard”.
• The beloved “Bear in the North” candy also features an image of a polar bear.
• The official polar bear day is February 27th.
• The polar bear is one of the symbols of the state of Alaska.

Polar bears are considered to be insufficiently fertile, which is why their population is recovering extremely slowly. According to a check carried out in 2013, the number of bears in Russia did not exceed 7 thousand individuals (20-25 thousand individuals worldwide).

The first ban on the extraction of meat and skins of these animals was introduced in 1957, due to their almost complete extermination by local residents and poachers. Polar bears, whose habitat has been disturbed, are encroaching on human property.

The polar bear (other names for the polar bear: polar bear, northern bear, oshkuy, nanuk, umka, sea bear) is one of the largest predators on the planet, which is a member of the Bear family. The big polar bear is the embodiment of strength. Since ancient times, the polar polar bear has become a respected character in folklore among the indigenous northern peoples. In this article you can see a photo and description of a polar bear, learn a lot of new and interesting things about this large and strong predator of the North.

Why is a polar bear white, or what does a polar bear look like?

The polar bear looks very large and is one of the largest animals in the world. In addition, the polar bear is a predator. The great polar bear looks huge, because it can reach 3 meters in length, while the weight of a polar bear can be as much as a ton. The mass of a polar bear is one of the main components of its impressive size. But such large polar bears are not common.

On average, a male polar bear weighs 450 kg and has a body length of 2-2.5 meters. Females are much smaller. A female polar bear weighs up to 300 kg and her body length is 2 meters. The height of a polar bear at the withers varies from 130 to 150 cm. It is curious that the smallest polar bears are found in Spitsbergen, and the largest polar bears live in the Bering Sea.

The polar bear differs from other bears primarily in that it is white. Why is a polar bear white? Everything is simple here - it is determined by the polar bear’s habitat. After all, in conditions permafrost and snow-white horizons, the polar bear gets the opportunity to remain unnoticed. This is why the polar bear is white.

The polar bear looks slightly different than other members of the Bear family. But it’s not just the color that distinguishes the polar bear from other members of the family. Also distinguishing the Arctic polar bear is Long neck and a flat head shape.

Surprisingly, the skin of the northern polar bear is black, and its nose and lips are the same color. The color of a polar bear's fur varies from completely white to white with a yellowish tint. In summer, the polar bear's fur completely turns yellow under constant exposure to sunlight. This animal has small ears and a short tail, which is completely invisible under a thick snow-white fur coat.

The polar bear's fur is very thick, with dense undercoat and quite coarse. The polar bear's thick fur retains heat and protects its body from getting wet. It is not only thanks to its warm fur that the polar bear does not freeze. Under the skin it has a layer of fat, the thickness of which is about 10 cm. This fat layer allows it not to freeze even in the most severe frosts and when in cold water.

The polar bear's fur has no pigment, and its hairs are empty inside. Due to this structure of the hairs, a polar bear can sometimes turn green. This happens in a climate that is unusual for polar bears to live in. When kept in zoos, algae grow inside the bear's fur, which gives it a greenish tint.

The polar bear looks massive. Nature provided this northern beast with everything necessary for life in the coldest parts of the globe in order to be a perfect predator. The northern polar bear has a warm fur coat and fur on the soles of its paws, which allows it not to slip on ice and not freeze. It even has a membrane between its toes, which makes the polar bear a good swimmer. The polar bear's skin has a thick layer subcutaneous fat to avoid freezing in icy water. The large polar bear also has large claws and impressive fangs, which allow it to cope with even strong prey.

Where does the polar bear live and how does it live?

The polar bear lives in the northern hemisphere of the Earth in the polar regions. This animal is unique and is absolutely not afraid of permafrost, because it is adapted for life in the far north with its harsh conditions. The polar bear lives in the vast Arctic. Polar bear habitat reaches 88 degrees north latitude in the north and extends to the island of Newfoundland in the south.

On the mainland, the polar bear's habitat extends through the Arctic deserts to the tundra in Russia, Canada, the United States and Greenland. The life of a polar bear is associated with the Arctic belt and is highly dependent on seasonal changes in the boundaries of polar ice.

Polar bears live along the entire coast of Greenland, inhabit the ice of the Greenland Sea south to the Jan Mayen Islands, live on the island of Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya in the Barents Sea, on the islands of Bear, Vaygach and Kolguev, as well as in the Kara Sea. The largest populations of polar bears are found off the continental coasts of the Laptev and Beaufort seas, the Chukchi and East Siberian seas. The maximum population of polar bears is represented by the continental slope of the Arctic Ocean.

Polar bears live nomadic lives. During seasonal changes in the polar ice boundaries, they move. In summer, the polar bear moves closer to the pole, and in winter it moves south, entering the mainland. The polar bear lives mainly on the coast and ice, but lies in its den on the mainland or islands. Polar bears hibernate for 1.5-2.5 months, most often pregnant females do this. Males and non-pregnant females go into hibernation for only a short time, and even then not every year.

What does a polar bear eat and how does it hunt?

