Polar bear Facts for Kids

Polar bears live where it is cold and icy. They are great swimmers. Under the white fur, their skin is black.

A polar bear's fur looks white, but each hair is clear and hollow, and its skin underneath is black to soak up the sun's warmth. Thick fat keeps it warm while it swims between pieces of ice. Its big paws work like paddles and snowshoes.

Polar bears are counted as marine mammals because they spend so much of their lives on the sea ice and in the water. They wait beside breathing holes in the ice for seals to come up. Mother bears dig snow dens where tiny cubs are born in winter. As Arctic sea ice melts earlier each year, polar bears have less time to find food, which is why scientists watch them closely.