Species of the week:Polar Bear

Species of week:
Polar Bear(Ursus maritimus)

1. They are considered one of the largest bear species present on Earth, with the male weighing from 350-700kg and 2.4-3m in length.
2. They can be found around the Arctic Circle and the adjacent land masses of Norway, Denmanrk, United States of America, Russia and Canada.
3. The males are larger than the females, with the females being about half the size of males.
4. Polar bears have a thick hide and fur to keep warm and their blubber is about 10cm thick.
5. Polar bears are obligate carnivores which means they only sustain themselves with meat. They hunt most animals but their preferred prey is seals.
6. They will also scavange and hunt narwals and beluga whales.
7. They usually stalk holes in the ice, waiting for their prey to appear to take a breath and they attack then.
8. Despite popular belief a polar bear's skin is black and their hair are transparent. The reason we see their hair as white has to do with the way the light reflects on the hair.
9. Mating season takes place between April and May. Fertilized eggs remain suspended until August or September and cubs are usually born from November all the way to December.
10. Polar bears are listed as "Vulnerable"in the IUCN red list. Their main threat is loss of habitat due to global warming.