Post by rock on Apr 20, 2019 1:05:22 GMT 5
polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
Polar bears live in the Arctic.
Polar bears have black skin and although their fur appears white, it is actually transparent.
It is the largest carnivore (meat eater) that lives on land.
Polar bears use sea ice as a platform to hunt seals.
Seals make up most of a polar bears diet.
Male polar bears can weigh up to 680 kg (1500 lb).
Female polar bears usually only weigh about half as much as males.
Polar bears spend most of their time at sea.
Scientists estimate that there are around 20000 polar bears.
Polar bears have 42 teeth.
The scientific name for the polar bear is ‘ursus maritimus’.
Polar bears keep warm thanks to nearly 10 cm of blubber under the skin.
Polar bears have an excellent sense of smell, with the ability to detect seals nearly a mile away (1.6 km).
Polar bears can reach speeds up to 40 kph (25 mph) on land and 10 kph (6 mph) in water.
The polar bear was the mascot for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada.
siberian tiger [Panthera tigris tigris]
the siberian tiger (Panthera tigris tigris, formerly known as the amur tiger) is one of the largest cats in the world and today, fewer than 500 can be found in the Russian Far East with a small number ranging across the border into China and possibly North Korea.
In the 1940s, it was on the brink of extinction with fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the wild. This was due to decades of almost continual political instability with the Russian Revolution and the formation of the Soviet Union.
In 1947 after WW2, Russia became the first country to ban tiger hunting and offer tigers full protection. Hunting of the main prey species, boar and deer, became restricted by annual quota based on the results of population counts. Poaching of tigers became relatively rare, because there was no market for skins and other tiger products, although hunters on occasion killed their “competitor” when an opportunity presented itself.
Amur tigers are one of the larger tiger sub-populations. The average weight for males is 160-190 kg, while females are smaller, at 110-130 kg. Males, females and cubs can be distinguished by their tracks: a male’s paw pad measures 10.5 – 14.5 cm across, a female’s 8.5 – 9.5. cm, and a cub’s – from 5.5 – 10 cm. (Male cubs, after one year, usually have paw measurements already larger than their mothers’).
Amur tiger coat colour is a lighter orange than other tiger sub-populations and becomes even more so in winter. Their coat is longer and thicker than other sub-populations because of the colder climate and they have a thick mane around the neck and extra fur on their paws, which protects them against the cold.
Sexual maturity is reached around 4 years, but varies with gender and is earlier in zoo tigers. When a female is ready to mate she will signal by leaving scratch marks and urine deposits to attract males. Gestation last 3 to 3 1/2 months, litter size is 1-6, however, 2-4 is the most common.
In the wild, they can live between 10-15 years, but in captivity, they live nearer to 20 years old.
