Polar bear

Polar bears live in the Arctic. It have black skin and although their fur appears white, it is actually transparent. It is the largest carnivore (meat eater) that lives on land. Polar bears use sea ice as a platform to hunt seals. Seals make up most of a polar bears diet. Male polar bears can weigh up to 680 kg (1500 lb). Female polar bears usually only weigh about half as much as males. Polar bears spend most of their time at sea. Scientists estimate that there are around 20000 polar bears. Polar bears have 42 teeth. The scientific name for the polar bear is ‘ursus maritimus’. Polar bears keep warm thanks to nearly 10 cm of blubber under the skin. Polar bears have an excellent sense of smell, with the ability to detect seals nearly a mile away (1.6 km). Polar bears can reach speeds up to 40 kph (25 mph) on land and 10 kph (6 mph) in water. The polar bear was the mascot for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada.