Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Solitary predator: a polar bear feeds on a bearded seal it has killed. Social predators: meat ants cooperate to feed on a cicada far larger than themselves. Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey.
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).
Ringed seals are both predators and prey. A predator to zooplankton and fish, the ringed seal is considered a primary consumer as well as a secondary consumer. But the tertiary consumer, or top predator, in the Arctic is the polar bear, feeding mostly on seals, including the ringed seal.
"For polar bears, sea ice is a big dinner plate - it's access to their main prey, seals. They're probably excited for a big meal of seal blubber - they haven't been eating much all summer on land."
For premium support please call: 800-290-4726 more ways to reach us
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]
Most reported cases of man-eaters have involved lions, tigers, leopards, polar bears, and large crocodilians. However, they are not the only predators that will attack humans if given the chance; a wide variety of species have also been known to adopt humans as usual prey, including various bears, spotted and striped hyenas, and Komodo dragons.
As an example of related species with differing diets, even though they diverged only 150,000 years ago, [7] the polar bear is the most highly carnivorous bear (more than 90% of its diet is meat) while the grizzly bear is one of the least carnivorous in many locales, with less than 10% of its diet being meat. [8] [9] [10]