Polar bear
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Polar bear
Mammal
A massive, powerful marine mammal perfectly adapted to the freezing conditions of the Arctic sea ice.
💡 Fun Facts
- They have black skin under their white fur to absorb heat from the sun.
- They are classified as marine mammals because they spend most of their time on sea ice.
- They have a thick layer of blubber up to 10cm thick to stay warm.
Name Story
Ursus maritimus
means “the sea bear”
What does its name mean?
- Ursus — bearLatin
- maritimus — of the seaLatin mare 'sea'
- polar — of the (North) PoleEnglish, from Latin polaris
We call it the 'polar' bear, but its scientific name calls it the 'sea bear' — and that is the truer picture, for it is the one bear that lives as a creature of the ocean, swimming huge distances and hunting seals across the floating sea ice.