(by 360 people)
Created by Frankster (contact me)
I'm Frankie Kangas. I love polar bears. I read about, write about or sculpt Polar Bears every day.
I wear one... (more...)
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Are You Polar Bear Aware?
Global warming, oil exploration, big game hunters, these all negatively affect the polar bear population. The purpose of this lens is to raise money to help save Polar Bears from extinction while helping more people become Polar Bear Aware.
You'll find information ranging from Polar Bear ART to ZOOs and everything in-between. There will be bear facts and photos; cartoons & jokes; contests & factoids; links to wildlife, endangered species and environmental organizations; lists of great books; links to great videos and live polar bear cams; and of course videos & photos of cute KNUT, Hudson and now Flocke.
one section, my good friend David Booth from Cabin Fever Art, has a weekly Polar Bear Cartoon that changes every Monday. Check back often as I'm constantly adding new stuff.
The money raised from this lens is donated 50% to National Wildlife Federation and 50% to Polar Bears International.
Now, off you go. Relax and enjoy the journey but do take it all in. There will be a test -- I kid you not -- about half way through you'll find my "Polar Bear Aware-ness Test". Take it if you dare and find out just how Polar Bear Aware you are!
The Real Reason For Global Warming!
Do you think they started the petition for "threatened" species too?
If you wonder what he's bopping his head to, see the polar bear on the computer screen clapping his hands.
UnBEARably Cute Pictures of Polar Bears
Polar Bears In All Their Majestic Glory
Here we'll gather Flickr pictures of polar bears showcasing their many moods -- mad, bad, silly, sleepy, maternal, or majestic. Add your favorite pictures so we can all enjoy these beautiful beasts! Then, don't forget to vote by clicking the little buttons under your favorite shots. Then, refresh your screen and the picures will reorder by total points.
Thanks to the following Photographers so far:
thelearnr, lemperleconnie, Gregory Byerline, alan-sf, giles.breton, chorickr, Eisbar, Splashing!, and iphotograph
How Polar Bears Evolved
Not Your Great-Great-Great-Grandfather's Brown Bear
The earliest polar bear fossil is less than 100,000 years old. And it is likely that they separated from the brown (grizzly) bear somewhere near the arctic coast of Siberia.As the polar bear evolved, it's appearance diverged from the brown bear's, growing hair all over it's body except nose and pads of feet. The bear's coat became white to yellow and sometimes light brown depending on the time of year.
The head became elongated with a Roman nose. The cheek teeth became smaller and more jagged and the canines larger and sharper for tearing apart it's favorite food, seal. And their claws are also shorter and more solid than the brown bear.
The polar bear's tail and ears are smaller than the brown bear's but they have huge feet. Their feet are used to swim (used oar-like) and like snowshoes on the snow and ice. They also have small, soft papillae on the bottoms of their feet which gives them traction on the ice when they run.
Polar Bear Embryo
By Award Winning Photographers
Cibachrome print of a polar bear embryo by award winning international photographers, Daniel & Geo Fuchs. To see it and more of their fabulous work, click The Bulger Gallery.By the way, how many embryos do you count?
How Polar Bears Reproduce
Polar Bear Birthing Facts
Although the egg is fertilized, it remains in a state of suspension in the female until late in August or early September. The egg then implants in the wall of the uterus and begins to grow.
Early in November or December, the female, prepares for the impending birth by digging a maternity den. She stays in the den and the babies are born between late November and early January.
Polar Bear Birthing Facts
Everything You Want To Know About Polar Bear Cubs
#1
Polar Bears are born deaf and blind.
10 points
#2
Cubs weigh 1 to 1-1/2 pounds at birth.
5 points
#3
The cubs fur is so fine that for a long time they were thought to be born hairless.
5 points
#4
Eyes open around day 26 after birth.
5 points
#5
Cubs get sense of smell at day 50.
4 points
#6
Cubs begin to walk at around 2 months old.
