Polar bears are amazing, snow-white giants that inhabit the coldest regions of the planet. But in order to expand your knowledge about these amazing animals, interesting facts are presented at your discretion.
Despite the fact that they are born and live on land, they spend a lot of time of their lives in the sea - from this feature they get their scientific name Ursus Maritimus translated as sea bear. 
The polar bear originates from the brown bear, evolving and developing over 5,000 years. And despite the fact that they are separate species, a polar and polar bear can interbreed with a brown bear and produce hybrids capable of reproduction. This phenomenon is very rare both in the wild and in captivity.
The most characteristic, distinctive feature of which is pure white fur - it is not quite what it seems. In reality, the hair follicle is a transparent, hollow tube, and due to this, their fur can reflect the light surrounding the animal. At the same time, throughout the entire life of the animal, the fur may turn yellow or, conversely, acquire a greenish tint. Thus, the wool becomes yellow from age and dirt, and the wool acquires a greenish tint from seaweed breeding in the bear’s fur, in an unnaturally warm and humid environment for it. Another feature that is associated with the color of the bear is that its skin is black in color, which helps to retain heat. 
The animal's tongue is also covered with pigment spots - this is due to the fact that an excessive amount of blood enters it and it becomes blue-black in color. Almost the same color of the tongue is found in dogs of the Chow Chow breed.
Due to the fact that humans practically do not live in the Arctic, the polar bear retains the largest area of its natural habitat among all predators. But even with all this, it is considered an endangered species - its numbers vary throughout the planet from 20,000 to 25,000.
The male weighs on average about 700 kg., and its body length reaches 3 meters and therefore it is the largest of all predators on earth today. But the heavyweight among polar bears is a male, weighing 1002 kilos, who was shot in the 60th year of the last century in Alaska.
The polar bear is an excellent swimmer and can swim for several days and the speed in this case is on average 10 km. at one o'clock. At the same time, the speed of a bear on land is 5.6 km/h, and if necessary, when running, it can reach speeds of up to 40. 
Despite the fact that the polar bear is a fairly large predator, its cubs are born even smaller than human children and reach about 500-700 grams in weight. But the cubs grow quickly, gaining weight and, considering their age, are very smart and nimble. 
In the process of hunting seals, which are the main prey for a bear, the bear uses a lot of techniques and tricks during the hunt. As local residents of the North note, they even cover their black nose with their paws so as not to give themselves away when hiding in the white snow in ambush. Also, during the hunt, the bear uses its keen sense of smell, lying in ambush for several hours near the hole through which the seal emerges to breathe and then the bear attacks.
Polar bears are incredibly clean animals. So after lunch, they always clean themselves up, spending up to an hour on this, cleaning their fur from food debris and dirt.
A few more interesting and unusual facts
- Polar bears are the only ones of all their relatives that do not hibernate during the winter, staying awake and remaining active and mobile throughout all year round. Many scientists determine this activity by habitat conditions, evolution, when the bear adapts to certain living conditions. So, when temperatures drop to critical levels, the only thing that can happen in the bear’s body is a slowdown in metabolic processes.
- Due to its exceptional, or rather unusual biological structure, the animal itself is very warm-blooded, which helps it survive in the conditions of the North. Temperature their bodies never drop below temperatures of 31 degrees and sometimes the bear even avoids once again run so as not to overheat.
- Many scientists believe that bears are intellectually on the same level as monkeys. It is due to their keen mind that they can boast of ingenuity and varied hunting methods, changing their own behavior taking into account the environment.
- If a bear fails to find food for 7-8 days, the animal’s body begins to burn its own fat reserves until it is able to catch its prey and eat to its heart’s content, replenishing its body and fat reserves.
- As many ecologists and scientists note, due to the fact that glaciers are actively melting, the population polar bear by 2050 may decrease by 2/3 of their current number.
- Despite the fact that bears practice many different hunting methods, only 2% of all attempts are successful for them.
- Foxes inhabiting the Arctic are potential prey and food for the polar bear, but in Canada, historians were able to record a case of a long and strong friendship between these two seemingly different animals.
- Many zoologists note that a polar bear can be subject to outbursts of anger - many facts have been recorded in history when this huge, white giant scattered huge blocks of ice around him and roared thunderously, expressing his emotions. This especially happens after an unsuccessful attempt to hunt.
- In the North, only the female digs a den and gives birth to her offspring - they do not hibernate, but at the same time they try to give birth in a protected shelter.
