Polar bears: Red Book of Russia. White polar bear - description, habitat, nutrition, reproduction, behavior and photo The polar bear is a rare animal in what

Polar bear, aka polar or northern bear (lat. Ursus maritimus ) - This carnivorous mammal an animal that belongs to the suborder Canidae, the bear family, the genus bears. The name of the beast is translated from Latin as “sea bear”, and the predator is also called oshkuy, nanuk or umka.

International scientific name: Ursus maritimus(Phipps, 1774).

Security status: vulnerable species.

Polar bear - description, structure, characteristics

The polar bear is the largest land predator and one of the most large predators planet, which is second in size only to elephant seal. The largest polar bear weighed just over 1 ton and was about 3 meters long. The height of this bear, standing on its hind legs, was 3.39 m. On average, the body length of males is about 2-2.5 m, the height at the withers ranges from 1.3 to 1.5 m, and the average weight of a polar bear varies in within 400-800 kg. Bears are 1.5-2 times smaller, usually their weight does not exceed 200-300 kg, although pregnant females can weigh 500 kg. Interestingly, in the Pleistocene era (about 100 thousand years ago), a giant polar bear lived on earth; its size was about 4 meters in length, and its body weight reached 1.2 tons.

The polar bear has a heavy, massive body and large, powerful paws. Unlike other representatives of the genus, the neck of polar bears is elongated, and the head with small ears has a flattened shape, but with an elongated facial region characteristic of all bears.

The beast's jaws are extremely powerful, with well-developed, sharp fangs and incisors. A polar bear has a total of 42 teeth. Facial vibrissae are absent in animals.

The tail of a polar bear is very short, ranging from 7 to 13 cm in length and is almost invisible under its dense fur. The polar bear's paws end in five fingers, armed with sharp, non-retractable claws of impressive size, which allows predators to hold the largest and strongest prey.

The soles of the paws are covered with coarse hair, which prevents slipping on ice floes and prevents the paws from freezing. In addition, polar bears are excellent swimmers and divers, and between their toes there is a swimming membrane that helps during long swims.

The polar bear's fur is quite coarse, dense and extremely thick, with a well-developed undercoat. Such a rich fur coat and an impressive layer of subcutaneous fat up to 10 cm thick make the animals practically invulnerable even in the most severe frosts and when in ice water. Only the paw pads and the tip of the muzzle are not protected by fur.

Polar bears are powerful and hardy predators, very agile and fast for their weight and impressive dimensions. On land, the speed of a polar bear averages 5.6 km/h, and when running it reaches 40 km/h. During the day, the animal can cover a distance of up to 20 km. A polar bear pursued in water is capable of accelerating up to 6.5-7 km/h, and if necessary, can swim without stopping for several days. It is a known fact that a female polar bear swam non-stop to a feeding place for 9 days, although during this time she lost up to 22% of the weight of her body and her cub.

Polar predators have well-developed hearing, vision and sense of smell. The animal senses prey at a distance of more than 1 kilometer, and standing above the shelter of potential prey, it is able to detect the slightest movement. Through a meter-thick layer of snow, a polar bear can smell a seal's vent site (a hole in the ice through which the seal breathes).

Life expectancy of a polar bear

IN natural conditions Polar bears live about 20-30 years (males up to 20 years, females up to 25-30 years), and the recorded life expectancy record in captivity is 45 years.

Where do polar bears live?

Polar bears live in the polar regions of the northern hemisphere, and their range extends to 88 degrees north latitude in the north and to the island of Newfoundland in the south. The distribution area on the mainland passes through arctic deserts to the tundra zone in the territories of Russia, Greenland, the USA and Canada. The animals' habitat is closely connected with the Arctic belt, covered with drifting and multi-year ice, replete with large polynyas with a high density of marine mammals, the main source of food for polar bears.

Today, the polar bear habitat includes several large populations:

• Laptev, distributed in the Laptev Sea, eastern regions of the Kara Sea, in the west of the East Siberian Sea, on the New Siberian Islands and archipelago New Earth;
• Kara-Barents Sea, whose representatives live in the Barents Sea, the western regions of the Kara Sea, in the eastern part of the Greenland Sea off the coast of Greenland, as well as on the islands of Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land and Spitsbergen;
• The Chukchi-Alaskan population is distributed in the Chukchi Sea, in the northern part of the Bering Sea, in the east of the East Siberian Sea, as well as on Wrangel and Herald Islands.

In the north, the population distribution area covers part of the Arctic basin, although polar bears are found here much less frequently than in more southern seas. Interestingly, the largest polar bears live in the Barents Sea, and the smallest live on the island of Spitsbergen.

The existence of predators is tied to seasonal changes in the boundaries of polar ice. With the onset of warmth, polar bears retreat to the pole along with the ice, and in winter they return further south, and although their usual environment is coastal zones covered with ice, at this time predators often visit the mainland.

Polar bear hibernation

Pregnant females hibernate first of all; other polar bears do not overwinter in a den every year and at the same time fall into suspended animation for no more than 50-80 days.

What does a polar bear eat?

The main source of food for the polar bear is various marine mammals and fish (seal, ringed seal, less commonly bearded seal (sea hare), walrus, beluga whale, narwhal).

