Hunting was the main factor in the reduction of polar bear numbers, until recently, although it is still a problem, and considered unsustainable by scientists. Polution was also a problem, but is decreasing in effect on polar bears, now, due to regulations banning some chemicals.

If global warming continues at its current rate, the polar bear might be extinct in about 100 years time, although scientists disagree on this, some saying that the populations are managed well enough to survive. Although polar bears did learn to adapt to warmer times in the past, their currently smaller population sizes, and the rapid rate of current global warming might makethem extinct before they can adapt this time.

Unfortunately, legal protection of polar bears is oppsed by oil and gas interests, and illegal poaching is common in some areas such as Russia.

Polar bears are classified as marine mammals, because they spend most of their time on the sea ice hunting for the seals which live on and under this sea ice. As this sea ice melts due to global warming, the polar bears are less able to find enough food.

For more information, see the Wikipedia Polar Bear page. Also, see the Wikipedia Global Warming page.

Here are some of the world’s best polar bear posters . . .

A lovely picture of two polar bear cubs sheltered by their powerful mother.

A tiny polar bear cub under the gentle loving care of its mother.

Polar bear mother sheltering her young cub from the cold winds.

“Polar Bear Playtime”!

A Polar Bear family travel accross the sea ice of their frozen wilderness.

A polar bear family playing in the soft snow.

Polar bear family grouping hudles together in the snowfall.

“Bear Hug”, a tiny polar bear hug, safe in it’s powerful mother’s protection.

See more than 1000 additional Polar Bear Posters,

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]]> http://www.wildlife-art-guide.com/blog/polar-bears-going-extinct/feed 0 http://www.wildlife-art-guide.com/blog/polar-bear-facts http://www.wildlife-art-guide.com/blog/polar-bear-facts#comments Sat, 23 Jan 2010 11:30:41 +0000 admin http://www.wildlife-art-guide.com/blog/?p=116 Polar bear facts are fascinating. The polar bear has a scientific name of “Ursus maritimus”, which means bear of the ocean. They live usually within the arctic circle and the arctic sea. Due to reducing amounts of ice in the arctic, which it needs to hunt, they are having challenging times currently and some populations are reducing. However compared to other carnivores, it is still found throughout a greater amount of its original habitat than any other.

The polar bear is the largst meat-eating animal found on land, and also equal largest bear with the kodiak bear. Females are typically about half the size of males.

The closest relative is the brown bear and if the two species mate they can produce live young. However neither species can live successfully in the other’s habitat.

There are probably less than 25,000 of them left alive today and they could become extinct within the next 90 years especially if the sea ice continues to reduce in their hunting areas. Their sense of smell is much better than a human’s . . . they can smell a seal (which is their main food) a mile away. However their hearing is no better than a persons.

A polar bear will get too hot if the temperature is more than ten degrees centigrade because of their thick layer of body fat which they need to survive in the arctic.

Most of the lifetime of a polar bear is spent on the sea-ice hunting seals. They can swim about twice as fast as their usual walking distance and will swim very long distances such as several hundred miles. While their main food is seals, they will also sometimes eat beluga whales or walrus (which are up to twice their size). They can go for several months without eating anything when they need to.

For more interesting facts on polar bears, and for some beautiful photos of them, see our other blog posts . . .

Interesting Facts On Polar Bears

Scientific Name For Polar Bear

This magnificant animal is found mostly within the arctic circle and the arctic sea, and is the largest land carnivore. It is classified as a vulnerable species and some of the populations are declining. The most significant difficulty for it is the melting of the sea ice it needs to hunt.

Here are a few great photos of polar bears . . .

A tiny baby polar bear shelters in the warmth and security of its mother’s embrace.

Polar bear cubs shelter in their mothers embrace, safe from the cold and the dangers of their frozen wilderness.

A lone polar bear is silhouetted against the glorious Arctic sunset, travelling tirelessly accross the vast distances if the desolate Arctic wilderness.

Battle!! Two polar bears prepare to fight. Two powerful adversaries ready to battle each other for dominance.

More great polar bear photos can be found at our Blog Post Polar bear pictures.

See 1486 great Polar Bear Posters!!

Polar bear family, secure and happy in the love and protection of a powerful and dedicated mother. Strong family life in the arctic wilderness.

Young baby in the warmth and security of its mothers protection, living wild and free in their frozen wilderness.

Young baby Polar Bear safe with its mother, looking out into the frozen wilderness of it’s home. Healthy and capable, beautiful and wild.

Playing happily on the back of the resting mother, safe and sound in the protection of the pinacle of the food chain.

Resting comfortably, secure in the knowledge of its supreme survival ability in one of the world’s most challenging environments.

Mother and triplets, playing happily in the beauty of the arctic wilderness.

1618 Polar Bear Posters!

Male polar bears are about twice the size of females. The brown bear is a close relative, but the polar bear has evolved, about two hundred thousand years ago, to fit a much more precise habitat. Brown bears and polar bears can produce offspring together, but neither can live long in the others habitat.