Today the world celebrates International Polar Bear Day, or in the more familiar Russian version, Polar Bear Day. Polar bears have existed for more than 200 thousand years, and it is known that there were several times more of them than there are now. They are thought to have descended from brown bears that were separated by glaciers near Siberia. In order to adapt to new conditions, their bodies underwent evolutionary changes, and they finally began to look the way they look today. Now the habitat of polar bears is the entire Arctic region in the circumpolar regions of the North. Here are some interesting facts about this wonderful animal.
1. Polar bears are the world's largest land predators, tied for first place with the Kodiak bear. The weight of adult males can reach from 250 to 770 kilograms, and the length (from nose to tail) is 2.5-3 meters. Adult females are half the size: 90-300 kg and 1.8-2.5 meters, respectively.
2. Despite what you see in photographs, polar bears are not at all white. Their fur is colorless because the hairs are hollow and transparent. They reflect light and appear white. Under the fur lies black skin, which is necessary for better absorption of solar heat.
3. Only pregnant females go into long winter hibernation (up to two months or longer). And males continue to hunt throughout the winter.
4. The scientific name of polar bears is Ursus Maritimus (translated from Latin as “sea bears”).
5. Newborn polar bear cubs are much smaller in size than newborn human children. Their weight is about 500 grams and their height is 30-35 centimeters.
6. Although temperatures in the Arctic can drop to -45°C, polar bears usually have problems not with freezing, but with overheating. Especially while running. And all this is due to the physiological characteristics of the bear, which are responsible for maintaining heat. Therefore, bears prefer to move slowly and steadily.
7. Polar bears are excellent swimmers. Thanks to the structure of their paws, they swim gracefully and quite quickly. The average speed is 10 km/h. And it won’t be difficult for bears to swim 161 kilometers without stopping. When swimming, polar bears use their large front paws to propel themselves through the water and their hind paws to steer. By the way, they spend so much time in the water that some scientists classify these animals as marine mammals.
8. Polar bears have an excellent sense of smell. They can smell a seal 32 kilometers away.
9. When bears curl up to sleep, they cover their noses with their paws to keep warm.
10. Polar bears are big clean people. After eating, they spend about 20 minutes cleaning themselves. They need to make sure that there are no food residues left in the wool that could reduce it thermal insulation properties.
11. It is known that polar bears can be subject to outbursts of anger. More than once the bear was seen throwing huge chunks of ice and growling loudly in despair after a failed attempt to grab its prey.
12. Only the polar bear is a predator. All other bears are omnivores.
13. If there is not enough food for them during the cold season, polar bears can starve for several months. This is their natural ability used for survival.
14. Polar bears are the only species of bear that is a marine mammal.
15. Polar bears have 9,677 hairs per square inch.
16. While most bears have bare feet, polar bears' feet have fur on the bases and between the toes. This is necessary to reduce heat loss on cold ice.
17. Polar bears are solitary animals. The exception is the period when they are ready to mate.
18. Thanks to the rough surface on the pads of their paws, polar bears do not slide on the ice.
19. The polar bear has 42 teeth.
20. Due to their adaptation to cold weather, polar bears may become extinct in the event of global warming. Man-made greenhouse gases are heating the Earth, causing the ice to melt, threatening the polar bear population.
21. There are 19 species of polar bears in the world, identified and classified by scientists. Currently, 5 of them are on the verge of extinction.
22. The most favorite food of polar bears are ringed seals, but in winter predators eat everything they can catch. In summer, they feast on berries, leaves and algae.
23. An adult polar bear usually eats one seal every 6-7 days.
24. Having given birth to their cubs on land, polar bears then spend the majority of their lives in the water. Most people mistakenly believe that polar bears are land animals, even though they are classified as marine mammals.
25. For a long time, there was a common myth that polar bears are left-handed. Scientists have not yet answered this question, and it is unlikely that an answer will ever be found. Bears use both paws to both grab their prey and dig. Unlike humans, they do not use only one hand.
26. Despite the fact that northern bears have a reputation as fearsome hunters, their hunting success rate is less than 2%. Polar bears, the most carnivorous of the bear family, expend a lot of energy while hunting. The time and energy they spend searching for food only increases over time as Arctic sea ice disappears and it becomes increasingly difficult for the animals to find their prey (mostly seals). Polar bears can eat more than 25 kilograms of meat in one sitting.
27. Habitats of polar bears: Russia, Canada, USA, Greenland, Arctic islands of Norway.
28. On average, polar bears live 17 years in the wild.
29. Female bears rarely give birth, once every two or three years. One litter can have up to three cubs.
30. The only living creatures that threaten bears are people.
And finally, a riddle:
Why don't Polar Bears eat Penguins?
