Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are a species of large carnivores, which is necessary for the development of adaptations that allow them to live in extreme temperature conditions. They are the largest bears in the ursid group. Due to their ability to spend much of their time on sea ice and to swim when they need to, they are commonly referred to as marine mammals.
Currently, polar bears are a species considered vulnerable due to the effects of climate change caused by humans, in addition to a series of direct impacts on their natural environment. In this article on our site we explain where polar bears live
Do polar bears live at the North or South Pole?
Polar bears live exclusively in the North Pole, specifically, their distribution range is located in the following countries:
- Canada (Manitoba, Newfoundland, Labrador, Nunavut, Quebec, Yukon, and Ontario).
- Greenland.
- Denmark.
- Norway.
- Russian Federation.
- United States (Alaska).
- Iceland (although only the isolated presence of some individuals is confirmed).
The group of specialists of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers that the population of polar bears is subdivided into 19 groups or subpopulations that are distributed throughout the aforementioned areas. Genetic flow occurs between them and, although somewhat limited, demographic exchange also occurs.
The status of the subpopulations has been summarized as follows: one has increased, six are stable, three have decreased and in the case of the remaining nine there is not enough data to make an estimate.
What temperature can polar bears live at?
Polar bears have adaptations to live in extreme temperature conditions, which are the ones that prevail in the arctic zone where they develop. In this sense, although polar bears also travel on land, which is where they breed, they spend much of their time on the ocean covered with ice and in areas where the ice cap has melted, entering the water without any difficulty.
Arctic ocean temperatures range from - 50 oC in winter to 0oC in summer, so polar bears are able to withstand these low temperatures. On the other hand, temperatures on the continental shelf can rise considerably.
How do polar bears resist the cold?
Unlike the rest of their relatives, polar bears are equipped with a series of adaptations to withstand the cold and be able to swim in icy waters when the ice cover decreases. To do this they have a thick fur, which gives them the first protection. In addition, under the skin, which is black, they have a thick layer of fat that they accumulate thanks to their carnivorous diet and that is vital to withstand climatic conditions of its habitat. Read our article for more information on how polar bears survive the cold.
Polar Bear Habitat
Polar bears inhabit the entire circumpolar region of the Arctic, but their numbers are increasing towards waters covered by an ice cap of shallower and associated with the continental shelf, since in these places the availability of prey to feed tends to increase, due to the interaction between the ice sheets and liquid water.
In the summer time it is also possible that they are distributed through open waters and archipelagos formed by isolated sheets of ice. In addition, they can be found on dry land in high densities. Therefore, the habitat of polar bears is mainly constituted by:
- Frozen waters of the Arctic.
- Seasonal Open Water in the summer.
- Mainland regions where females build their burrows in order to have their young and wait for them to develop enough to exit them.
Be aware that polar bears can be stranded on dry land when the ice sheets melt in the summer. In this case, they are forced to travel to other areas in search of food, since in order to hunt the seals, which are their main source of food, they need the ice sheet from which they are captured to be present. In this article we explain more about the diet of the polar bear.
Being on dry land, they can travel to the arctic tundra, an ecosystem whose ground is frozen for much of the year. On the other hand, it is also common for them to reach human settlement areas, since, being hungry, they are attracted by the waste that accumulates in these places.
Why the polar bear is in danger of extinction
Polar bears, as we have mentioned, are considered vulnerable by the IUCN due to the impacts that the Arctic area is currently suffering from the effects of climate changeThese animals are increasingly threatened because the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the global average [1] Accelerating melting of this type of ecosystem brings serious environmental consequences at a planetary level and, of course, for these ursids.
In addition, these animals are susceptible to human contamination and to the negative impact generated by their actions in areas they access when they are In mainland. In other words, human waste has also become a serious problem for polar bears.
Read our article if you want to know more about the danger of extinction of the polar bear and what you can do to avoid it.
