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Post by oldindigosilverback on Oct 23, 2022 2:44:04 GMT -5
Reply 58. This is probably a fight during mating season.
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Nov 30, 2022 6:41:19 GMT -5
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Jiren
Black bear
“Water can flow, or it can crash”.
Posts: 307
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Post by Jiren on Dec 10, 2022 12:27:08 GMT -5
I’ve been interest in polar bears lately so imma read these posts.
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Dec 10, 2022 16:12:36 GMT -5
I’ve been interest in polar bears lately so imma read these posts. Good to hear. Polar bear’s jaws might seem ‘weak’ but they can cut through beluga hide. |
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Jan 16, 2023 7:06:13 GMT -5
Appearance: Polar bears are extremely well-adapted to their arctic environment. They have the thickest fur of any bear species. It’s composed of two layers. The la yer closer to the body, the undercoat, consists of thick, plush hair that retains heat. The outer layer provides extra insulation and repels cold water and ice. This layer of “guard hairs” is not hair at all but is rather composed of clear, hollow tubes. The tubes trap air for insulation and also reflect all the visible wavelengths of light in their hollow airspace, which combine to make the fur look white, though it is in fact colorless. The white coloring provides excellent camouflage for the bears, allowing them to blend in with their snowy surroundings. Polar bears molt in the summer months and grow a new coat. By the next spring, the coat may look yellowish from seal oil stains. They sometimes wash their fur in ice or snow during or after feeding. Underneath their fur, polar bears have black skin which absorbs the heat of the sun, and below the skin is a thick, 4-inch layer of blubber. This blubber layer is particularly beneficial while polar bears swim, keeping them warm in the cold water and increasing buoyancy. Polar bears also have fur on the bottoms of their paws, providing extra warmth and creating traction on the ice. The bottoms of their paws are also covered with small bumps called papillae. The paws are broad to distribute their weight as they walk across ice and snow, and tipped with long, powerful claws to help grip the ice. Compared to other bears, the polar bear has an elongated body with a particularly long neck and a narrow skull. These features streamline the bear, making it an efficient swimmer. Large, flat, and partially webbed paws, functioning like oars, also help them navigate the water. www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/blog/polar-bear-fact-sheet/
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Jan 16, 2023 7:19:41 GMT -5
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Jan 31, 2023 6:10:22 GMT -5
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Post by Gorilla king on Feb 1, 2023 7:22:27 GMT -5
I have seen this bear in person when i went to that zoo in Argentina. He was suffering, that's for sure.
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Feb 1, 2023 8:41:29 GMT -5
/\ I hope the zoo (am refering to all zoos in the world as well) does not take in anymore polar bears. Singapore zoo is no longer going to do so. Sadly the female is too old to be released back in the wild.
The captive polar bear can at least rest in peace rather than go through suffering.
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Feb 3, 2023 9:02:42 GMT -5
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Jiren
Black bear
“Water can flow, or it can crash”.
Posts: 307
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Post by Jiren on Feb 4, 2023 12:20:21 GMT -5
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Feb 4, 2023 15:08:16 GMT -5
/\ Once again this articles above have further enforced my stance never to visit a zoo with a polar bear there.
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Post by Gorilla king on Feb 15, 2023 13:57:56 GMT -5
Polar bear paw pad surface roughness and its relevance to contact mechanics on snow
Abstract
Microscopic papillae on polar bear paw pads are considered adaptations for increased friction on ice/snow, yet this assertion is based on a single study of one species. The lack of comparative data from species that exploit different habitats renders the ecomorphological associations of papillae unclear. Here, we quantify the surface roughness of the paw pads of four species of bear over five orders of magnitude by calculating their surface roughness power spectral density. We find that interspecific variation in papillae base diameter can be explained by paw pad width, but that polar bear paw pads have 1.5 times taller papillae and 1.3 times more true surface area than paw pads of the American black bear and brown bear. Based on friction experiments with three-dimensional printed model surfaces and snow, we conclude that these factors increase the frictional shear stress of the polar bear paw pad on snow by a factor of 1.3-1.5 compared with the other species. Absolute frictional forces, however, are estimated to be similar among species once paw pad area is accounted for, suggesting that taller papillae may compensate for frictional losses resulting from the relatively smaller paw pads of polar bears compared with their close relatives.
www.researchgate.net/publication/365049937_Polar_bear_paw_pad_surface_roughness_and_its_relevance_to_contact_mechanics_on_snow
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Feb 16, 2023 1:12:50 GMT -5
/\ The whole polar bear morphology is made to conserve heat.
