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The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a large bear native to the Arctic and nearby areas. It is closely related to the brown bear, and the two species can interbreed.The polar bear is the largest extant species of bear and land carnivore, with adult males weighing 300–800 kg (660–1,760 lb).
The livers of polar bears, walruses, bearded seals, and huskies can contain very high levels of preformed vitamin A, [11] and their consumption has led to vitamin A poisoning (hypervitaminosis A) according to several anecdotal reports. It has been estimated that consumption of 500 grams of polar bear liver would result in a toxic dose for a ...
Polar bear feeding on a seal on an ice floe north of Svalbard, Norway. It is the most carnivorous species. The sloth bear is not as specialized as polar bears and the panda, has lost several front teeth usually seen in bears, and developed a long, suctioning tongue to feed on the ants, termites, and other burrowing insects
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Polar bears are classified as carnivores, both taxonomically (they are in the order Carnivora), and behaviorally (they subsist on a largely carnivorous diet). Depending on the species of bear, there is generally a preference for one class of food, as plants and animals are digested differently.
At the top of the food chain are the bears. Alaska contains about 70% of the total North American brown bear population and the majority of the grizzly bears, as well as black bears and Kodiak bears. In winter, polar bears can be found in the Kuskokwim Delta, St. Matthew Island, and at the southernmost portion of St. Lawrence Island.
ALEXANDER GRIR/Contributor/AFP via Getty ImagesMore than 50 hungry polar bears invaded the Russian coastal village of Belushya Guba over a period of three months, attracted by the local dump.
Polar bears rely on seals and fish as their primary food source. While the bears can hunt land mammals such as caribou and fox, they can survive off of land prey for only approximately 6 months. Without the abundance of sea ice, polar bears cannot access seals and fish and, thus, can starve. [17]