First of all, the polar bear eats the skin and fat of the killed victim, and only when very hungry does it eat the meat of its prey. Thanks to this diet, a huge amount of vitamin A enters the animal’s body, which accumulates in the liver. At one time, an adult polar bear eats about 6-8 kg of food, and when very hungry - up to 20 kg. The remains of the meal are eaten by arctic foxes, the eternal guides and parasites of the polar bear. If the hunt is unsuccessful, the animals are content with dead fish, carrion, and ruin bird's nests, eating eggs and chicks. Polar bears are quite tolerant of their relatives when eating large prey, such as a dead whale, around which they may gather large group predators. When wandering onto the mainland, polar bears willingly dig through garbage dumps in search of food waste and rob food warehouses of polar expeditions. The plant diet of predators consists of grasses and algae.

By the way, polar bears do not eat penguins, since penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere (Antarctica, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, South America, on the islands), and polar bears live in the Northern Hemisphere (in the north of Russia, Canada, Alaska, Greenland and some islands).

In summer, the ice retreats from the shores and may completely melt, depriving animals of their feeding grounds. Therefore, in the summer, polar bears live off their fat reserves and starve for 4 months or more. Given the lack of competition for food during this period of the year, animals can gather in groups and lie peacefully on the shore.

A unique feature of the polar bear’s behavior is its attitude towards humans, whom it sometimes purposefully tracks and views as prey. But most often, polar bears do not show aggression at all; they are quite trusting and curious. Usually only females with cubs or a wounded animal pose a danger to humans.

How does a polar bear hunt?

The polar bear lies in wait for potential prey near the ice hole, and as soon as the prey’s head appears above the water, it stuns the animal with a powerful blow of its paw, after which it drags the carcass onto the ice.

Other no less effective method hunting involves turning over an ice floe on which seals are resting. Polar bears often hunt walruses, especially young and weak ones, but they can only cope with an enemy armed with deadly tusks on ice. The bear creeps up to the prey at a distance of about 9-12 meters, and then with a sharp jump attacks the victim.

When a polar bear discovers seal vents (holes in the ice through which seals breathe), it tries to expand them by breaking the ice with its front paws. Then he plunges the front part of the body into the water, grabs the seal with sharp teeth and pulls it out onto the ice, after which the victim can no longer cope with the unequal opponent.

Polar bear breeding

Northern bears lead a solitary lifestyle and treat their relatives quite peacefully; fights between males occur only during the breeding season, but then aggressive males can attack cubs.

Polar bears reach reproductive age by 4-8 years, and females become ready to reproduce offspring earlier than males. The bear rut is extended over time and lasts from the end of March to the beginning of June, and the female is usually accompanied by 3-4, sometimes up to 7 males. The pregnancy of polar bears lasts from 230 to 250 days (about 8 months), and it begins with the latent stage, when implantation of the embryo is delayed.

In October, female polar bears begin to dig dens in the snow drifts, and choose certain places for this: for example, on the Wrangel Islands and Franz Josef Land, where up to 150-200 dens are established in the coastal zone at the same time. In mid-November, when the embryonic development of the fetus begins, female bears go into hibernation, which lasts until April. Thus, offspring are born in the middle or at the end of the Arctic winter.

Taken from: polarbearscience.files.wordpress.com

Usually 1 to 3 cubs are born (usually 2 bear cubs), completely helpless and tiny, weighing from 450 to 750 g. In very exceptional cases, 4 cubs can be born. The fur of bear cubs is so thin that they are often called naked. At first, the offspring intensively feeds on mother's milk. A month later, the cubs' eyes open, after another month, small polar bears begin short forays out of the den, and at the age of 3 months they already leave the den and, together with their mother, set off to wander through the icy expanses of the Arctic. Up to one and a half years, the cubs continue to be fed milk and are under the protection of their mother, and after that they begin an independent life. The mortality rate among polar bear cubs ranges from 10 to 30%.

A female bear gives birth once every 3 years and throughout life cycle produces no more than 15 cubs, which indicates that the potential for increasing the population of these animals is too low.

Security status

Polar bears are listed in the Red Book of Russia as a vulnerable species, and since 1956, hunting for predators in the country has been completely prohibited. For 2013 in Russian polar ice There were approximately 5-6 thousand polar bears. Other countries have established restrictions on the fishing of these animals, regulated by an annual quota.

Enemies of the polar bear in nature

Due to their gigantic size, polar bears do not have many enemies. natural environment a habitat. In water, an animal can be attacked by a walrus or killer whale; on land, small bear cubs, left unattended by a not-too-vigilant or careless mother, sometimes become victims of wolves, arctic foxes and dogs. The main threat to the polar bear is a man with a gun: unfortunately, even protective status does not always save this giant of the Arctic from armed poachers.

Differences between polar and brown bears

According to paleontologists, the bear genus appeared on earth about 5-6 million years ago, and the polar bear is considered the youngest species, which separated from the common ancestor of all bears about 600 thousand years ago. Modern white and brown bears They are genetically similar and interbreed to produce viable offspring called polar grizzlies, which are also capable of reproducing.

