Polar Bear

Ursus eogroenlandicus
Ursus groenlandicus
Ursus jenaensis
Ursus labradorensis
Ursus marinus
Ursus polaris
Ursus spitzbergensis
Ursus ungavensis
Thalarctos maritimus

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a bear native to the Arctic. It is the world's largest land carnivore, with most adult males weighing 300-600 kg (660-1320 lbs); adult females are about half the size of males. Its fur is hollow and translucent but usually appears as white or cream coloured, thus providing the animal with effective camouflage, however its skin is actually black in color. Its thick blubber and fur insulate it against the cold. The bear has a short tail and small ears that help reduce heat loss, as well as a relatively small head and long, tapered body to streamline it for swimming.

A semi-aquatic marine mammal, the polar bear has adapted for life on a combination of land, sea, and ice, and is the apex predator within its range. It feeds mainly on seals, young walruses, and whales, although it will eat anything it can kill. It is the bear species most likely to prey on humans.

The polar bear is a vulnerable species. Some scientists and climatologists believe that the projected decreases in the polar sea ice due to global warming will have a significant negative impact on of this species within this century. Despite these predictions, the actual data shows that as the earth has warmed, the total global population of polar bears has gotten bigger, not smaller. In 2005, Mitch Taylor, a Canadian authority on polar bears, stated, "We’re seeing an increase in bears that’s really unprecedented, and in places where we’re seeing a decrease in the population it’s from hunting, not from climate change." In a 2007 article, H. Sterling Burnett wrote, "Since the 1970s, while much of the world was warming, polar bear numbers increased dramatically, from roughly 5,000 to 25,000 bears."