Half of the world's 40,000 polar bears
live in Canada - in the coastal regions of both the Northwest Territories and the
Yukon, and in Manitoba, Ontario and arctic Quebec. As their Latin name ursus maritimus
suggest, polar bears are maritime creatures. They spend most of their days out on the
sea ice, hunting seals. Though they are believed to have evolved from grizzlies, polar
bears have unique rounded shoulders and pronounced brow ridges. Their necks, skulls
and noses are elongated and their muzzles are aquiline. Large paws help polar bears
distribute their weight while walking on thin ice. Their front legs act as water
propellers while their hind limbs function as rudders. One of the most distinctive
features of the polar bear is its colour. The white fur helps it blend into the arctic
background and has special features for cold weather adaptation; it is translucent and
transmits ultraviolet radiation to keep the skin warm. Equally distinctive is the polar
bear's size. The largest carnivore in the world that lives mostly out of water, it
can weight up to 800 kg - double the size of a grizzly!
Hinterland Who's Who
Wikipedia
Canadian Museum of Nature
Zoo sauvage de Saint-Félicien (english)
Ressources naturelles et Faune Québec (french)
Ursidés.com (french)