Taken from the website: www.spiegel.de

Polar and brown bears occupy completely different ecological niches, have distinctive phenotypic characteristics, feeding habits and social behavior, due to which they are classified as separate species. Below are the differences between polar and brown bears.

• the largest polar bear reached a length of 3 meters, while the length of a brown bear does not exceed 2.5 meters;
• the weight of a polar bear can reach one ton, a brown relative weighs no more than 750 kg;
• Among brown bears, there are many subspecies that live in different territories. Unlike the brown bear, the white bear has no subspecies.
• the polar bear’s neck is long, while that of its brown counterpart is thick and short;
• the head of a polar bear is not very large and flattened, while that of a brown bear is more massive and rounded;
• Polar bears are inhabitants of the harsh and snowy expanses of the Arctic zone; their southern border of habitat is the tundra zone. Brown bears, unlike white bears, live in warmer climates in Russia, Canada, the USA, Europe, from Western Asia to northern China and Korea, as well as in Japan (see habitat maps below). The northern border of their range is the southern border of the tundra;

• The polar bear differs from the brown bear in the food it consumes. If polar bears are carnivores, then the brown bear’s menu consists not only of meat and fish: most of the diet includes berries, nuts, insects and their larvae;
• In polar bears, mostly only pregnant females hibernate, and their winter sleep lasts no more than 50-80 days. The winter sleep of a brown bear, both in females and males, can last from 75 to 195 days - it all depends on the area where the animal lives;
• The polar bear's rut ​​lasts from March to early June, for the brown bear it lasts from May to July;
• polar bears usually give birth to 2, rarely 3 cubs. Browns can give birth to 2-3, and occasionally 4-5 cubs.

On the left is a polar bear, on the right is a brown bear. Photo credits: PeterW1950, CC0 Public Domain (left) and Rigelus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (right)

• Since ancient times, the indigenous population of the North has been hunting the polar bear for its skin and meat, and reveres this strong and ferocious beast as the embodiment of formidable natural forces. According to Eskimo legends, the confrontation between a man and a polar bear becomes a kind of initiation and formation of a man as a hunter.
• Polar bears are able to swim gigantic distances in search of food: the record for the duration of the swim belongs to a female bear who swam across the Beaufort Sea from Alaska to multi-year ice. During the 685 km swim, she lost a fifth of her body weight and her one-year-old cub.
• The largest male polar bear was shot in Alaska in 1960; the weight of the predator was 1002 kg.
• Living in extreme conditions low temperatures, the polar bear is an extremely warm-blooded animal: its body temperature is about 31 degrees, so in order to avoid overheating, predators run extremely rarely.
• The image of a polar bear is actively used in cinema, for example, as characters in the popular cartoons “Elka”, “Bernard” and “Umka”.
• These animals are depicted on the logo of the Sever confectionery production and on the wrappers of the Bear in the North sweets created by the Krupskaya confectionery factory.
• February 27 is the officially recognized Polar Bear Day, which is celebrated by fans of these animals all over the world.

An intellectual among bears, perfectly oriented in the three-dimensional, constantly changing space of water and ice, flexibly changing hunting tactics and having no natural enemies, the polar bear is the real master of the Arctic.

Taxonomy

Russian name - polar bear, polar bear, northern bear, oshkuy, nanuk, umka
Latin name - Ursus (Thalarctos) maritimus
English name- Polar bear
Order - Carnivora (Carnivora)
Family - Bears (Ursidae) has 7 species
Genus - Ursus

Status of the species in nature

The polar bear is listed in the International Red Book and the Red Book of Russia as a species whose numbers in nature are declining - CITES II, IUCN (VU). In Russia, polar bear hunting has been prohibited since 1956 and is currently permitted only in very limited areas in the United States, Canada and Greenland.

Species and man

These animals were known to the ancient Romans at least in the first century AD. The archives of the Japanese emperors indicate that polar bears and their skins reached Japan and Manchuria already in the 7th century, but the population of these countries could have become acquainted with these animals much earlier - bears sometimes reach the shores of Japan along with floating ice. The oldest written source containing information about polar bears and relating to the north of Europe dates back to approximately 880 - then two bear cubs were brought from Norway to Iceland. In 1774, the polar bear was first described in scientific literature as independent type. The author of this description is the English zoologist Constantine Phipps.

The peoples inhabiting the Arctic have long hunted these animals. As humans explored the North, the number of bears decreased, but after hunting was banned and protected areas were organized in the areas of their ancestral dens, they began to increase. However, it is currently declining again, as bears are suffering greatly due to climate change - in the Arctic, the ice cover necessary for successful seal hunting is being established late. As a result, the animals starve, and mother bears, in addition, cannot get to the places of their ancestral dens. Pollution plays a negative role natural environment and the anxiety factor.

Polar bears are very curious; they examine any new object and often visit polar stations. However, they are not aggressive and, if people do not start feeding them, they leave.

Distribution area

The polar bear's world is limited to ice fields. This is an animal of the Arctic belt - it finds food and shelter among endless ice and hummocks. It happens that, together with floating ice, polar bears reach the shores of Iceland, even end up in the Okhotsk and Japanese sea. However, such animals always strive to return to their familiar ice environment and, once outside it, make long journeys overland, moving strictly north.

