Polar Bear Adaptations

Thick Padding of Fat. In addition to 2 layers of fur, a thick layer of fat helps keep the bears warm. A polar bear's body fat can measure up .... Polar Bear Adaptations. Polar bears live across the arctic in some of the coldest places on the planet. They walk across the arctic sea ice looking for .... Thick fur on the paws (anatomical) - to insulate them from snow and ice and also provide for grip on slippery surfaces. The paws are large in size to help .... Polar bears live in one of the planet's coldest environments and depend on a thick coat of insulated fur, which covers a warming layer of fat. Fur even grows on .... Body temperature, which is normally 37°C (98.6°F), is maintained through a thick layer of fur, a tough hide, and an insulating fat layer (up to 11 cm or 4.5 in.. Special adaptations. Polar bears are marine mammals, superbly adapted to life on or near sea ice. Thick layers of fur and fat keep them warm.. They have big, furry feet that act like snowshoes to help them walk on the snow. These are all physical adaptations that help a polar bear survive in its .... Adaptations of a polar bear to their harsh environment have been remarkable. Polar bears are uniquely adapted to survive in a cold climate, with thick fur .... One important adaptation of polar bears to their unique climate is the transparency of their thick fur, which allows sunlight to pass through and reach .... 28 gru 2021 ... Polar bears are excellent swimmers, in part because they have big feet that are partially webbed. They use those feet to push themselves through ...

1. Polar Bear Adaptations

2. Adaptations are characteristics that help an organism to

survive in its environment and/or reproduce.

3. Adaptations can be physical or behavioral, but all
are involved with survival in an environment.

4. Physical Adaptations

-Feathers, fur and
insulation

«Body shape

«Color

2 «Protection

We'll look at each of these in more detail on the following slides.

5. Feathers, Fur and Insulation

One of the ways that
animals are protected from
weather conditions is
through insulating feathers,
fur or fat. The majority of
tundra birds and mammals
found in the Northern USA
and Canada actually have 2
coats. Outer coats are
generally water repellent,
while inner coats generally
trap and hold warm air.
Many mammals from this
area also have thick layers
of blubber to keep them
warm when temperatures
are cold.

6. Body Shape

Many tundra birds and
mammals are larger and
have smaller appendages
than similar species in
warmer climates.

This body plan allows more
heat to remain within the
animal where it belongs,
and less heat to escape
into the environment.

7. Color

Color is a
tremendous benefit
for many animals of
the wild. For
example, the artic fox
and hare turn white
in winter so they are
camouflaged in the
snow. In the
beginning of
summer, they shed
their white coat and it
is replaced with a
brown one so that it
may more easily
blend in with a forest
environment.

8. Protection

«Many animals have
unique adaptations
to protect them from
predators, or to help
to get food.

*Deer, elk and
caribou have antlers
that can be used for
defense from
enemies. Others
may have hard outer
coverings that serve
as protection.

«How do the polar
bears large feet help
him?

9. Adaptations may be behavioral as
well as Der

RT A a E a E

en

10. Behavioral Adaptations

Hibernation
«Protection
*Caching
«Migration
«Shelter

We will discuss these more in depth
over the next few pages.

11. Hibernation

To avoid
adverse
weather
conditions,
some animals
hibernate, or
become
dormant during
the periods of
worst weather.
The black bear
can withstand
up to 100 days
without eating,
drinking,
defacating,
urinating or
exercising

12. Protection.

Most animals can protect themselves
on a physical and behavioral level.

13. The act of storing
food for the winter is
known as caching.

Many animals,

especially rodents,
= store food for the
winter.

Moose and bear also
store fat in their

bodies to prepare for
a long winter.

14. ion

igrat

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15. Migration

Many animals and
birds migrate to more
moderate climates
during the winter.

The arctic tern is
known to migrate
22,000 miles ona
yearly migration from
their arctic breeding
grounds to their
wintering grounds in
the Antarctic.

16. Migration

Although some
animals travel long
distances to
accommodate their
needs, some
animals like
mountain goat and
elk migrate locally.

This means that
they will go to
lower elevations
on the mountain(s)
in which they live.

17. Shelter

Many animals rely on living
under the snow for
protection. Snow crystals
trap air and are therefore
excellent insulators.

Amazingly, temperatures
under 7 inches of unpacked
snow can be as much as 50
degrees warmer than at the
surface.

18. Shelter

Artic hare and fox take
advantage of the snow
and build dens for
protection against the
harsh arctic winters.

Polar bears build dens
as well, but generally
cubs are not born until

spring.

19. In summary...

«Adaptations are characteristics that enable
an organism to survive in it's environment
and reproduce.

«Adaptations can be physical or behavioral.

20. In summary...

«All adaptations are related to the
environment that an organism lives in.
Physical adaptations can include...

Feathers, fur
and insulation

Body Shape

Color

21. In summary...

Behavioral adaptations can
include...

Hibernation
Caching
Migration
Shelter
Protection can be both a

physical and a behavioral
adaptation.

22. Invent an Organism...

« If you were to “invent an organism’, you
would need to first consider its
environment...

» Decide upon an environment for your
organism. Consider it’s temperature,
moisture level, amount of sunlight, etc...

« See the Invent an Organism handout
stored here...