Unlike such a representative of the Ursidae as the giant panda, the polar bear is a predator. In addition, the northern polar bear is the only one of the largest land predators on the planet that is prone to tracking and hunting humans, considering them to be equal prey. It is not for nothing that the polar bear is one of the most dangerous animals in the world.

The polar bear is the king of the north, because it is at the top of the food chain in the Arctic. Often in children's books, polar bears are depicted in the company of penguins. This may mislead them into thinking they live at the same pole. But this is not so, because the polar bear lives at the North Pole in the Arctic, and penguins live in Antarctica in south pole. Therefore, the answer to the question why polar bears do not eat penguins is very simple - they live at different poles.

The polar bear lives on drifting and multi-year sea ice, where it can freely hunt prey. The polar bear feeds on the ringed seal, sea ​​hares, walruses and other marine animals. He sneaks up on them from behind shelters or lies in wait near the holes. As soon as the animal appears, the bear delivers a stunning blow to the victim with one paw. During a hunt, a polar bear can turn over an ice floe on which there are seals. However, an Arctic polar bear can only defeat a walrus on land.

The polar bear feeds by eating primarily the skin and lard. He can eat a whole carcass only as a last resort and when very hungry. Usually the leftovers are eaten by arctic foxes. The polar bear also feeds by picking up carrion, dead fish, bird eggs and chicks. Sometimes polar bears eat grass and seaweed, and in residential areas they happily feast on garbage dumps. The polar polar bear is even capable of robbing the food warehouse of polar expeditions.

Despite the fact that the big polar bear seems clumsy, it is very fast and agile on land, and also swims and dives in water with ease. On land, a polar bear moves at an average speed of 5.5 km/h, and when running it can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h. In one day, a polar bear can cover a distance of up to 20 km on land. In water, a polar bear can swim without stopping for several days, covering up to 160 km per day, while its speed reaches up to 6.5 km/h. This animal swims and dives very well, and an Arctic polar bear can stay under water for up to 2 minutes.

The polar bear's fur protects its body from getting wet in icy water, and a 10 cm thick layer of subcutaneous fat provides excellent protection from the cold. The white color perfectly camouflages the predator. Polar polar bears have very well developed senses. Excellent hearing, smell and vision easily help the great polar bear to notice prey at a distance of several kilometers. Even under a meter-long layer of snow, the polar polar bear senses prey and can detect the slightest movement while being above the shelter of a potential victim.

It is better not to come face to face with this predator. After all, a polar bear can track and hunt humans. Repeated cases of polar bear attacks on humans are described in the reports of polar travelers. In places where there is a risk of encountering this animal, you must move carefully.

In populated areas where this predator may appear nearby, you should make sure that it does not have free access to garbage dumps, which are very attractive to curious bears. The Canadian province of Manitoba is home to many polar bears. The city of Churchill even has a special prison for temporary detention of bears that get too close to the city. Such measures ensure the safety of residents.

Polar bear cub, or how does a polar bear cub grow?

Polar bears usually live alone. They are usually quite peaceful and calm towards each other, but the breeding season for males is always accompanied by skirmishes. The mating season for Arctic polar bears ranges from March to June. At this time, they walk in pairs, but it happens that several males can follow one female at once.

In October, females dig a den in snow drifts on the shore. Mother bears flock en masse to their favorite places to make a den and raise their babies. One of these is the Wrangel Islands and Franz Josef Land, where females make up to 200 dens annually.

Mother bears occupy a den only towards the end of autumn. The entire pregnancy period lasts 8 months. Polar bear cubs are born towards the end of the Arctic winter. Large polar bears have a low increase in offspring, because the ability to breed offspring comes only at the age of 4-8 years, and the female gives birth only once every 2-3 years. Typically, 1 to 3 polar bear cubs are born.

Polar bear cubs are born blind, with short, sparse hair and absolutely helpless. They weigh 500-800 grams with a body length of only 25 cm. The mother intensively feeds the babies with her nutritious milk. At the age of just over a month, polar bear cubs open their eyes. In March, females begin mass exits from their dens. By 2 months, the female begins to gradually take her cubs out for short walks, during which they frolic in the snow.

When polar bear cubs turn 3 months old, the female leaves the den and goes with them to wander through the icy deserts of the Arctic. The female feeds the cubs with milk for up to 1.5 years. But very soon the polar bear cubs begin an independent life. A polar bear lives 25-30 years. In captivity this period may be longer. Sometimes polar bears interbreed with brown bears. The hybrids born are called polar grizzlies.

The polar bear is listed in the Red Book of Russia and the world, with the status of a vulnerable species. The great polar bear has a high mortality rate for young animals - 10-30%. Slow reproduction makes this animal easily vulnerable, and climate change greatly affects the lives of polar bears. In addition, adult males often attack young animals.

Since 1957, Russia has introduced a ban on the hunting of polar bears. In 2014, the global number of polar bears was about 25 thousand individuals. There are about 7 thousand polar bears in Russia, and up to 150 individuals are killed by poachers every year.

The great polar bear has no natural enemies. In the water, they can occasionally be attacked by a walrus or killer whale. A polar bear cub that is left unattended by its mother can become a victim of a wolf and arctic fox. But the main threat to the polar polar bear is humans. Despite protective status, the polar bear is suffering from armed poachers.