Appearance, features of morphology and physiology

The polar bear is the largest animal not only among bears, but among all predators. Among the males there are giants whose body length reaches 280 cm, height at the withers - 150 cm, and weight - 800 kg; females are smaller and lighter. The polar bear has an elongated body, narrow in the front and massive in the back, a long and flexible neck and a relatively small head, with a straight profile, a narrow forehead and small, high-set eyes. This animal has very strong paws with large claws. The bear's feet are wide, but the calluses are almost invisible under the thick, dense fur. This type of fur covers the entire body of the animal and has a uniform white color that does not change with the seasons.

But the skin of a polar bear is dark, almost black, which contributes to the least heat transfer. All year round, there is a thick 3–4 cm layer of fat under the skin; on the back part it can reach a thickness of 10 cm. Fat not only protects the animal from the cold and serves as an energy storehouse, but also makes its body lighter, making it easier to stay on the water.
The brain of this animal is noticeably different from the brain of other carnivores in its outline and more complex arrangement of grooves and convolutions. In this respect, it is similar to the brain of some pinnipeds, for example, fur seal. Greater development of the visual area of ​​the brain than that of the brown bear and less development of the olfactory area may indicate that the polar bear has better developed vision and a worse sense of smell than its brown counterpart.

The structure of the digestive tract is specific and different from other bears - the intestines are shorter, and the stomach is much larger than that of other members of the family, which allows a hungry predator to eat a whole seal at once.

An intellectual among bears, perfectly oriented in the space of water and ice

An intellectual among bears, perfectly oriented in the space of water and ice

An intellectual among bears, perfectly oriented in the space of water and ice

An intellectual among bears, perfectly oriented in the space of water and ice

An intellectual among bears, perfectly oriented in the space of water and ice

An intellectual among bears, perfectly oriented in the space of water and ice

Lifestyle and social organization

In the harsh conditions of the Arctic, there is no usual alternation of day and night. There is no pronounced daily activity of the animals inhabiting it. Not all white bears go into hibernation, which is widely known for brown bears. Winter sleep is typical only for female bears about to become mothers and elderly males, who are thus waiting out the most difficult time of the year. Strong, healthy males and non-pregnant females are active all year round, hiding out in dens freshly dug out in the snow only during a severe snowstorm.

Polar bears do not adhere to certain individual areas; they own the entire Arctic. Adult animals, as a rule, roam alone. Having caught a seal and been satisfied, the predator immediately falls asleep after a successful hunt, and, waking up, wanders on. Meeting with a brother can happen in different ways. Well-fed animals are most often neutral in relation to each other. Females with small cubs try to avoid the sight of large males, who, being hungry, hunt the cubs. If a meeting is unavoidable, the bear will desperately protect her babies.

An experienced male can take away the prey of a young one and even try to kill and eat him. At the same time, dozens of bears sometimes gather near the carcass of a whale thrown up by the sea, feeding a few meters from each other, without showing any aggression to their brothers.

Females with small cubs are extremely loyal to orphaned cubs: there are cases where females accepted and raised them together with their relatives.

Feeding and feeding behavior

The polar bear, unlike its omnivorous relatives, is a predator that actively hunts large animals. Its main victim is Arctic seals, primarily the ringed seal. When hunting a seal, the bear shows amazing ingenuity and resourcefulness: it can sneak up on its prey across the field, watch for leads, or get close to the reins. The bear is very patient - it can sneak up on its prey for several hours, as well as lie near the hole waiting for the animal to emerge to breathe. With a powerful blow of the front paw, the predator kills its prey and in one movement pulls it out from the ice. Most often, the bear confines itself to only the subcutaneous layer of fat, eating it along with the skin, which is pulled off by the victim’s stocking. The meat is eaten by arctic foxes and gulls, which often accompany him on his travels. However, a very hungry bear eats a seal's name, and can eat up to 20 kilograms at a time. There is a high probability that the next portion of food will enter his stomach only in a few days.

Sometimes the bear hunts the young of large marine mammals - walruses, beluga whales and narwhals. The real feast begins when the sea washes up the corpse of a whale. Several predators gather at once; there is enough food for everyone.

Being on dry land, bears feed on bird eggs and grab lemmings. In addition, in the summer on the mainland and islands they eat cloudberries, and in the tidal zone they eat algae such as kelp and fucus. After leaving the den, she-bears dig up snow and eat willow shoots and sedge mud.

Reproduction and raising of offspring

Mating of polar bears occurs in spring or summer. The animals can stay in pairs for about two weeks, but more often up to 3 or even 7 males gather around the female, and fights arise between them.

In October-November, when the ice fields are suitable for fires, the females go out to the rocky shores. Here, in their favorite places in deep snow drifts, they make dens. The entrance to the den is always lower than the nesting chamber, making the den much warmer than outside. Blizzards and winds complete the construction of the “house”, forming a strong roof over it, sometimes up to 2m thick. Here, after 230–250 days of gestation (including the latent stage characteristic of bears, when the egg does not develop), cubs emerge in the depths of the Arctic winter. Newborns are as helpless as other types of bears, and weigh about 700 g. The ability to see and hear appears in them only at the age of one month; after another month, the cubs start teething. At this time they begin to emerge from their burrows, but only at 3 months of age are they able to follow their mother. Young animals do not part with each other for a year and a half. Ikhotsy do not take any part in raising children; on the contrary, they pose a serious danger to them - cannibalism of white bears is not uncommon.