The answer? the bear lives at the North Pole, and the penguin at the South Pole.
Swim, far away :)
Based on materials from lifestripes.ru and zooblog.ru
The polar bear is, without a doubt, one of the most amazing animals on our planet. This is even evidenced by the fact that these majestic animals manage to survive in one of the most extreme and cold places on Earth. We all know that polar bears and especially cubs can be incredibly adorable, but many people don't know that they are also very smart and resourceful. There are so many facts to learn about these stunning giants. To expand your knowledge about polar bears, we bring to your attention twenty-five interesting and little known facts.
25. Even though polar bears are usually born on land, they spend most of his time at sea. Their scientific name Ursus Maritimus means "sea bear".
24. Polar bears are believed to have evolved from a population of brown bears approximately 5 million years ago. They developed unique features, which help them survive in the very cold Arctic region.
23. However, despite being separate species for such a long time, polar bears can still breed with brown bears and produce fertile grizzly-polar bear hybrids. This phenomenon occurs both in the wild and in captivity, but is very rare.
22. Most characteristic feature The polar bear has completely white fur, but it is not quite what it seems. In fact, their hair follicles are transparent, hollow tubes. This allows their fur to reflect the light around them.
21. However, their fur can sometimes look a little yellowish or greenish. The yellowing is caused by age and dirt, while the greenish color is caused by algae that can grow in a polar bear's fur in unnaturally warm and humid conditions.
20. Another amazing color-related fact is that their skin is actually black. This helps them retain heat.
19. Their tongue is also highly pigmented and, partly because it receives a lot of blood, is sometimes even dark blue in color.
18. Due to the lack of human development in its remote habitats (in the Arctic Circle), the polar bear retains more of its original habitat range than any other existing predator. However, despite this, it is listed as a vulnerable species, as its population is only between 20,000 and 25,000 individuals worldwide.
17. Considering that the average male polar bear weighs up to 700 kilograms and grows up to 3 meters in length, he is the largest predator in the world. The heaviest polar bear ever recorded reportedly weighed an incredible 1,002 kilograms. It was a male shot in northwest Alaska in 1960.
16. The polar bear is an excellent swimmer and can often swim for several days. One bear swam continuously for 9 days in the cold Bering Sea, covering a distance of 687 kilometers to reach ice far from land. They typically swim at a speed of 10 kilometers per hour.
15. When walking, a polar bear typically has a lumbering gait and maintains an average speed of approximately 5.6 kilometers per hour. However, despite their gigantic size, they can run at speeds of up to 40 kilometers per hour.
14. Although the polar bear is the largest in the world, its adorable polar bear cubs are born even smaller than human babies. However, they are more intelligent because they quickly learn to remain absolutely still while their mothers hunt so as not to spook the prey.
13. When hunting seals (their most common prey), polar bears use a wide range of dexterous methods. Supposedly, they even cover their black noses with their paws to avoid being seen in the snow.
12. However, their most common method of hunting is still hunting. The bear uses its excellent sense of smell to find the seal's breathing hole and lies down next to it in silence, waiting for the seal to appear. A bear can lie in ambush for several hours. After the seal exhales, the bear notices its breathing, puts its front paw into the hole and pulls it out onto the ice.
11. Polar bears are surprisingly obsessed with their purity. After eating, they spend up to half an hour grooming and cleaning their coat to ensure that no dirt or food remains are left behind.
10. After a good meal and a thorough cleaning, polar bears like to rest, often in funny, almost human-like poses.
9. The polar bear is the only species of bear that does not hibernate. They are active all year round.
8. In fact, due to their exceptional biological structure, polar bears are unusually warm-blooded animals. Their body temperature never drops below 31 degrees Celsius. They sometimes even avoid running and other strenuous physical activities to avoid overheating.
7. Some researchers believe that the intelligence of polar bears may be as high as that of monkeys due to their ingenious hunting methods, ingenuity and ability to change their behavior depending on changing environmental problems.
6. If a polar bear cannot catch food for more than 7 to 10 days, its metabolism slows down and it begins to burn its fat reserves until it finds its next meal.
5. The polar bear has a special developed sense sense of smell. They can track ice-bound seals up to 32 kilometers away, and can sniff out a seal's breathing hole in the ice from more than half a kilometer away, even if the seal is not there.
4. Due to melting ice caps, scientists predict that two-thirds of the current population of these amazing animals will disappear by 2050.
3. Fortunately, efforts to protect these noble animals have led to restrictions on sport hunting, so let's hope the global polar bear population does not decline too quickly. They even set aside an International Day for the polar bear - February 27th.
