Male Polar Bear on the Tundra is a photograph by Carole-Anne Fooks which was uploaded on June 16th, 2012.
Male Polar Bear on the Tundra
Polar bear, Ursus maritimus, which means �sea bear�. Male Polar Bear walking on the tundra. Polar Bears often walk in the footprints of... more
Title
Male Polar Bear on the Tundra
Artist
Carole-Anne Fooks
Medium
Photograph
Description
Polar bear, Ursus maritimus, which means �sea bear�. Male Polar Bear walking on the tundra. Polar Bears often walk in the footprints of other bears because they have scent and sensory glands on their feet. Through this contact they can tell a certain amount about a bear which previously walked this track. This bear has not had anything to eat for about 8 months. He is waiting for the ice to freeze on Hudson Bay so that he can hunt for Harp Seals. Adult male polar bears weigh from 775 to more than 1,500 pounds, 350 to more than 680 kilos. Polar Bears are endangered due to global warming. It is estimated that the Churchill population will be unviable in 30 years, and it is the largest single Polar bear population in the world.
In Alaska and other sites, as the Arctic melts, more polar bear mothers choose to den on land rather than in the sea ice - probably sensing that the sea ice is too unstable. In late fall, pregnant females tunnel into coastal snow banks to claw out dens where they give birth to their cubs. Snow soon drifts across the entry holes, completely hiding the dens from view.
Unfortunately, many of the best coastal denning spots buzz with industrial activity. Yet little is known about polar bear denning behaviour. Studies on thse issues and more are being carried out by Polar Bears International and other wildlife scientists.
Polar bear fur is made up of a layer of dense underfur and an outer layer of guard hairs, which appear white to tan but are actually translucent. The fur keeps them very warm. The skin is not white; it is black, even the insides of their mouths and their tongues. Therefore, they can absorb sunlight efficiently. They are strong and can swim very well, but with less ice more bears are having to swim further to find less food to their detriment.
Photo by Carole-Anne Fooks.
Uploaded
June 16th, 2012