The decrease in sea ice due to global warming is causing big problems for polar bears. They are considered “vulnerable” now and might become extinct within a century. Polar bears are still hunted by local peoples. There are probably not more than twenty five thousand polar bears alive today.

Many people think that polar bears are left-handed, but there is no scientific evidence of this. A polar bear will overheat in temperatures above 10 degrees C (50 F) due to their layer of blubber about ten centimeters thick.

The outer hairs of a polar bear appear white but are actually transparent.

A polar bear can smell a seal a mile away, but its hearing is only as good as humans. Polar bears can swim very well, and have been seen two hundred miles from land. They swim almost twice as fast as they walk.

Polar bears eat mainly seals, which they hunt from sea ice, where they live most of their lives. Polar bears hunt seals either by waiting for them to come up to breathing holes, or by stalking them when they are resting on land. Mature bears will mostly eat only the skin and blubber of the seal which is rich in calories, but young bears eat mainly the meat which is rich in protein. They wash themselves after eating, in either water or snow.

Polar bears occasionally eat walrus (which can be up to twice its weight) or beluga whales. A polar bear can survive without eating for several months.

An arctic mothers love . . . the young cub secure and comfortable in the embrace of its powerful mother, the top of the food-chain in their frozen wilderness.

See our blog post Polar Bear Pictures

The arctic (from the Greek word for “bear” because the “great bear” constellation is prominantly visible from this region) is the region north of the arctic circle, which is the limit of where the sun can sometimes be seen at midnight, and also where trees don’t grow. The arctic can also be defined as the area where the average temperature of the warmest month is not above 10 degrees C. The north of Canada and Alaska, Russia, Norway and Greenland are within the arctic area.

Animals that live in the Arctic include organisms living in the ice, fish and marine mammals, birds, some land animals, plants particularly lichens and mosses, and people.

Animals within the arctic area include the Arctic fox, polar bear, Arctic hare, lemming, Arctic wolf, muskox, and caribou.

Birds of the Arctic include the Arctic tern, which migrates to the Antarctic every year.

Here are some photos of arctic animals . . .

The arctic fox shelters in the frozen, hoar-frost-covered grasses of the tundra.

The spectacular flight of the arctic tern, which flys 25,000 miles a year, light and agile, beautiful and capable.

The delicately beautiful Arctic fox against the gold of the setting sun on the crisp white snow.

Warm in its thick winter coat, the Arctic hare shelters in the deep snow of its frozen wilderness.

The thundering run of the musk ox high in the cloud-covered mountains is its remote wilderness home . . . strange, powerful, aloof.

The tender yet powerful motherly love of the polar bear, the curious but unsure cub protected securely in its mothers capable embrace.

The small polar bear cub shelters within the powerful stance of the alert and able mother.

The power and grace of the Arctic wolf running through the deep snow of its remote frozen wilderness, the bright spark of powerful life in the empty land.

For more info on the arctic, see Wikipedia “Arctic”

For more arctic animal photos, see 110 Arctic Animal posters.

For more photos of polar bears, see Polar Bear photos.

Tiger Cub Art Print

Cute and fierce at the same time!

Fox Profile

The fox :- clever, alert, wise.

Soft fur you want to stroke but a wild independance that says you’d better not.

Alligator With Golfball Print

The powerfully unpredictable aligator . . .

might lie still for days, then move in an instant.

Snow Leopard

Rare, beautiful and precious, the shy hunter of the wild mountains.

Channel-billed Toucan

It could only be the tropics, with the toucans extraordinary bill and strong colors.

You can almost smell the jungle!

Mandrill Monkey

The mandrill . . . reminds us of ourselves in some ways yet at the same time

beyond human comprehension in its wildness and strangeness.

Arctic Tale

Safe and warm in mothers protection.

Polar bear :- the most powerful hunter in its region yet a tender and gentle mother.

The Lion

King of the beasts and he knows it!

Bursting with latent power and proud ferocity.

Mule Deer Herd

Alert for the slightest sound . . . perfectly still yet poised ready to

spring into action in an instant.

Snowy Owl

Beautiful and superbly adapted to its arctic life,

with warm soft plumage and silent flight.

Mule-Deer-In-Velvet

The young stag biding its time with dreams of its future,

it’s antlers steadily growing into the armoury it will need to make its challenges

when the time comes.

Winter Chickadee

A splash of cheerful life on a cold winters day.

Meet the Wolf Pack

Intensely curious and wise in the ways of their survival,

the wolf pack working togther with intelligence and cunning.

Head of a bird of prey

The bald eagle . . . proud, capable, with a bill that can rip flesh from bones,

ideally suited to its life in the challenge of the north.

Florida Flamingo 1

You can almost feel the tropical heat from this image,

with the flamingoes extraordinary bright reds and pinks, and astounding shape.

Snowy owl

Poised alert and ready to spring into the air in an instant rush of soft silent wings.