Polar Bears

1.   Polar bears swim using their large front paws to propel themselves through the water and their back legs to steer.

2.   Males can grow to ten feet (three meters) in length—the height of a one-story building.

3.   Paw pads with rough surfaces help prevent polar bears from slipping up on the ice.

4.   Only humans prey on polar bears.

5.   Polar bears are the largest predators on land, and they are the largest of all bears.

6.   Polar bears have fur and skin that allow them to absorb sunlight for warmth. Their blubber, or fat, insulates them in cold water.

7.   The scientific name for polar bear is Ursus maritimus, which means “sea bear.”

8.   Polar bears primarily eat seals.

9.   A polar bear may also hunt by swimming beneath the ice.

10.  The U.S., Canada, Denmark, Norway, and the Soviet Union signed an agreement in 1973 to protect polar bears.