Quick Bite: Polar Bear Adaptations

Polar bears have unique features and characteristics that make them well adapted to the harsh north polar environment. For each characteristic below, write down a sentence or two explaining what purpose you think it serves for a polar bear in the Arctic (photo credit: Lianna Nixon, CIRES/CU Boulder):

• Under their fur, polar bears have black skin and a thick layer of fat.
• Polar bears have very large paws, the pads of which are covered in little soft bumps.
• When the Arctic sea ice extent retreats in the summer, polar bears follow the ice.

Learn how these characteristics of polar bears make them well adapted to the Arctic