Polar Bear

The scientific name of the polar bear is Ursus maritimus, which means sea bear.

 The polar bear is considered threatened. Some of the causes of the polar bear being threatened are hunting, pollution, and environmental changes.  Polar bear populations have suffered from various forms of hunting, and even though the practice is now prohibited, polar bears are slow reproducers and their populations are still listed as decreasing. Pollution has a significant impact on polar bears because they have a specialized diet. Polar bears are a specialized species adapted to their specific environment so any environmental change has a dramatic effect on the population. Scientists say that even minor changes in their habitat will have far reaching negative effects and that mainly the polar bear is threatened because of melting and shrinking ice pack

Photo credit : http://nelsonndhs.org/Per2_Fall_2010/Arctic%20Animals/polar_bears.html

 

Polar bears live in the arctic territories of North America. They are found in Canada, Russia, Norway, Denmark, and in Alaska in the United States. 

Interesting facts about polar bears:

Only humans prey on polar bears.

Polar bears primarily eat seals.

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

Adult females often weigh between 500 and 600 pounds, and adult males can weigh between 720 and 1700 pounds.

Polar bears are the largest of all bears

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_Bear Wikipeida. Retrieved April 30, 2013.

http://www.bearlife.org/polar-bears.html Bear Life. org. Retrieved April 30, 2013

SAVE THE POLAR BEARS! 

Why should we save the polar bears? Polar bears are beautiful animals that serve an important part of the ecosystems in which they live. 

Photo credit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11986236 BBC News. Retrieved April 30th 2013.

If polar bears were to become extinct, human food supply and commercial fishing could be affected. No species including humans, lives without depending on others. 

Photo credit: http://www.prlog.org/11394087-death-of-knut-the-polar-bear-re-opens-zoo-debate.html. PRLog. Retrieved April 30th 2013.

If polar bears cannot adapt to changing climates, they might face almost total extinction by the end of the 21st century, with about 66% of them disappearing by 2050.

Photo credit: http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Mammals/Polar-Bear.aspx. National Wildlife Federation. Retrieved April 30th 2013.

 Photo credit: http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/media/images/polar-bear-waiting-ice. Polar Bears International. Retrieved April 30th 2013.

Polar bears provide diversity and beauty to the planet. As a unique species, they can never be replaced once extinct.

 Photo credit: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/polar_bear/. The Daily Galaxy. Retrieved April 30th 2013.