POLAR BEAR 



Color. — Sexes colored alike; no marked seasonal variation. 



Everywhere white with generally a yellowish suffusion; 

 sometimes brownish white in summer. 



Immature purer white. 



Measurements. — Males about twenty per cent larger than 

 females. Total length, 84-96 inches; tail, 3.5-5 inches; hind 



Polar Bear 



foot, 14.5 inches; weight, 700-1600 pounds, average male 900 

 pounds, average female 700 pounds. 



Geographical Distribution. — Arctic America. 



Food.— Omnivorous; principally sea food such as Seals, 

 fish, shrimp, mollusks, seaweeds; and on land, grass, roots, 

 Foxes, Caribou, birds, etc. 



Enemies. — Very few apart from man— the Eskimo; prob- 

 ably a few are caught by Killer Whales. 



Species and Subspecies of the Genus Thalarctos 



Knottnerus-Meyer has divided the Polar Bears into a 

 number of geographical races and since these Bears are all very 

 much the same externally the basis of separation is the skull. 

 He gives four different subspecies for North America but it is 



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