Essay On Polar Bears

This picture below exemplifies how the polar bears do this acti... ... middle of paper ... ... (2009). Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) Life History and Population Dynamics in a Changing Climate. Arctic, 62(4), 491-494. Rode, K. D., Regehr, E. V., Douglas, D. C., Durner, G., Derocher, A. E., Thiemann, G. W., & Budge, S. M. (2014). Variation in the response of an arctic top predator experiencing habitat loss: Feeding and reproductive ecology of two polar bear populations.

Polar Bear Evolution is a Continuing Story The polar bear, the largest land carnivore in North America, one of the largest animals in the world and a favorite at zoos worldwide, has, over the years, adapted to its harsh Arctic environment. The appropriately named ‘ursus maritimum’ or sea bear usually lives between 15 and 18 years in the wild and spends most of its life on ice. It is the most recent of the eight bear species. The first polar bear was a brown bear subspecies, with brown bear dimensions and brown bear teeth. The polar bear evolution was rapid due to the small population and extreme pressure to survive.

Polar bears are big, white bears (sometimes darker fur) that live in very cold regions like around the artic poles. There are 21,000 to 28,000 Polar bears alive that are known. Polar bears swim in water and are carnivores, they eat fish . Polar bears feed mainly on ringed seals and bearded seals. Depending upon their location, they also eat harp and hooded seals and eat carcasses of beluga whales, walruses, narwhals, and Bowhead whales.

The animals that occupy the artic regions have learned to survive the furry of Mother Nature, but still must compete for survival with the top predator of the artic, the polar bear. Polar bears inhabit the circumpolar arctic regions. They live near their primary food source in the ice packs of the artic. The bears inhabit the circumpolar North, which would consist of Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and other regions in the artic. The temperatures range between -40°F to -50°F in the winters and summer temperatures stay around -29°F.

Habitat Polar bears prefer to live in extremely cold artic climates. They live only in the Northern Hemisphere, on the arctic ice cap, and they spend most of their time on coastal areas. Polar bears are widely spread in Canada, extending from the northern arctic islands south to the Hudson Bay area. They are also found in Greenland, on islands off the shore of Norway, on the northern coast of the former Soviet Union, and on the northern and northwestern coasts of Alaska in the United States. Physical Features The polar bear is one the largest members of the bear family.

Polar Bears “Saving the White Beast” The Polar Bear males can measure up to nine feet long, and can weigh 770-1430 lbs. The fur of the Polar Bear covers their entire body except their nose and pads of their feet. The Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) is the largest living carnivore on the planet earth. (National Parks Service). The polar bear lives in a small place on the top of the globe called the Arctic Circle.

And so is the polar bear’s fate (Nature). Polar Bears are very different from other bears. Polar bears are very large bears compared to Black bears. Polar bears weigh anywhere between 330-1700lbs and Black bears weigh anywhere between 150-600lbs. They have strong legs with large, flattened feet with some webbing between their toes that help with walking on ice and swimming.

1914 began the official war of the wolves. This year Congress officially approves funds for the eradication of wolves, cougars, and other destructive animals. Wolves were declared destructive to agricultural and big game interests and formally hunted. Nearly a century later, in 1995, wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and Idaho's Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness(Phillips, 1996, p.20). The reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park did not end the debate of whether wolves should stay or go.

Ursus Arctos is the scientific name for the brown bear of North America. Appearance The Grizzly... ... middle of paper ... ...naturescience/bearrecovery.htm -yellowstone pops (good introduction) 8. http://www.bearbiology.com/fileadmin/tpl/Downloads/URSUS/Vol_9/Banci_Demarchi_Archibald_Vol_9.pdf - population and good map of north America 9. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/grzzlybear.pdf -Population Location 10. http://animals.pawnation.com/many-grizzly-bears-there-america-1733.html - what states found in 11. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/bears-of-the-last-frontier/hour-one-city-of-bears/brown-bear-fact-sheet/6522/ - range in America 12. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/grzzlybear.pdf - Alaska population and Canadian population 13. http://www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/grizzlyup.htm - GYA population numbers 14. http://visityellowstonenationalparkyall.weebly.com/ - biome habitat 15. http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/grizzly/ - conservation/protection

What is the first marine mammal added to the endangered species list attributed primarily to climate change? As climate change melts the ice, it is projected that two thirds of polar bears will disappear by 2050. This drastic decline in the polar bear is occurring in our lifetime, which is but a miniscule fraction of the time polar bears have explored the vast Arctic seas (National Wildlife Federation, 2014). Unfortunately, that is the polar bear (Defenders of Wildlife, 2013). The climate change endangers the species, so much so that the animals have become one of the icons that conservationists use to illustrate the threat posed by climate change (The Huffington Post, 2014).