4 points
#7
Males weight more than females at birth.
3 points
#8
When cubs leave their den in March or April, they weigh 25 to 30 pounds.
2 points
Courtesy of Polar Bears International. Click the picture to go to their site.
Description Of The Polar Bear -- Ursus Maritimus
The Largest Member Of The Bear Family
Polar bears are such great creatures. And to think that it's only in recent evolutionary time that bears adapted to arctic sea life. It started during the Ice Age, in the northern seas, when the seals needed to breathe and reproduce at the surface. By doing this, the seals put a rich year-round food source within reach of a population of brown bears, who then started to live on the ice, evolving into something like the polar bear of today around 100,000 years ago.Weighing about 330 to 1,760 pounds, the length of the polar bear's body is approximately 6.6 to 10 feet (some sources say 8 to 11 feet) tall. The male body is usually larger than the female. The polar bear, similar to the brown bear, is large and stocky. It has an elongated neck and small head. Its fur, usually white, sometimes appears yellow, due to oxidation.
A polar bear has black skin, which helps it absorb and hold heat from the sunlight. It is definitely well dressed for the weather with a layer of fat more than 4 inches thick to provide good insulation. The heavy fur on its feet (its foot is about 9 inches wide and 12 inches long) provides warmth and traction. Since each foot is so large, it acts as a handy snowshoe. They walk with a bow-legged gait.
It is a good swimmer with its broad forepaws that serve as paddles. When swimming underwater, the small ears flatten for protection and its nostril close. It paddles at about 6 and one-half miles per hour - front feet only, hind feet trailing - and can remain submerged for about 2 minutes. The hairs of its waterproof coat are hollow which is a good insulator and increases the bear's buoyancy when swimming.
A polar bear has a good sense of smell, sensing prey at a distance of about 20 miles. Although little is known about its sense of touch (its eyesight and hearing is acute), a polar bear is able to manipulate various objects with great dexterity.
With canine teeth larger and sharper than those of other bears, the polar bear is the most carnivorous North American bear.
Polar Bear Habits
Fierce, Playful, Maternal
Polar bears, like people, prefer certain foods. They have an acute sense of smell and is able to locate prey, even when hidden by snowdrifts or ice. Polar bears mainly stalks young seals and can eat nearly 50 a year). They also like walruses and capture them by swimming underwater to their ice floes. They also likes algae (when available), berries, birds and bird eggs, crabs, dead animals (including whales), grasses, mushrooms, small mammals, starfish, and sometimes...adult seals.The polar bear, when it returns to it's den is lethargic. Males usually den from late November to late January, while females den for a longer period of time, from November to March. During that time, the sows give birth. The cubs remain with their mother about 1-1/2 to 2 years.
One of the largest denning areas for polar bears is the lowlands of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It is also the only known region where polar bears den in earth rather than in snow. They actually dig down to the permafrost to excavate caves.
Most polar bears meet their potential mates in prime seal-hunting spots. Female polar bears don't breed every year since they have cubs for up to 2 years. So, getting a date can be a real challenge! Therefore, competition for the attention of a female can be truly fierce. The males must fight one another for the privilege of mating, sometimes viciously.
Although mating takes place in late March to mid-July, females delay implantation of its fertilized eggs until early fall when it digs out and enters its den, giving birth a month or two later. To carry off a successful pregnancy and denning, the pregnant female must greatly increase her weight, mostly in fat. The denned mother often goes without food or water for as long as nine months.
The cubs are born in December or January, usually a pair of fur balls. They weigh in at about 1 to 1.5 pounds. When they leave their den in March or Apr, the cubs will weigh 25 to 30 pounds.
Great Polar Bear Videos
Voting for best video about Polar Bears
I'm always looking for great videos on Polar Bears. Here are my favorites. Vote for the one you like the best. Let me know if you have a video or if you know of one that is not listed. Enjoy!