For the first time, a female gives birth to one cub at the age of five or six; subsequently, she will most likely give birth to two cubs once every three years.

Lifespan

In captivity, a polar bear can live more than 30 years, but in nature it is less.

Keeping animals at the Moscow Zoo

Throughout the existence of the zoo, there were only very short periods when we did not have polar bears. There is evidence that the first polar bear appeared in 1871. In 1884 Emperor Alexander donated two more polar bears to the zoo. They gave birth to cubs, but, unfortunately, due to concern from people, the mothers refused to feed them, and the first cubs born in captivity died. In subsequent years, the zoo received mostly cubs brought from polar stations. In 1938, the zoo kept 8 polar bears at a time. From them the offspring were obtained and raised. During the harsh war years, zoo enthusiasts made truly heroic efforts to preserve the animals, but some of them still died during the bombing. Early 1945 The zoo accepted another bear cub as a gift from the famous polar explorer Papanin.

Now there are three adult polar bears living in the zoo, only one of which was born in the zoo; the rest, left without parental care, were picked up and given to the zoo by winterers. Wrangel and Chukotka. They have been allocated two enclosures, the water of which, in addition to the obligatory swimming pool, has an installation from which summer days It's snowing. The installation is a gift from the Moscow government, and it has greatly brightened the lives of our furry pets. Bears love to rest near a snowdrift and hide leftover food in it, and children happily play in the snow.

The females each live in their own enclosure, the male moves, and is resettled only shortly before the time comes for the pregnant females to go into hibernation. During this time, expectant mothers try to disturb them as little as possible. The cubs are born in October-November, but zoo visitors can see them in the enclosures no earlier than February. They spend the first 3–4 months of their lives, as is expected of all cubs, in their own den. At the age of about one year, the cubs leave for other zoos.

The feeding of polar bears at the zoo is very varied. They prefer meat to everything else; they prefer large fish. Bears primarily choose a variety of vegetables and greens. green salad. They also eat various cereals.

Of course, life in a zoo is easier than in nature, but it is more boring. “Foreign” objects that you will see in the enclosures are bear toys. If you don't find the bears sleeping, you will very likely see them playing.

The polar bear (lat. Ursus maritimus) is a predatory mammal of the bear family. It is a typical inhabitant of the Arctic, only occasionally entering the continental tundra. The polar bear is the largest representative not only of the family, but also of the entire order of predators. Some males have a body up to 3 meters long and weigh more than 700 kilograms. Despite their enormous weight and apparent clumsiness, polar bears are fast and agile even on land, and in water they swim easily and far and dive freely.

The polar bear's body is elongated, narrow in the front and massive in the back, the neck is long and mobile, the head is relatively small, with a straightened profile, a narrow forehead and small, high-set eyes. The polar bear has very strong paws with large claws. The unusually thick, dense fur perfectly protects the bear’s body from cold and getting wet in icy water. This type of fur covers the entire body of the animal and has a uniform white color that does not change with the seasons. The skin of a polar bear is dark, almost black, which contributes to the least heat transfer. All year round, a thick - 3-4 cm - layer of fat lies under the skin; on the back of the body it can reach a thickness of 10 centimeters. Fat not only protects the animal from the cold and serves as an energy storehouse, but also makes its body lighter, allowing it to easily stay afloat.

Currently, there are three populations of polar bears: Kara-Barents Sea (Svalbard-Novaya Zemlya), Laptev and Chukchi-Alaskan.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

The polar bear is the largest species of the bear family (Ursidae). In its homeland, in the Arctic, it is, without a doubt, the “king of beasts”, which has practically no natural enemies. But what do we know about polar bears, except that they live in northern latitudes? This article will tell you in detail about the life and behavioral characteristics of polar predators and will help you understand what kind of rulers of the far north they really are?

Polar bears live in the ice of the circumpolar Arctic. There are about 20 populations, which hardly mix with each other and vary greatly in number - from 200 to several thousand individuals. The size of the entire world population is approximately 22-27 thousand animals.

The permanent residence of polar bears is coastal ice continents and islands, where the number of their main prey - ringed seals - is quite high. Some individuals live among less productive multi-year ice in the central Arctic region. From the south, their distribution is limited to the southern limit of the seasonal ice cover in the Bering and Barents Seas and in the Labrador Strait. In areas where the ice melts completely in the summer (Hudson Bay and southeast Baffin Island), animals spend several months on the shore, using up their fat reserves, until the water freezes.

Description and photo of a polar bear

The polar bear is the largest representative of the bear family. As an independent species, it was first described in 1774 by K. Phipps, receiving Latin name Ursus maritimus, which means "sea bear".

Polar bears evolved from brown bears during the late Pleistocene; the oldest find, 100 thousand years old, was discovered in Korolevskoe botanical garden London.

