Polar Bear: Ursus maritimus (Phipps 1774)
A circumpolar white marine bear
Size
- Average male 2.6m (8.5 feet), 900 lbs
- Average female 2m (6.5 feet), 500 lbs
Color & Characteristics
- White with black eyes, nose and lips
- Long-legged, with prominent snout, and short ears
Habitat
- Pan-Arctic, associated with sea ice
- Seasonal movement (north with receding ice edge)
Feeding
- Carnivore, eats seals, predominantly the ringed & bearded
Life cycle
- 0.3m (10 inch) at birth, 0.5-1kg (1-2 lbs)
- Sexually mature at 4-8 years
- Cubs born in dens midwinter
- 28 months lactation
- Longevity 25-30 years
Behavior
- Usually solitary, except female-cub groups
- Pregnant females den in winter
- Dive to approach basking seals at floe edge
Page Author: Bodil Bluhm
Created: Aug 24, 2008
