Feature:
5 Fascinating Facts About Polar Bears
“...1. They’re the largest predator in North America.
With male polar bears growing up to 11 feet tall & over 1500 pounds, the polar bear is currently the largest land predator in North America. What makes this fact even more amazing is the rodent-like size of a newborn polar bear, typically weighing around one pound... a polar bear can double the size of a man in one year if they have ample food sources & a safe growing environment.
2. Their coats provide 3 types of insulation.
Polar bears are not actually white. Instead, their coats are transparent &...designed to reflect light. This helps the mammal camouflage & contain heat...beneath their bright coats, their skin is black. This pigmentation attracts & traps much-needed heat. When combined with the 4 inch layer of blubber underneath their dark skin, polar bears have a 3 step heating system that allows them to experience almost no heat loss...
A polar bear liver is...designed to consume an extremely high fat diet from the bear’s main food source—seals... Because a seal’s blubber contains a large store of vitamin A, so does the polar bear’s liver, which contains roughly 10 times more vitamin A than any other mammal on earth. The average polar bear needs about 75 seals per year to survive, & each bear can consume up to 100 pounds of food per feeding!
4. They could offer the answer to heart disease.
Because polar bears consume such an outrageous amount of fat & can lose & gain dramatic amounts of weight without any negative health repercussions, scientists are studying what they call the bear’s “heart attack diet” to see if they can find a cure for heart disease.
5. They have only one predator.
...the polar bear has only one natural predator: man. Despite this, their numbers are declining &... they are considered ‘vulnerable.’..."
Zoe Eisenberg
Feb. 26/2016
care2.com
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