Body length of males is 2-2.5 m, females – 1.8-2 m; the weight of males is 400-600 kg (especially well-fed individuals can weigh a ton), females - 200-350 kg.

In the photo, a polar bear is jumping from an ice floe. Despite their massive body, these animals are surprisingly agile. If necessary, they can swim for several hours, and on land they can cover up to 20 km in a day, although sometimes this leads to overheating.

The structural features are associated with living conditions in a harsh climate. The body of the polar predator is stocky; They do not have the raised withers characteristic of brown bears. Compared to other species, the Arctic's head is narrower and longer, with a flat forehead and a long neck. The animal's ears are small and rounded.

Thanks to their thick fur and thick layer of fat, polar predators feel quite comfortable at temperatures of -50°C. Their wool is naturally white; it serves as an ideal camouflage for the beast. However, the fur often takes on a yellowish tint due to pollution and fat oxidation, especially in summer. It is interesting that while the coat is white, the animal’s skin is dark. This feature serves as a natural accumulator for animals of solar energy, which, as is known, is in great short supply in their habitats.

Large front paws, reminiscent of oars, are an excellent device for swimming, in addition, there are swimming membranes between the toes. When swimming, the hind legs play the role of a kind of rudder. Wide feet increase the supporting surface when moving on snow.

Interesting fact: despite the fact that polar and brown bears are very different in appearance, they are close relatives and can interbreed in captivity. A hybrid of such a cross is called a grolar or pizzly.

Polar bear lifestyle

Polar bears lead a predominantly solitary lifestyle; They stay in pairs only during the rutting season. There are cases of their accumulation, sometimes up to several dozen individuals, in places where there is enough a large number of food is quite rare. Groups of polar predators are quite tolerant of each other’s company even when feeding on large prey, such as a dead whale. However, ritual battles or games are not uncommon, but each animal does not forget about its hierarchical status.

Animals lead a predominantly nomadic lifestyle, with the exception of the time spent in dens. Dens are primarily used by females to give birth and raise their young. It is also a refuge for winter sleep, but animals hibernate for a short time and not every year.

How are dens arranged?

Dens of breeding females can be divided into generic and temporary. At birth, female bears give birth to offspring. Their stay in such dens averages 6 months. A temporary den serves breeding females for a short time - from 1 day to 2-3 weeks, and in isolated cases up to 1 month or more.

The birth den consists of one or more chambers. The length of the chamber is on average from 100 to 500 cm, width - from 70 to 400 cm, height - from 30 to 190 cm, the length of the corridor varies from 15 to 820 cm. The entrance hole is often poorly visible from a distance of several meters.

Temporary dens differ from ancestral dens in structure. They are usually of a fairly simple structure: with one chamber and a short (up to 1.5-2 m) corridor, as a rule, with completely “fresh” walls and vault, and a slightly icy floor.

Depressions, pits and trenches without a vault and a clearly defined entrance are sometimes referred to as temporary dens, but it would be more correct to call them shelters. Such shelters usually serve polar bears for a short time - from several hours to several days. They provide the animal with minimal comfort, for example, shelter during bad weather.

In particularly severe weather conditions (blizzard, frost), bears, in order to save energy, can lie down in temporary shelters for several weeks. The northern predator has one interesting physiological feature: While other bears can only hibernate in winter, our hero can enter a hibernation-like state at any time.

What does the lord of the north eat?

Ringed seal (ringed seal) in the diet of polar bears is food No. 1, in to a lesser extent their prey becomes a sea hare (the animal catches it when it comes up to breathe). The animals hunt for seals by waiting for them near “breeding holes”, as well as at their breeding sites on ice floes, where inexperienced pups become easy prey for predators. The bear sneaks up on the victim unnoticed, then makes a sharp throw and plunges into the water. To expand the small “vents”, the animal breaks the ice with its front paws, using its impressive mass. Submerging the front part of his body into the water, he powerful jaws grabs the victim and drags him onto the ice. Bears can find the location of a seal's hole through a meter-long layer of densely packed snow; they go to her with kilometer distance, guided solely by smell. Their sense of smell is one of the most acute among all mammals. They also hunt walruses, beluga whales, narwhals, and waterfowl.

For the nutrition of hungry polar predators, emissions from the sea are essential: the corpses of dead animals, the waste of sea animals. A large number of bears usually accumulate near the carcass of a beached whale (photo).

The polar bear, being a typical carnivore, nevertheless, being hungry and not being able to hunt its main prey - seals, can easily switch to other foods, including plants (berries, seaweed, herbaceous plants, mosses and lichens, branches of bushes). This, apparently, should be regarded as an evolutionary adaptation of the species to harsh environmental conditions.

In one sitting, the animal is capable of eating a very large amount of food, and then, if there is no prey, starve for a long time.

IN modern conditions Increased technogenic impact on ecosystems may lead to a deterioration in the food supply of the polar bear, forcing it to increasingly switch to secondary food and visit landfills in populated areas, destroy warehouses, etc.

