CAN POLAR BEARS GO TERRESTRIAL? (The Short Answer: No)
By Dr. Thea Bechshøft
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aribou, muskox, birds and bird eggs, beached whales, seals, fish, berries, and other plant foods … humans and other animals have been successfully living off the land during the ice-free summers in the High Arctic for millennia. Why can’t polar bears just do the same? The answer: evolution! Over the past 500,000 years or more, polar bears have become hyperspecialized to living on the Arctic sea ice and preying on seals. Their adaptations to this lifestyle are evident in their behavior, physiology, and ecology. Studies show that even the size and structural integrity of the polar bear’s skull and teeth are adapted to surviving on soft blubber and flesh. This extreme specialization is the beauty of the bears as well as their bane. It makes them the undisputed top predators in the Arctic marine ecosystem, but also extremely vulnerable to changes in their environment.
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POLAR BEARS INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL NEWSMAGAZINE
© Daniel J. Cox/NaturalExposures.com
