Polar Bears
Know that wild polar bears live in the Arctic, not Antarctica. Their thick fur looks white, and fat under their skin helps keep them warm. They swim well and often hunt seals by waiting at breathing holes in sea ice.
What a learner can do afterwards
- State that wild polar bears live in the Arctic, not Antarctica
- Describe two features that help polar bears retain warmth: thick fur and fat under the skin called blubber
- Explain how polar bears hunt seals by waiting at breathing holes in the sea ice
1 · Read
You have learned about the Arctic and Antarctica. Wild polar bears live in the Arctic, not Antarctica. Polar bears can swim well.
Thick fur covers a polar bear's body and helps keep it warm. The fur looks white, but the skin is black. A layer of fat under the skin is called blubber. Blubber helps hold in body heat too.
A seal swims under sea ice. It can come to a breathing hole for air. A polar bear may wait quietly beside that hole. If the seal surfaces there, the bear tries to catch it.
Seals breathe air. Under sea ice, they use holes or other openings to reach air. A waiting bear may catch a seal that surfaces nearby. But seals can use different openings. A bear waiting at one hole does not catch a seal every time.
Wild polar bears live in the Arctic. Fur and blubber help keep them warm. Waiting at an ice hole can help them hunt seals.
Reading written for this dataset about polar bears and seals at breathing holes.
More to read
Waiting on sea ice
A seal beneath sea ice needs a way to reach air. It may surface through a breathing hole. A polar bear can wait nearby and try to catch it. The seal might use another opening, so waiting does not bring a catch every time.
Wild polar bears live in the Arctic. They can swim well. Their thick fur and the fat under their skin help them keep warm. That fat is called blubber. Their fur looks white, while their skin is black.
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