Eternal nomads

Constantly changing ice conditions force northern bears to regularly change their habitats, looking for areas where seals are more numerous and among the ice fields there are open or covered with young ice leads, channels and cracks, which make it easier for them to catch prey. Such areas are very often confined to the french zone, and it is no coincidence that many animals concentrate here in winter. But from time to time, the french zone is completely closed due to pressure winds, and then the bears have to migrate again to other areas in search of more favorable places for hunting. Fixed ice remains stable, and then only for the period of winter and early spring, but it is not everywhere suitable for the existence of seals, and therefore, polar bears.

In search of more suitable places for hunting, animals sometimes travel hundreds of kilometers. Therefore, their habitat varies significantly even within one season, not to mention interseasonal and annual differences. In the absence of territorialism in the polar bear, individual individuals or family groups master relatively small area. But as soon as conditions begin to change dramatically, animals leave such areas and migrate to other areas.

Continuation of the family line

The mating season occurs in April-May. At this time, there is quite an intense struggle between males for females.

Females are characterized by induced ovulation (they must mate many times over several days before ovulation and fertilization occurs), and therefore pairs remain together for 1-2 weeks to successfully reproduce. In addition, polar bears are characterized by a delay in implantation until mid-September-October, depending on the latitude at which the animals live. After 2-3 months, cubs are born in most areas. This happens in a snowy den. Babies are born weighing about 600 grams. At birth, their fur is so thin that they appear to be hairless. Until 7-8 months of age, the basis of nutrition for cubs is mother's milk. The milk is very fat – 28-30%, but it seems to be separated in small quantities.

Sometimes a she-bear leaves a den that has become “dysfunctional” when the cubs are still weak. They move with difficulty and require constant care. If such a family is disturbed at this time, the female, saving the cubs, carries them away in her teeth.

When the cubs reach a weight of 10-12 kg, they begin to accompany their mother everywhere. They freely follow her along steep slopes, often starting games during walks. Sometimes the games end in a fight, with the cubs roaring loudly.

Some female bears who go for a walk do some kind of gymnastics in the snow. They clean themselves on the snow, rub their snouts against it, lie on their stomachs and crawl, pushing off with their hind legs, slide down the slope in different poses: on their backs, sides or stomachs. For adult bears, these are apparently hygienic procedures aimed at keeping their fur clean. In cubs imitating their mother, this behavior also has a playful overtone.

The mother bear's training of the younger generation probably lasts as long as the family group remains. Imitation of the mother is already evident when the babies are in the den, for example, digging activity. They also sometimes imitate her when eating plants.

Having finally left the den, the family goes to the sea. On the way, the female often stops to feed the cubs, sometimes she feeds herself, digging out plants from under the snow. If the weather is windy, she lies with her back to the wind; if the snow is deep enough, it digs a small hole or temporary den. Then the families go into the ice. In the first half of May, sometimes females and cubs are still seen on land, but probably from among those who, for some reason, left their den with a delay.

Females can reproduce once every 3 years, since the cubs are with her for up to 2.5 years. Females become mothers for the first time, usually at the age of 4-5 years, and then give birth every 3 years until death. Most often, 2 bear cubs are born. The largest litters and the largest cubs are found in females aged 8-10 years. Young and old female bears more often give birth to 1 cub. There is evidence that adult females in natural conditions can exchange cubs or adopt cubs that have lost their mother for some reason.

The lifespan of female polar bears is 25-30 years, males - up to 20 years.

Diseases, enemies and competitors

A dangerous intestinal-muscular invasive disease such as trichinosis is widespread among polar bears. They have other diseases very rarely.

Much more often they suffer from various injuries, including those inflicted in a fight with each other for the possession of a female or food. But they do not have serious consequences for the population.

A polar bear's competitor can only be a person who hunts seals for their skin, fur and meat, upsetting the natural balance between predator and prey.

The wolf and arctic fox have a minor impact on the population, attacking and killing bear cubs.

Polar bears and humans

Thanks to measures to protect polar predators, the risk of their extinction is low. They were previously considered a vulnerable species, but after the 1973 Polar Bear Conservation Agreement came into force, the population size stabilized.

Provided that the hunting of northern bears is controlled, they are not in danger of being destroyed. However, there are concerns that their numbers may decline due to low reproduction rates. They are shot mainly by the local population, whose representatives kill about 700 individuals per year. But the main danger for our heroes is climate warming and environmental pollution.

In the Arctic regions, due to population growth, the likelihood of a polar predator colliding with humans has potentially increased. As a result, a conflict situation is created that is dangerous for both parties. Polar bears, however, cannot be considered aggressive towards people, but there are exceptions. Most animals retreat when they meet a person, others do not pay attention to him. But there are also those who chase a person, especially if he runs away. Most likely, at this moment the animal’s instinct of pursuit is triggered. Therefore, to claim that the polar bear is a completely harmless animal would be a dangerous misconception. The real threat is posed by exhausted individuals. First of all, these are old animals that have lost the ability to successfully hunt for their usual food, as well as young ones that have not yet adequately mastered hunting techniques. Females protecting their cubs also pose a considerable danger. The polar bear can also become aggressive if it unexpectedly encounters a person or if it is being chased.