2. Despite sophisticated hunting methods and careful behavior, only about 2 percent of their attacks are successful.
1. Arctic foxes tend to be prey for polar bears, but in Canada there has been a case of a strong friendship between these two animals. They played together and giant bear even shared his food with his little fox friend.
Many of us have known about the largest animals of the northern latitudes - polar bears - since childhood. Let's read additional interesting facts about polar bears.
Since the polar bear's paws are equipped with membranes, according to the classification it belongs to marine mammals.
The largest recorded polar bear weighed one ton. The size and weight of male and female polar bears vary greatly. Large males are almost twice as large and heavier than females, their length is up to 3 meters in length, and their weight reaches 800 kilograms.
These largest predators of the North are capable of swimming 150 kilometers at a speed of 10 km/hour.
Unlike their relatives, polar bears do not spend part of their time hibernating. The only exception is their pregnant females.
The habitat of polar bears is the coast and ice of the Arctic.
Speaking about interesting facts about polar bears, it is necessary to note the amazing sense of these animals. They are able to detect the smell of a seal in an ice hole at a distance of a kilometer, and a seal located on ice at a distance of 30 kilometers.
Polar bear hunting is successful only 2 percent of the time.
It is worth noting that the polar bear owes its decent life expectancy of 25 years to the lack of rivals. Of course, if you do not take into account the person.
The polar bear, which gives birth to 1 to 3 cubs at a time, bears them for 8 months. The babies are born in the den between November and December. And already at the end of March - beginning of April, the female and cubs get out of the den.
The weight of a newborn bear cub does not exceed a kilogram.
During a mother bear's hunt, the cubs wait for her in one place. Interestingly, polar bears mate between March and July, but the development of the fertilized egg begins only in September.
The Inuit people of Canada traditionally have great respect for the polar bear, calling it "nanook".
Polar bears are classified as carnivores, as their main menu includes fur seals and various fish.
Interestingly, polar bears can be called excellent builders - they build multi-room dens in the snow, even providing them with an exhaust hood.
Polar bears' ability to swim in icy water without their fur getting wet is due to the fact that it is covered in fat. This ensures its water-repellent property.
Polar bears' thick fur, lubricated with fat, retains heat so well that they are able to overheat even in low arctic temperatures. To prevent overheating, bears usually move slowly, allowing a long time to rest.
Polar bears are considered big clean people. These animals spend 15-20 minutes daily on hygiene procedures, while thoroughly cleaning themselves from any remaining dirt and food particles. This is very important for them, since contaminated bear fur loses its insulating properties.
Interesting video about a man and his pet... A polar bear!
1. Polar bears are undoubtedly one of the most amazing animals on our planet, because these majestic animals manage to survive in one of the most extreme and cold places on Earth.
2. The polar bear is also called the northern bear or the polar bear, and the northern peoples call it Nanuk or Oshkui.
3. The polar bear is not only the largest land predator in the northern latitudes, but an intelligent and resourceful predator that has managed to adapt and survive in such a harsh polar climate.
4. The polar bear is the largest warm-blooded predator on the planet. The weight of a polar bear can reach 1,000 kg, and its length is 3.5 - 4 meters.
5. Previously, another subspecies of polar bear lived in the Arctic - the giant polar bear. It weighed 1,200 kg and reached a length of more than 4 meters.
6. Due to its habitat in remote places from human civilization - above the Arctic Circle, the polar bear maintains a larger range of its habitat than any other predator. But despite this, it is listed as a vulnerable species, as its population is only between 20,000 and 25,000 individuals worldwide.
7.The closest relative of the polar bear is the brown bear. Both species evolved from the same ancestor approximately 600 thousand years ago.
8.Brown and polar bears can interbreed and produce hybrids due to the fact that they are related species and had common ancestors.
9. A polar bear, giving birth to 1 to 3 cubs at a time, carries them for 8 months. The cubs are born in a den between November and December. And already at the end of March - beginning of April, the female with the cubs gets out of the den.
10. Polar bears are considered big clean people. These animals spend 15-20 minutes daily on hygiene procedures, while thoroughly cleaning themselves from any remaining dirt and food particles. This is very important for them, since contaminated bear fur loses its insulating properties.
11. Polar bears have never lived in Antarctica and Australia.
12. About 90% of all polar bears live in Alaska and America.
13. Due to the fact that the polar bear’s paws are equipped with membranes, according to the classification it belongs to marine mammals.
14. If a polar bear cannot catch food for more than 7 to 10 days, its metabolism slows down and it begins to burn its fat reserves until it finds food.
