Polar bears live exclusively in the very cold and icy climate of the Arctic where winter temperatures regularly plunge to below -30°F. It’s good to know, however, that polar bears have a protective outer fur coats paired with undercoats and dense layers of fat that help them stay warm. Although their fur appears white, it’s actually transparent. The hollow hair shafts reflect light much like ice does, making polar bears appear white or yellow. Beneath their thick coats, polar bears have black skin that better absorbs the sun’s warmth.

Polar bears spend much of their lives hunting for food. Almost half of their time is spent looking for things to eat, and sometimes they have to travel very far to find it. Only two percent of their hunts are actually successful, so they have to be persistent! There was one polar bear who went on a nonstop nine-day, 426-mile swim to find some food. That’s about the same as swimming from Washington, D.C. to Detroit!