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The polar bear is one of the most major representatives order of predators on our planet. Northern peoples call it Oshkui, Nanuk and Umka.

There are individuals reaching a length of up to three meters and weighing up to a ton. And despite heavy weight, the polar bear is very fast and agile.

He is a very good swimmer, swimming long distances. The polar bear easily overcomes difficult ice, and travels from thirty to forty kilometers a day.

The polar bear is perfectly adapted to the harsh Arctic climate. This is facilitated by its dense, waterproof fur and thick undercoat. It also provides warmth and fat very well, reaching up to ten centimeters in thickness with the onset of winter. Without this fat, a polar bear would hardly be able to swim tens of kilometers in icy water.

But for the most part, this animal is a loner. The exception is mothers with teenage children. In general, cubs stay with their mother for a year or even a year and a half. In this case, we can talk about group hunting. The polar bear clearly knows that the game is the one who runs away. And here the cautious bear turns into a ruthless hunter. Running game awakens the hunter's instinct in him. Often its victims in the North are walruses and other pinnipeds. Fearing attacks from polar bears, they post “sentinels” near the rookery. And these “watchmen” often become victims themselves. They prevent the frisky bear from penetrating deep into the herd and gain time for the rest to escape in the water.

The most basic and favorite food of polar bears is seals. A bear can eat up to fifty seals a year. But it's not so easy to hunt seals. The ice conditions change from year to year, and the seals become unpredictable. Therefore, bears have to travel thousands of kilometers to find the best place for hunting seals. In addition, bears need good skills and excellent patience. A bear can wait for a seal at the hole for hours. A hunting bear is often accompanied by several Arctic foxes, who crave the remains of killed animals.

Bears not only politely avoid neighboring territories, but they also communicate with each other. But in such a way that no one’s interests are infringed upon. Even when the number of applicants for production is growing. Constant climate change and warming are very difficult for bears. The pack ice is retreating, and water, on the contrary, is overwhelming the coast. In such conditions, polar bears do not feel well.

IN modern family bears - eight species. And the polar bear is the youngest species among them and at the same time the most adapted. This predator will survive in the interior of the continent. However, it is perfectly adapted to its current habitat. The polar bear differs very much from its fellows, and from other active inhabitants too. For example, no one else wears white all year round. This is not typical of the northern fauna. And only the polar bear allows itself not to react to the season. Probably because it's the biggest. So, unlike the same arctic fox, which turns brown in the summer, the bear is always white. But it must be said that various metamorphoses also occur with the white skin of a bear. This may occur due to illness or poor nutrition.

Zoological scientists are thoroughly familiar with the anatomy and physiology of the polar bear. It has been established that the polar bear descended from a giant cave bear during the period of general icing. But its behavior has been little studied. They have been hunting polar bears for hundreds of years, but they started studying them only recently. The issues of polar bear migration have also not been sufficiently studied. It is stated that the route is always laid against the drift of ice. The polar bear's vision is very good. Maybe 10 times, or even 100 times better than in humans. While a person may develop a vision disorder from being among the white and endless snow for a long time, this does not happen with polar bears. He wanders around the tundra and looks for where things turn black. Anything that stands out in color among the endless white virgin soil must be checked by the bear for edibility.

Polar bears, unlike brown bears, do not hibernate and do not create dens. It is practically impossible to wait out the long polar winter in hibernation. The only exceptions are pregnant females. They make something like a den. The bear finds a hill from which the wind is blowing and lies down. Snow blows from the hill onto the lying bear. In this way, a snowdrift naturally forms above the bear, in which she uses her body, pushing aside the snow, to make a room and stay there for the winter. In the middle of winter, a mother bear gives birth to cubs under the snow. In March-April, females with cubs come out.

People all over the world who have witnessed with their own eyes the exit of a mother bear and her cubs from a den can be counted on one hand. For some time, the cubs will not be able to move away not only from their mother, but also from the place where they were born. They will walk around the den for about two to three months. They will learn to hide, they will learn not to fall into the snow. And only then will they go with their mother to wander along the coast of the Arctic Ocean, and there they will learn to swim. In total, the cubs will learn their habits from their mother for a year or more. And only after this time, the cubs are separated.

Bears swim well and can cross formed in frozen ice ocean crack. But there is a limit to everything. Due to global warming, open water become larger and many bears, especially young ones, drown. They try to stay closer to the islands in the Arctic Ocean, closer to solid ground.

40% of a polar bear's mass is fat. With such a fat layer, he can sleep in the snow and swim in icy water for hours. It is known that what bigger body, the less it cools. And the ocean one salty water remains liquid even at temperatures below zero degrees. The bear carefully looks after its skin. He bathes, and after bathing he wipes himself on the snow.

The bear is large in size, but cautious. It comes to the dwellings of polar explorers in search of food. Without special need, he will not cross the borders of foreign territory. And he won’t get involved in a fight unless absolutely necessary. After all, you can get wounded, and it’s not easy for a wounded animal to survive.