Polar Bear - The Largest Carnivorous Animal On Land / Documentary (English/HD)

The Polar Bear is the largest terrestrial carnivore on earth! It is popular for its humongous size, weight, hunting skills, majestic walking style, and method of attacking prey. These same traits differentiate this incredible animal from other species of bears and mammals in general.

While the polar bear evolved white fur in order to blend in seamlessly with surrounding snow, it however has black skin underneath the fur and this helps it to absorb the warming rays of the sun much better. Also, beneath the skin is a thick layer of fat that helps insulate this mammal from the harsh weather conditions of its bitingly freezing habitat. By the way, did you know that the Arctic people learned two skills from the polar bear? We’ll get to that later in this video, but first, let’s discuss its size and weight.

For an animal which holds the record title of being the largest ground dwelling carnivore, it certainly must weigh a good deal! Polar bears showcase ‘sexual dimorphism’ as male polar bears could be twice the size of females. While males would often measure 8-11 feet/2.4-3.3 meters in length, females measure 6-8 feet/1.8-2.4 meters in length. This is except for the tail which could measure between 3 and 5 inches/8-13 centimeters in length.

When it comes to weight, females weigh between 330-650 pounds/150-295 kg while males weigh between 550-1700 pounds/250-770 kg. However, most males don’t surpass about 1200 pounds/550 kg in weight. In terms of height, a polar bear measures up to 5 feet/1.5 meters at shoulder level. Now imagine how tall it would be if it stands on its hind legs!

Polar bears prefer places where there is plenty of ice, snow and water, living in some of the coldest regions on earth. Their range is limited to just five countries apart from the Arctic. They can be found in countries such as Greenland (Denmark), Russia, Norway, Canada and the United States. In Norway, it can be found in the Svalbard archipelago; in the United States of America it is found only in Alaska. In Canada however, it has a wider home range than any other country.

There, it can be found in provinces and territories such as Quebec, Newfoundland, Ontario, Labrador, Nunavut, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, and especially Manitoba which is jocularly referred as the “polar bear capital of the world”. It is estimated that Canada alone is home to about 60% of the world’s total population of polar bears. The Polar has been in existence for at least 150,000 years when it evolved from Brown Bears.

Before we consider what Polar Bears eat, let us quickly examine how long polar bears live and what factors influence the length of their lifespan. A polar bear lives much longer in captivity than in the wild. Wild male polar bears have shorter lifespan than females. Wild polar bears live 18 to 20 years on the average. Few are those which make it to be 25 years old! However, a polar bear in captivity lives 30-35 years old. While the oldest ever wild polar bear lived to be just 32, the oldest polar bear in captivity died in 1991 living to be 43 years old!

Not much is known about what causes the mortality rate of wild polar bears. Researchers have however, suggested that age and starving might be the major factors responsible. The older they get, the more difficult it becomes for them to hunt successfully. This leads to older wild polar bears starving. Male Polar Bears might have a higher mortality rate because of the possible fatal injuries they may have sustained during fight over females during the mating season. All these however, are scientific guesses as the cause of their mortality remains a mystery. Within the years they get to live, what do they eat?

As stated earlier in this video, Polar Bears are carnivores. Polar Bears eat a variety of animals, but their favorite prey is the Ringed Seal. Apart from Ringed Seals, they eat other species of seals such as Bearded Seals and even Harbor, Harp, and Hooded Seals whenever these come around. Large adults also hunt and eat Walruses and even young Beluga Whales. If live prey is not available, Polar Bears wouldn’t refuse the opportunity of devouring the carcass of Beluga Whales, Narwhals, and Bowhead Whales. Polar bears also hunt reindeer, seabirds, rodents, water fowls, eggs, fish, berries, vegetation such as kelp, and human garbage when really starving.

They prefer seals because these are rich in the much-needed fat and insulin which help keep cold at bay. Essentially, polar bears are able to absorb up to 84% of protein and 97% of the fat contained in what it eats. All bears need 2 kilograms/4.4 pounds of fat every day in order to produce the energy needed for each day. A quick fact: Did you know that hibernating bears do not hunt?

Narrator: Larry G. Jones

Видео Polar Bear - The Largest Carnivorous Animal On Land / Documentary (English/HD) канала Jinzo X