Are you ready for another Polar Scavenger Hunt Challenge?
This months challenge was inspired by one of the Arctic’s most notorious residents - the Polar Bear. And your challenge is simple, to find Polar Bears!
This is the Polar Bear you can 'find' at the Pink Palace Museum
If you are scratching your head right now thinking ‘this is not going to be easy’ - don’t worry it will be easier that you think.
I will also be participating in this month’s challenge and I don’t plan on going to the Arctic during my summer vacation to see an actual Polar Bear - so I will need to get creative! And, I hope you will too!
Alex on the hunt for Polar Bears at the Pink Palace gift shop.
Where else might you find a Polar Bear?
- In a museum?
- In a zoo?
- Online?
- At the library?
- At a toy store?
- What about in the grocery store?
Keep your eyes open – you will be amazed by the number of Polar Bears you see – and remember, they do not have to be real.
Now, lets go out and find Polar Bears!!
Polar Points
If you are keeping track of your ‘Polar Points’ – here’s how this challenge will work. * E-mail me a list of what/where you find a Polar Bear - 1 point per Polar Bear find Example – I read the book ‘Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (1 point) I have a Polar Bear stuffed animal. (1 point)
- Take a picture of you and your Polar Bear find and e-mail it to me - 10 points per e-mail picture
Submit your answers to Alex at alice.eilers [at] memphistn.gov or aeilers [at] polartrec.com Remember to include the following:
- Your answer
- Full Name
- School and grade level (if applicable)
This challenge closes on July 15 so… Start hunting for Polar Bears!
Polar Bears International
Here are a few frequently asked Polar Bear questions I thought you would find interesting.
Tremendous Thanks to Polar Bears International for allowing us to highlight their website. (The information below was taken from http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/polar-bears). This is a wonderful website – check it out!
Where do polar bears live?
In the circumpolar north in areas where they can hunt seals at openings in the sea ice called leads. There are five nations with polar bears: U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Norway. Polar bears do not live in Antarctica. Penguins do.
Are polar bears endangered?
Experts in polar bear science believe they are. They predict that as the Arctic continues to warm due to climate change, two-thirds of the world's polar bears could disappear by mid-century—although hope remains if action is taken to greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Rapid loss of sea ice is their major threat. Others include pollution, poaching, and industrial impact. Hunting will become a threat if not well regulated.
How many polar bears are there?
Scientists can only provide informed estimates. In 2008, scientists estimated that there might be 20,000 to 25,000 of them.
What is the polar bear's scientific classification and name?
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae Genus: Ursus Species: Ursus maritimus (sea bear) A polar bear’s closest relative is the brown bear, Ursus arctos.
How big are polar bears?
Very big! Adult males measure 2 to 3.1 meters (6.5 to 12 feet) long and normally weigh 351 to more than 544 kilograms (775 to 1,200 pounds). Adult females measure 1.5 to 2.4 meters (6 to 9 feet) tall and normally weigh 150 to 295 kilograms (330 to 650 pounds). The largest polar bear ever recorded was a male weighing 2,209 pounds. Wow!
How do polar bears survive in the arctic environment?
They’re built for it! Polar bears love the Arctic climate, where winter temperatures can plunge to -45º C (-50º F). Polar bears are insulated by two layers of fur that help keep them warm. They also have a thick fat layer. In addition, their compact ears and small tail also prevent heat loss. In fact, polar bears have more problems with overheating than they do from the cold—especially when they run. Polar bear feet are furred and covered with small bumps called papillae to keep them from slipping on ice. Their sense of smell is powerful for detecting seals. And their powerful claws can haul out a 40-90 kg (150-200 lb) seal from the water for dinner.
What do polar bears eat?
Anything they want! But ringed seals are their favorite food. They eat bearded seals, too. When there are plenty of seals, polar bears like to eat only the fat. They leave the carcass for scavengers, such as arctic foxes, ravens, and younger bears. Sometimes, polar bears kill and eat walrus and beluga whales. They’ve even been known to hunt short-legged reindeer and snack on birds, bird eggs, kelp, and beached whales. On Norway's Svalbard Islands, polar bears were once found feasting on a 350-year-old bowhead whale carcass uncovered by a retreating glacier.
What is the polar bear's place in the food chain?
Right at the top of the arctic food chain. Polar bears balance nature by preventing an overpopulation of seals.
What is a polar bear's life span?
In human terms, not very long. In the wild, polar bears live an average 15 to 18 years, although biologists have tagged a few bears in their early 30s. In captivity, they may live until their mid- to late 30s. Debby, a zoo bear in Canada, lived to be 42.