In contact with

Security status: Vulnerable.
Included in the Red Book of Russia and the Red Book
International Union nature conservation.

The polar bear is also called the “Sea Bear”, due to its constant presence near the coast, as well as its strength and ability to swim well. They have a thick layer of fat and a water-repellent layer that keeps out icy air and cold water. These bears are considered talented and hardy swimmers, as they can maintain a pace of about 10 km/h for a long time. However, this type of bear is in a vulnerable position, and this is due to global warming, which has a detrimental effect on the habitat - simply destroying it.

Description

Adult polar bears usually reach about 2 meters in length and weigh half a ton. Females are much lighter than males, which are almost twice their size. Polar bears are one of the few large mammals, living in such unfavorable conditions, have adapted well to life on ice. They have thick and dense fur, consisting of warm undercoat. The skin of a polar bear is black, and the hairs have the shape of transparent hollow tubes, the main purpose of which is considered to be absorption. sunlight and heat preservation. Thanks to the black color of the skin, maximum absorption of the sun's rays occurs. The color can be white, yellow or green. The green color can develop in hot climates when algae grows inside the coat. The polar bear's body is strong and muscular, with wide front legs that help in swimming. There is fur on the soles of the paws, which not only keeps the feet warm, but also reduces the sliding force while moving on ice. Compared to other types of bears, the white one has a very Long neck, allowing you to keep your head on the surface of the water while swimming. Also distinctive features Compared to other bears, they have more elongated muzzles and small ears.

Area

Polar bears live on the icy shores surrounding North Pole all the way south of Hudson Bay. About 60% of representatives of this species can be found in the northern part of Canada, and the rest - in Greenland, Alaska, Spitsbergen and Russia, where, as a rule, there are relatively short distances to the ocean. The polar bear population has declined rapidly due to the biggest threat to this huge predator - global warming, which has disrupted its natural habitat. Although polar bears are accustomed to seasonal changes, it is very difficult for them to survive global warming, because summer time The ice begins to melt earlier than usual, and every year this process begins earlier, so bears have less time to hunt on the ice. The total polar bear population is divided into 19 units or subpopulations. Of these, 8 are in decline and the risk of even greater decline in the future due to habitat changes is highly assessed.

Hunting

The polar bear is a solitary animal that can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h on land and about 10 km/h in water. required ability makes it one of the best predators. It hunts on ice and in water, and is known to swim long distances in the open ocean for food. To catch its prey, a polar bear dives underwater, leaving its eyes open and can hold its breath for about two minutes. On land, they hunt using two main methods: either sneaking up and then attacking, or waiting for prey to appear near the breathing ring in the ice for many hours. Polar bears spend more than 50% of their time hunting, but about two percent of these hunts can be considered successful.

Nutrition

Polar bears are considered the largest carnivorous mammal and must hunt regularly to ensure they are well fed and maintain an insulating layer of body fat that keeps their body warm. Skin and subcutaneous fat ringed seals forms the bulk of the diet, but they often leave behind the remaining meat, which is important source food for other animals such as . The diet largely consists of ringed seals (seals) and bearded seals (sea hares). Although fat deposits are very important for a bear, polar bears can also feed on birds, berries, fish, deer (especially in summer months), as well as walruses and even whales. Carcasses from large marine mammals are a regular source of food for polar bears. As is known, bears of this species can tear open underground burrows of seals and hunt their cubs. Eating seals is considered vital to the polar bear's survival as it can provide the predator with a high amount of energy. They have a layer of fat up to 10 centimeters. During the short Arctic summer, polar bears are forced to travel further north as the ice recedes and adequate nutrition disappears.

Reproduction

Mating usually occurs in the spring months (April, May). The gestation period lasts about 9 months, at the end of which the female gives birth to 1 to 4 cubs. The offspring are born in dens dug by the female in the snow or soil, the temperature in which is 40 degrees higher than outside. The cubs are born without fur, blind and weighing just over half a kilogram. Females stay with the babies until the severe winter frosts stop in the spring. Although babies begin to feed from 5 months of age, the period of breastfeeding lasts until they reach 2-3 years of age. As is known, cubs can engage in playful fights among themselves, which include wrestling and hunting, along with baring their teeth and even biting each other, while causing absolutely no harm. These games are essential for little cubs as they learn to fight and defend themselves, which will come in handy once they leave their mother and become fully independent.

Threats

Surviving and protecting the polar bear's habitat is topical issues to date. Due to the fact that the polar bear is a strong and ferocious predator, there are no animals that hunt them in. As a rule, conflicts arise between representatives of the stronger sex, fiercely protecting their females and cubs. Today, humans are the greatest threat to the bear population.

Polar bear numbers suffered significant declines due to constant hunting from the 1600s until the mid-1970s. Thanks to international hunting bans, the population gradually began to increase. Along with receding ice, which is critical to the polar bear's survival, caused by climate change, gas and oil drilling, increased shipping traffic and industrial emissions are also causing detrimental impacts. chemical substances that pollute water. The polar bear has a relatively low reproduction rate, which means not only a rapid decline in the population, but also not a fast enough growth to maintain the number at required level. Some experts say the polar bear may become extinct in wildlife in the next 30 years.