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Arctic Animals. Polar Bears. Characteristics of Polar Bears. A group of polar bears is called a "Celebration of Polar Bears". Polar bears can grow to 10 feet long and weigh 1,700 pounds. Males are bigger than females. Strong sense of smell. Run up to 40 mph.
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Arctic Animals Polar Bears
Characteristics of Polar Bears • A group of polar bears is called a "Celebration of Polar Bears". • Polar bears can grow to 10 feet long and weigh 1,700 pounds. • Males are bigger than females. • Strong sense of smell. • Run up to 40 mph. • Wide front paws with webbed toes. • Paddle with front feet, steer with hind feet. • Paw pads have rough surfaces to help polar bears from slipping on the ice.
Polar Bears Have: • Small heads. • Powerful jaws. • Black noses. • Black tongues. • Small flat tails. • 42 teeth.
All About Polar Bears • Polar bears have two types of fur. • Thick, woolly fur close to the skin. • Hollow guard hairs stick up and protect the bears from getting wet. These guard hairs are like drinking straws, clear-colored (not white). • The white-looking coat camouflages them in the snow and ice. • Under the fur, polar bears have black skin. • Have a thick layer of fat (up to 4 inches thick) under the skin.
Where Can You Find Polar Bears? • The polar bear or the sea/ice bear are the world's largest land predators. • Can be found in the artic, the U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Denmark (Greenland), and Norway. . • Each of these countries either banned hunting or established rules for how many polar bears you can hunt. • Today, 25,000 to 40,000 polar bears roam the arctic.
Polar Bears and Their Families • Pregnant females polar bears (called sows) build snow dens. • Give birth to 1-3 cubs. • Cubs are born 12 to 14 inches long and weigh little more than a pound.They are blind, toothless, and covered with short, soft fur. • Completely dependent on mother for warmth and food. • Cubs normally stay with the mother for the first two years. • Cubs are much smaller than human babies when born. • Male polar bears (called boars) are active all year.
How Do Polar Bears Hunt? • In cold weather, polar bears, except pregnant females, head out onto the ice to hunt seals. • Have been spotted hundreds of miles from shore. • When the ice is very thin, polar bears crawl on their bellies to keep from breaking the ice and falling in. • Polar bears spend as much time on ice as they do on land.
What Polar Bears Eat • Polar bears are carnivores (meat-eaters). • Hunt and catch their prey in the water. • Eat mostly seals. • Stomach can hold up to 150 pounds. • Polar bears don't drink water.
How Polar Bears Communicate With Each Other? • Use body language and sounds. • A deep growl gives a warning to other bears. • Growls are commonly used to defend their food source. • To beg food from another bear, polar bears will approach slowly, circle around the food, and then softly offer a nose-to-nose greeting. • When a polar bear wants to play with another polar bear , he wags his head from side to side. • An adult bear will stand on his hind legs, chin lowered to chest and front paws hanging by his side. • Angry polar bears make loud roars and growls. • Mother bears scold their cubs with a low growl or a soft cuff.
Polar Bear Finger Play • One momma bear curled up in a ball(hug yourself) • Two babies sleeping, so furry and small (use hands to lean head on) • Three frisky bears tumble in the snow(making fists, turn in a circle) • Four bears paddle “go bears go”(moving both hands and arms to represent moving water)
Thank You • www.nationalgeographic.com/kids • www.polarbearsinternational.org/photo-gallery • www.junglewalk.com/sound/polar-bear-sounds.htm