For more great polar bear videos -- animated, cartoon, and live, visit Polar Bear Video Showcase
SpikedHumor.com » Polar Bears At Play » SpikedHumor.com
Watch polar bears playing with each other.5 points
How Not To Rescue A Polar Bear On A Cliff Video
The plan was simply to gently lower the polar bear more...4 points
http://www.livevideo.com/video/5019F03BF460438C9FC7BE73A10E5BE0/polar-bears-and-global-warming.aspx
Polar bears live only in the arctic and as the sea more...2 points
Polar Bear: The Arctic Warrior (Ursi's Blog) Video
Wildlife Special (50 minutes) No - it's not about more...1 point
Polar Bears And Their Habitat
Where You'll Find Polar Bears
Polar bears live only in the Northern Hemisphere. They inhabit the Arctic ice cap, islands, sea ice, and water and continental coastlines. Polar bears prefers the sea ice habitat. They like to be near the continental coastlines or islands.Polar bears are found in Canada, from the northern arctic islands south to the Hudson Bay. They are also found in Greenland, the islands off the coast of Norway, on the northern and northwestern coasts of Alaska and on the northern coast of the former Soviet Union.
Some polar bears spend part of the year on land, although in warmer climates a bear might become stranded. Most pregnant females spend the autumn and winter on land in their maternity dens.
The home range of a polar bear tend to be larger than for other mammal species because of the changes in sea ice from year to year and even season to season. Small home ranges are between 19,000 to 23,000 miles, and can be found near Canadian Arctic Islands. Large home ranges are about 135,000 miles and can be found in the Bering or Chukchi Seas. A polar bear is capable of traveling 19 miles or more per day for several days, although some are capable of much more than that.
Watch Polar Bears Live!
Polar Bears Cams From All Over The World
National Geographic Magazine Polar Bear Cam This live video stream is provided in partnership with Polar Bears International (PBI), RealNetworks, Inc., Frontier North's Tundra Buggy® Adventure, and SeeMore Wildlife Systems. Filmed in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.
San Diego Zoo's Polar Bear Plunge You'll meet the 4 polar bears: Kalluk, Tatqiq, Chinook and Shikari. This exhibit also has Siberian reindeer, Pallas' cats, northern birds, and native plants. There's an underwater viewing room where the bears are known to swim right up to the glass to check out all the humans on display.
WWF Save The Polar Bear, Polar Bear Tracker For the last four years WWF has tracked polar bears in the Arctic. Their positions are beamed from collars on the bears' necks, via satellite to scientists, and then to their website. It allows regular updates about how the polar bears behave in their arctic environment and how they may be affected by climate change. You can read more about tagging the polar bears on the WWF website which is brought to you with the help of the Norwegian Polar Institute. Animated Polar Bears - Created By David Booth
Here's an animated banner that David Booth created for this site. I love it! - Frankie
Test Your Polar Bear Aware-ness ...
If You dare!
Answer the following 10 questions to find out how Polar Bear Aware you are. After taking the test, click on the link at the bottom to get the answers and your Aware-ness Quotient. Take the test again after reading though the lens.1. Polar bears evolved from which other bear?
2. Female polar bears are called what?
3. What is the Inuit name for polar bear?
4. What color is the skin of a polar bear?
5. A polar bear can remain submerged for how long?
6. _________ is known as the polar bear capital of the world.
7. A denned mother often goes without food or water for how long?
8. Cubs don't leave the den until they are how old?
9. Besides man, what is the biggest threat Polar Bears face?
10. What is the Polar Bears favorite food?
Aware-ness Quotients:
0 - 1 wrong answers = Polar Bear Aware
2 - 3 wrong answers = Bear-ly Aware
4 - 5 wrong answers = Bears Repeating
6 + wrong answers = Bear-ly Worth Scoring
Click here to see the answers and get your Aware-ness Quotient.
What Is Your Polar Bear Aware Quotient?
How Did You Score On The Polar Bear Aware-ness Test?
