Polar bears are not only one of the most beautiful animals in the world, they are also one of the most scientifically interesting.These bears live in the Arctic Circle and survive one of the most extreme climates in our world.
There is a doubt: how the polar bear survives in the cold of the Arctic, scientists have been studying for many years how this animal can retain heat, in this article by Animal Expert we present the different theories that have emerged to answer this puzzle.
- The polar bear.
- Also known as polar bears.
- Is a carnivorous mammal in the ursidae family.
- Specifically Ursus maritimus.
It is a longer-bodied bear with more formed legs, males weigh between 300 and 650 kilograms, although there are cases that have reached a much greater weight.
Females weigh much less, about half. However, when they are pregnant, they should strive to store large amounts of fat, as it will be this fat that will survive during pregnancy and the first months of life of young people.
Although it can also walk, it does so awkwardly, because the polar bear feels better at swimming, in fact they can swim hundreds of kilometers.
As we said before, polar bears are carnivores. The few times they do surface, it is usually to hunt. Its most common prey are seals, beluga whales, walruses or young walruses.
As you can imagine, one of the factors that allows polar bears to survive the cold is their fur, although this explanation is too simple.
Beneath the skin of polar bears is a thick layer of fat that protects them from the cold, then, as with other mammals in this area, their fur is divided into two layers: one lower and one outer, the outer layer is stronger to protect the thinnest and denser inner layer.However, as we’ll see later, polar bear hair is considered a marvel in terms of heat capture and retention.
Another factor in its morphology that helps to retain heat are its compact ears and its small tail, which by having this structure and shape can prevent unnecessary heat losses.
It is not exactly proven how polar bears manage to overcome these extreme temperatures, although almost all theories are related to:
A study argues that the fur of the polar bear is hollow and transparent, we see the white fur reflecting in it by the surrounding environment, it is strange, since, on the other hand, its skin is black.
At first, the hair picked up the infrared rays of the sun, and then it was not clear how it would transmit them to the skin, the function of the hair would be to retain the heat.But there are more theories:
But of course, they are all theories, scientists agree that polar bears have more problems with overheating than freezing, so one of the biggest threats to this species is the warming of our planet by pollution.
If you are a bear lover and want to learn more about the other species of this wonderful mammal, do not miss our article on feeding pandas.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Curiosities section of the animal world.