Physical Features
Polar bears have a big, long-snouted head and a stumpy tail. They have short, thick legs and large, five-toed feet with big claws. Polar bears have fur on the soles of their feet so they won't slip on the ice. They have long, white, shaggy fur. Their white fur camouflages them in the snow and ice. The female has 1 to 4 cubs. An interesting thing about bears is that they walk differently than most animals. They walk with the sole and toes almost flat on the ground. Most animals walk on their toes. Bears look clumsy, but they can run 25 miles an hour.
Compared with its closest relative, the brown bear, the polar bear has a more elongated body build and a longer skull and nose. As predicted by Allen's rule for a northerly animal, the legs are stocky and the ears and tail are small. However, the feet are very large to distribute load when walking on snow or thin ice and to provide propulsion when swimming; they may measure 30 cm (12 in) across in an adult. The pads of the paws are covered with small, soft papillae (dermal bumps) which provide traction on the ice. The polar bear's claws are short and stocky compared to those of the brown bear, perhaps to serve the former's need to grip heavy prey and ice. The claws are deeply scooped on the underside to assist in digging in the ice of the natural habitat.