OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaThe polar bear is the biggest bear in the world! It lives in the cold Arctic where there is lots of snow and ice. Polar bears can survive in freezing cold weather. They are great swimmers and love to splash in the icy water!
Polar bears have thick white fur that keeps them warm in the snow. Under their fur, their skin is actually black! They have big, wide paws that work like snowshoes to help them walk on ice. Polar bears are very large and can be as tall as a basketball hoop when they stand up on their back legs!
Polar bears live in the Arctic near the North Pole where it is very cold and snowy. They spend a lot of time on sea ice looking for seals to eat. A mother polar bear digs a cozy den in the snow for her babies called cubs. The cubs stay with their mom for about two years, learning to hunt and swim.
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Polar bears can smell a seal from almost a mile away!
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Their fur is not really white but is actually see-through, and it just looks white because of the way light bounces off it.
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Polar bears can swim for hours and hours without stopping.
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A polar bear’s paws have bumpy pads on the bottom so they do not slip on the ice!
