10 Interesting Facts About Polar Bears for Children: Learn About Polar Bears for Kids - FreeSchool

You're watching FreeSchool! Polar bears are fascinating creatures. They live in the Arctic, and are easy to recognize by their large size and beautiful white fur. You probably already knew that. So here are 10 more interesting facts about polar bears. Number 10. Polar bears are incredible swimmers. All bears can swim, at least a little, but polar bears are the swimming champions of the bear family. They swim at speeds of nearly 4 miles or 6 kilometers per hour, but it isn't the speed of their swimming that makes them so incredible. It's the fact that they can swim for days at a time. Some polar bears have been seen swimming for more than 3 days straight, and they can travel nearly 100 miles or 150 kilometers in a single journey. Polar bears are great at diving, too, and can dive for up to 3 minutes. Number 9. They are the world's largest land predator. Male polar bears can weigh as much as 1,700 pounds, or 800 kilograms, and stand up to 10 feet or 3 meters tall when on their hind legs, making them the largest land predators in the world. They are also formidable hunters. Number 8. Polar bears are classified as marine mammals. Despite living on land, polar bears spend so much time in the Arctic waters hunting for food that they are classified as marine mammals, or mammals that rely on the ocean to live. Polar bears are the only bear species to hold this classification, and are listed alongside animals like whales, dolphins, seals, and otters. Number 7. Polar bears live alone. Polar bears live almost exclusively alone. Except for two weeks during mating season, the only time you'll see polar bears together is when mothers are raising cubs. Mother polar bears will care for their cubs for about two years. Number 6. They live for a long time. There is very little on Earth that can threaten an adult polar bear. In the wild, polar bears can live to an age of 25 or 30 years. Number 5. Polar bears have a great sense of smell. A polar bear's sense of smell is extremely strong, capable of detecting seals nearly a mile away and up to 3 feet under the snow. This super sense is vital for their survival in the barren Arctic. Number 4. Polar bears are the most carnivorous species of bear. Bears are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals, but polar bears eat more meat than any other species of bear. Seals are polar bears' main source of food. They rely on sea ice to hunt them, because they catch the seals when they come up for air at holes in the ice. This means that polar bears can only hunt their favorite food during certain times of the year. Number 3. They can go for months without eating. Their diet of seals allows polar bears to build up thick fat reserves. During times of the year when hunting is difficult, they can rely on stored fat and go up to 8 months without eating. Number 2. Polar bears can get too hot. Despite the frigid temperatures of their Arctic home, polar bears are so well insulated that they have more problems getting too hot than too cold. Their double-layered fur has a hollow core that traps air close to their body, keeping them toasty and warm. That's the reason you rarely see polar bears run, and only for short distances. They get too hot when they do. And number 1. Polar bears aren't actually white. Although it may look white, a polar bear's fur is really clear. It only appears white because it scatters and reflects light. Under their fur, their skin is black. This helps to absorb sunlight and keep them warm. Polar bears are incredible survivors, perfectly suited to thrive in the harsh Arctic environment. Thanks to their many adaptations, from their insulating fur to their swimming skills, these majestic animals are perfectly at home there.