See how you compare with others that took the test. Remember, if you don't like your score, take the test again after you finish reading through the lens. I won't tell.
Are You Polar Bear Aware? TROPHY CASE
No Heads, Hides Or Body Parts, Just Pixels And Bragging Rights
RANKED #1
I am truly grateful to each of you who have visited and rated the lens. Thank you for supporting me in my quest to raise awareness and money to save the Polar Bears. You rock!
Live Polar Bear Cam
Live Through Nov 18, 2007
Watch polar bears up close and personal via a moveable video camera mounted on a roving multi-passenger vehicle in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, the "polar bear capital of the world. The mobile cameras are sending out live video only until November 18th, so check them out now. Polar Bear Cam is brought to you in partnership with Polar Bears International, Frontier North's Tundra Buggy Adventure, SeeMore Wildlife Systems, and RealNetworks, Inc.Go to Polar Bear Cam now.
Polar Bear Celebrities
KNUT: Great Pictures Of Cute KNUT
Pictures of Knut, the polar bear cub at the Berlin Zoo.
KNUT Videos on YouTube
Watch The Latest Videos On Knut
KNUT The CUTE! on Del.icio.us
Great Blogs And Bookmarks About Knut
Many of these are written in German but even if you can't read the language, you can enjoy all the great pictures and videos -- many NOT seen in the USA!
HUDSON -- Watch Out KNUT, HUDSON Has Arrived
Polar Bear Cub At Chicago's Brookfield Zoo
Hudson beats to his own drum
HUDSON -- Cute Video Of Hudson Entertaining Himself
Great Video Of Hudson at Brookfield Zoo
Hudson, baby polar bear at Brookfield Zoo outside of Chicago
Hudson, baby polar bear at Brookfield Zoo outside of Chicago. Hudson is 6 months old.
Runtime: 4:20
4400 views
8 Comments:
FLOCKE - Polar Bear Born At Nuremberg Zoo
Follow The Unfolding Story Of The Nurember Zoo Cubs
For more pictures, click More Pictures
- Videos Of Nurember Polar Bear Cub
- Check out these videos of the polar bear cub -- not named at this time -- on his first website in Germany.
- Nuremberg polar cub to get Knut's potion
- The polar bear cub that has been topping German news all week is to receive a health potion that helped bear celebrity, Knut, through the perils of babyhood. -
- New Polar Bear Cub Pics, a Baby Giraffe, Invading Owls, & Dogs on Parade | WDEF News 12 | News, Weather and Sports for Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley
- Can Polar Bear Cubs get any cuter? Can baby Giraffes hold their necks up? Can a country Owl make it in the big city? And why would anyone dress up their dog like Bacchus?
- German polar cub grows first teeth
- Germany's famous polar bear cub, Flocke, may not be cute and cuddly for much longer, as the bear has begun growing her first teeth.
All four fangs and two of her incisors have shown already.
Nuremberg Zoo veterinarian Dr Bernhard Neurohr says the cub is handling the transition well, quickly learning how to use her new tools to bite her keeper's hands or gnaw on her baby bottle... - Flocke Turns 2 mos - VIDEO
- Great video about Flocke turning 2 months old.
- Polar Bear Flocke-Nuremberg Zoo
- Polar Bear Baby Flocke in Nuremberg Zoo. Photos, videos, more great Flocke stuff.
FLOCKE -- Video of Flocke Meeting The World
#1
Baby Polar Bear 'Flocke' meets the World! 0 points
WILHELMA -- Another Cute Polar Bear Cub!
Another German Polar Bear Cub
To see some great videos of this little bear cub with him mum, click Wilhelma Videos.
WEEKLY Polar Bear Cartoons by David Booth
NEW CARTOON EVERY MONDAY
Inuit Beliefs About The Polar Bear
The prehistoric Inuit people held strong beliefs about animals and about the polar bear specifically. They knew how to kill animals including polar bears but they believed they had to defer to their spirits when they did.
