Adaptations

/ by Katie Billing of Polar Bears International

Polar bears are unique mammals because they survive in one of the most desolate tundra environments. Weather in Churchill can be as cold as -22 degrees Fahrenheit! How do these bears survive? With their physical adaptations, of course. Polar bears have lots of fat to keep themselves warm. The fat also aids in flotation while swimming long distances. An average bear weighs around 300-700 pounds, and can have about a 10 cm fat layer on their rump!

Polar bears also need their fur for insulation from the freezing winds. Polar bears have fur between their paws that act as a snowshoe to help them maneuver across the tundra. Their paws also have papillae, which increase traction on ice. In fact, some scientific studies show that polar bears may have scent glands on their feet! These scent glands help bears track where other bears have been. (Imagine if you could simply smell a trail that leads to your future boyfriend/girlfriend? Easier then buying roses!) 

Polar bears have quite the sniffer. Their sense of smell is 20 times stronger than a human and they can identify scents up to 60 miles away. It helps that ringed seals are really stinky! Polar bears can smell them beneath thick layers of sea ice. The bears are well adapted for hunting ringed seals. They have 12- inch paws with 2- inch claws that can easily cut flesh. Polar bears are carnivores and have teeth to prove it! Their teeth are specially adapted to ripping and shredding meat. These bears are natural survivors. But the big question stands – can they naturally survive the warming climate? Sadly, scientists and climate experts can answer with a definite “No.”