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Feb 17, 2023 3:25:06 GMT -5
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Post by brobear on Feb 20, 2023 9:29:15 GMT -5
Quote; "Inuka will be the last polar bear in Singapore, the zoo operator has said"
Just a thought; warm humid climates breed micro-organisms. In the Arctic, far fewer germs, I would think. This makes me question a polar bear's immune system.
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Feb 20, 2023 21:27:53 GMT -5
Heightened Immune System Function in Polar Bears Using Terrestrial Habitats Abstract Climate change is altering the distribution of some wildlife species while warming temperatures are facilitating the northward expansion of pathogens, potentially increasing disease risk. Melting of Arctic sea ice is increasingly causing polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the southern Beaufort Sea (SBS) to spend summer on land, where they may encounter novel pathogens. Here, we tested whether SBS polar bears on shore during summer exhibited greater immune system activity than bears remaining on the sea ice. In addition, we tested whether the type of immune response correlated with body condition, because adaptive responses (slowly developing defenses against specific pathogens) often require less energy than innate responses (rapid defenses not based on pathogen identity). After accounting for body condition, we found that polar bears on shore exhibited higher total white blood cell counts, neutrophils, and monocytes than bears on the ice, suggesting more infections. Lymphocytes, eosinophils, basophils, and globulins did not differ. C-reactive protein, an indicator of inflammation, also did not differ between habitats. Body condition was associated with variables indicative of both innate and adaptive immunity, suggesting that neither response was uniquely limited by energy resources. Our data indicate that as more polar bears spend longer periods of time on shore, they may experience more infections. We encourage continued health monitoring of this species and studies of the long-term fitness consequences from disease. www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/698996 |
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Oct 13, 2023 7:20:38 GMT -5
Polar bear
Ursus maritimus
At the Detroit Zoo
Visitors can watch polar bears gracefully swim above their heads in the Arctic Ring of Life’s 70-foot-long Frederick and Barbara Erb Polar Passage. The habitat is home to male Nuka, born 2004, and female Suka, born 2012. The polar bears’ habitat includes grassy tundra, a freshwater pool, a “pack ice” area and a 190,000-gallon salt water pool. The Arctic Ring of Life is one of North America’s largest polar bear habitats. This state-of-the-art, interactive facility encompasses more than 4 acres of outdoor and indoor habitats and was named the second-best exhibit at any zoo in the U.S. by The Intrepid Traveler’s guide to “America’s Best Zoos.” Description
Polar bears have dense, thick undercoats protected by outer coats of long, transparent fur. The sun’s reflection from the dark skin through the transparent fur gives the illusion of a white coat. Their waterproof fur will stick together when wet and act as an insulator. FUN FACTS
Because it receives liquids from the prey it eats, the polar bear does not have to drink water. The polar bear is a marine mammal and the most carnivorous member of the bear family since its diet heavily relies on seals. A polar bear's blubber helps it float in water and also acts as a nutritional reserve, allowing the bear to go months without eating. The polar bear has the richest milk of any bear species; it contains 35 percent fat.detroitzoo.org/animals/zoo-animals/polar-bear/Finally found an article for the content of fat in a non pregnant female polar bear. Knew that 40 to 50% fat is for pregnant females.
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Oct 15, 2023 6:20:06 GMT -5
According to The American Society of Mammalogists the polar bear’s neck muscles are extremely strong and powerfully developed. This can be evident from the fact that ice bears can easily pull a 600-pound seal with their neck. Apart from neck muscles the hind limbs are also thought to develop perfectly not only to support the weight (when the bear stands on its hind feet only) but also for gripping on the sea ice. polarbearfacts.net/polar-bear-anatomy-internal-anatomy/#Polar%20Bear%20Musculo-Skeletal%20System |
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Oct 15, 2023 6:25:22 GMT -5
Blubber Fat or Obesity in Polar Bears.
The subcutaneous fat is the primary cause of obesity in polar bears. Adult bears have a dense layer of subcutaneous fat measuring 5 to 10 cm in thickness. Adult females in particular become obese weeks before they go into their materiality den. Females are thought to possess as much fat as containing 45% of the bear’s weight.
Polar bears have 4-cm-thick blubber layer which is covered with 2-mm-thick muscle sheets. The thickness of polar bear’s torso is about 0.5 to 3.0 mm. The muscle sheets are likely to be based on the broadest muscle of the back latissimus dorsi.
The supply of blood is sufficed to entertain the entire sheets of muscles. Numerous veins and arteries run from the body musculature via intramuscular blubber layer along the way to the latissimus sheets. The polar bear’s veins are 2 – 4 mm in diameter. The gap between the veins measures around 3 – 5 cm. The veins erupt from the dorsal edge of the bear’s muscle and enter the body core.
From the same link above.
Shows that 40% fat and above belongs to pregnant females.
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