Polar Bear Facts
The polar bear bear is the largest four-footed carnivore on Earth and can live up to 25 years. The polar bear's coat appears white, but each individual hair is actually a clear hollow tube that channels the sun's energy directly to the bear's skin for warmth. The polar bear's entire body is furred, even the bottom of its paws which helps prevent slipping on the ice. Classified as a marine mammal as it's feet are partially webbed for swimming, and it's fur is water-repellent.
Males are 8 to 11 feet long and weigh 500 to 1,500 pounds. Females are smaller, measuring 6 to 8 feet long, and weigh from 350 to 700 pounds.
The two main focuses of this solitary creature's life are to conserve energy and to hunt. Females are able to breed at the age of five years. Only pregnant females dig dens and hibernate in the traditional sense for extended periods. An average of two cubs are born, each weighing about 1 pound at birth and growing to about 15 pounds by the time they emerge in the spring. The cubs have much to learn and usually remain with their mothers for more than two years.