POLAR BEAR

Size: Adult males are 2.5 to almost 3 meters. Females grow to about 2 meters. On two legs a large male may stand over 3 meters tall!

Body Weight: Males weigh 365 to 650 kilos. Females are about half the male's weight, from 200 to 300 kilos.

Physical Features: The polar bear's coat covers it completely except for the nose, foot pads and eyes. This water-repellant coat combined with a thick layer of body fat insulates the bear from cold air and water. Each paw measures up to 31 centimeters across. The polar bear's large paws help distribute the animal's weight on thin ice.

Diet: Polar bears feed upon seals; primarily ringed seals and bearded seals. During the summer they may become omnivorous, eating rodents, salmon, seaweed and blueberries.

Life span: Up to 25 years in the wild and up to 40 years in captivity.

Where to find them: Polar bears range across the frozen top of the Northern Hemisphere. They are found in the northernmost reaches of Alaska, Canada, Russia, on Norway's far-flung Svalbard Islands, and along the coasts of Greenland.