15. They are also very smart and resourceful. When hunting seals (their most common prey), polar bears use a wide range of dexterous techniques. It is believed that they even cover their black noses with their paws to avoid being seen in the snow.
16. Due to their exceptional biological structure, polar bears are unusually warm-blooded animals. Their body temperature never drops below 31 degrees Celsius. They sometimes even avoid running and other physical activities to avoid overheating.
17.Adult polar bears lead a solitary lifestyle, but friendly relationships can arise and be maintained between them.
18. The largest representatives of the polar bear population live in the Barents Sea, and the smallest in Spitsbergen.
19. Even though polar bears are usually born on land, they spend most of their time at sea. Their scientific name Ursus Maritimus means "sea bear".
20. The polar bear is an excellent swimmer and can often swim for several days. One bear swam continuously for 9 days in the cold Bering Sea, covering a distance of 687 kilometers to reach ice far from land. They typically swim at a speed of 10 kilometers per hour. The polar bear has webbed feet that help it swim.
21. Also, a record swim of more than 600 km was made by a bear who swam across the Bosphorus Sea from Alaska to the pack ice in search of food.
22. Despite their impressive size, polar bears can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h when running on land. But he cannot run at such speed for long, as he may overheat.
23.Bears have an excellent sense of smell. They can smell the scent of a seal that has climbed onto the ice at a distance of 32 kilometers.
24. Polar bears do not freeze; a thick subcutaneous layer of fat, 13 centimeters thick, helps them do this.
25. Female polar bears from the southern parts of the Arctic raise their cubs for 2 years, and females from the colder part care for their cubs for 3 years.
26. Polar bears are believed to have evolved from their common ancestor with brown bears approximately 5 million years ago. They have evolved unique features that help them survive in the very cold Arctic region.
27. Some researchers believe that the intelligence of polar bears may be as high as that of monkeys, thanks to their ingenious hunting methods, ingenuity and ability to change their behavior depending on changing environmental problems.
28.The heaviest polar bear ever recorded weighed a whopping 1,002 kilograms. It was a male shot in northwest Alaska in 1960.
29.The ability of polar bears to swim in icy water without their fur getting wet is explained by the fact that it is covered with fat. This ensures its water-repellent property.
30. Due to melting ice caps, scientists predict that two-thirds of the current population of these amazing animals will disappear by 2050.
31. About 30 - 35 years old is average duration life of polar bears in the wild.
32. A record for the life expectancy of a polar bear was recorded in captivity. The world's oldest bear lived for more than 45 years.
33. The female and male polar bear differ in weight. The weight of a male can reach 700 – 800 kg, and a female polar bear predominantly weighs 300 kg.
34.Polar bears often travel on drifting ice floes.
35.Brown bears dig dens in the ground, and white bears dig dens in the snow, and such a den usually has several rooms and even an exhaust hood.
36. The skin of a polar bear is black, this helps them retain heat.
37. Polar bears hibernate for the winter for 50-80 days, and then only pregnant females in order to produce offspring.
38. The female’s pregnancy lasts 230-240 days, after which tiny cubs weighing 400-750 grams are born.
39. Even though the two bear species have been separate species for a very long time, polar bears can still breed with brown bears and produce fertile grizzly-polar bear hybrids. This phenomenon occurs both in the wild and in captivity, but is very rare.
40. Although the polar bear is the world's largest predator, its adorable polar bear cubs are born even smaller than human babies. However, they are more intelligent because they quickly learn to remain absolutely still while their mothers hunt so as not to spook the prey.
41. Arctic foxes are typically preyed on by polar bears, but a strong friendship between the two animals has been documented in Canada. They played together and the giant bear even shared his food with his little fox friend.
42. Quite often they even have to go hungry and withstand strong winds and snow. However, polar bears are excellent fishers and find food under a thick layer of snow.
43. Polar bear hunting is successful only 2 percent of the time.
44. The tongue of polar bears is also highly pigmented and, partly due to the fact that a lot of blood flows to it, is sometimes even dark blue in color.
45. During periods of severe frost, when a polar bear goes to sleep, it covers its nose with its paw, which serves as the only heat generator.
46. The most characteristic feature of a polar bear is its completely white fur, but it is not quite what it seems. In fact, their hair follicles are transparent, hollow tubes. This allows their fur to reflect the light around them.
48. A polar bear comes to land almost dry after swimming.
49. The claws on the front paws of a polar bear are large compared to the hind paws.
50. Polar bears' fur can sometimes look a little yellowish or greenish. The yellowing is caused by age and dirt, while the greenish color is caused by algae that can grow in a polar bear's fur in unnaturally warm and humid conditions.
