Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
Fab fact
RELATED INFORMATION
Common name
Species name
Ursus maritimus
ARKive fact
Polar bears show some amazing adaptations to their Arctic life and are able to detect prey that are almost a kilometre away and up to a metre under the compacted snow using their heightened sense of smell.
Conservation status
Vulnerable
Distribution
Found throughout the circumpolar Arctic on ice-covered waters, from Canada to Norway, parts of the US, the former USSR and Greenland (Denmark).
Habitat
The preferred habitat is the annual ice near the coastlines of continents and islands, where there are large numbers of ringed seals, on which these bears feed.
To view more media and information on this species visit www.arkive.org
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