Polar Bear

Arctic · super strong · ice hunter · largest bear

Masters of ice. Polar bears have huge padded paws that work like snowshoes, letting them walk on thin ice without breaking through and paddle powerfully through freezing water.

Meat-eating specialists. Unlike their brown bear cousins, polar bears have extra sharp teeth designed to slice through meat, and their whole body is slender and streamlined for hunting.

Built for cold. Underneath their white or yellowish fur, polar bears have black skin that soaks up heat from the sun, plus a thick layer of blubber that keeps them warm in the frigid Arctic.

Giants of the bear world. Male polar bears can weigh up to 800 kilograms (almost 1,800 pounds), making them the heaviest bears and largest meat-eating animals that walk on land.

Close cousins. Polar bears are so similar to brown bears that the two species can actually have babies together, showing they share a recent common ancestor.