The beliefs and practices varied some depending on where the people lived. However, they had (maybe some still do) the following common themes: They believed that...
* All creatures have souls.
* That a polar bear would give itself to a hunter only if it were treated properly after death.
* The spirit of an animal might be chosen to be the tornaq (spiritual guardian) of an individual.
* The most powerful tornaq (after the Sedna, the Goddess of the sea, who was held to be the most powerful being of all) was that of a polar bear.
* It was wrong to kill a polar bear too soon after another one was killed so there was a taboo set on hunting. For instance, the Netsilik, Copper, and Inland Inuit abstained for 5 days after killing a female and 4 days for a male.
* If a polar bear was wounded by a hunter, it's soul would be deeply offended and cause sickness and harm to the hunter therefore, it had to be tracked down and killed.
The Inuit people still have much regard and reverence for the polar bear.
Interesting Polar Bear Facts
Did You Know This about Polar Bears?
Please vote for the one you find most interesting and add your own. Come back to see what else we find out about Polar Bears.
#1
Polar bears are considered marine mammals because their primary habitat is sea ice and not the adjacent land.
6 points
#2
Polar bear liver is not safe for human consumption.
3 points
#3
The polar bear is also called nanook, nanuq, nanuk, ice bear, sea bear, eisbär, isbjørn and white bear.
2 points
#4
Polar bears shed their hair annually in the Spring.
2 points
#5
Polar bears can sleep in any position.
2 points
#6
Scientific name is Ursus maritimus.
1 point
#7
Polar bears are found only in the Northern Hemisphere.
1 point
#8
Alaska's Chukchi and Beauford Seas are known as the Polar Bear Seas.
1 point
Polar Bear ART
Nanuk, Lord Of The Ice Comes To Life (Morphing)
"Nanuk, Lord of the Ice"
This one-of-a kind ceramic sculpture breaks free and comes to life. For more pictures of this sculpture or others, visit Sculptures by Frankie (www.sculpturesbyfrankie.com)
Look Who's Creating Unique Polar Bear Art
Find Bear Sculptures, Paintings, Drawings, and More
- Sculptures by Frankie
- Frankie here (your lensmaster). On my sculpture web site you'll find original one-of-a-kind Lions, Fu Dogs and Bears (OH MY!). I also sculpt figurative and organic pieces and miniature polar bear necklaces. I am known for unique finishes including "horsehair and feather raku". I donate 10% of all sales to the National Wildlife Federation to help save polar bears from extinction and 10% of all Internet sales to Big Cat Rescue.
- Daniel & Geo Fuchs
- They have a truly awesome cibachrome print of a polar bear embryo. It is a must see. Their work is shown at the Stephen Bulger Gallery in Toronto.
- Loet Vanderveen
- Loet Vanderveen was born in Holland and spent a great deal of time as a youngster at the zoo where he developed his love for animals. His uniquely stylized animals are done in bronze with rich patinas. He resides now in Big Sur California.
- Victoria L. Burns
- Victoria Burns creates unique pen and ink limited edition prints of polar bears and other animals.
- Clifford VanMeter
- A wildlife artist with a particular fondness for bears. Cliff's work combines elements of the everything from expressionism to fauvism in an effort to create something beyond whatthe eye or the camera lens perceives.
- Rebecca Latham
- A realistic wildlife and nature painter working in finely detailed watercolors. Her works range from large scale formats to miniature paintings.
Rebecca's artwork and paintings are exhibited extensively in galleries and shows across the United States and abroad. She holds memberships in numerous prestigious fine art societies around the world. - Artist, Sandy Sandy's Spirit Art
- Her hope is that the energy and spirit of her paintings will inspire a joyful awareness in life, the earth and all our fellow creatures.
Name That Polar Bear Sculpture
Bearly Enough Names
Come up with a name and a brief description for a polar bear sculpture and/or vote on the