Poles & OceansVulnerable
Polar bear
Ursus maritimus
The largest land predator. Polar bears live on Arctic sea ice and hunt seals at breathing holes.
- Weight
- Up to 700 kg
- Size
- 2.5 m long
- Lifespan
- About 25 years
- Top speed
- 40 km/h
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Mammal group
- Placental
How heavy is that?
As heavy as 18 kids (40 kg each)
Where it lives
Three things to know
- Its skin is black under see-through fur.
- Can smell a seal over 1 km away.
- Can swim for days without stopping.
Compare with…
- Weight
- Polar bear700 kgA 10-year-old kid40 kgThe polar bear weighs about 18× as much as the kid
- Size
- Polar bear2.5 mA 10-year-old kid1.4 mThe polar bear is about 1.8× as big as the kid
- Top speed
- Polar bear40 km/hA 10-year-old kid20 km/hThe polar bear is about 2× as fast as the kid
- Lifespan
- Polar bear25 yrsA 10-year-old kid80 yrsThe kid can live about 3× as long as the polar bear
Food chain
- Tiny algaeProducer
- Arctic cod
- Ringed seal
Polar bearThis animal
Nothing hunts a healthy adult