Made with Xara Web Designer If you are interested in acquiring this painting or would like further information please contact me Polar bears are a potentially threatened species living in the circumpolar north. They are animals which know no boundaries. They pad across the ice from Russia to Alaska, from Canada to Greenland and onto Norway's Svalbard archipelago. No adequate census exists on which to base a worldwide population estimate, but biologists use a working figure of 20,000 to 25,000 bears with about sixty percent of those living in Canada. Despite what we think, a polar bear's fur is not white, each hair is clear hollow tube.  Polar bears look white because each hollow hair reflects the light. On sunny days, it traps the sun's infrared heat and keeps the bear warm at 98 degrees Farenheight when resting. Polar bear fur is oily and water repellent. The hairs don't mat when wet, allowing the polar bears to easily shake free of water and any ice that may form after swimming. Climate change is the main threat to polar bears today. A diminishing ice pack directly affects polar bears, as sea ice is the platform from which they hunt seals. Although the Arctic has experienced warm periods before, the present shrinking of the Arctic's sea ice is rapid and unprecedented, potentially putting them on the edge of extinction. Arctic Nomad Link to Us Privacy Photo Gallery Guestbook 12"x18” -  30x46cm Acrylic on Canvas All content and artwork copyright to Stephen Gayford and may not be reproduced without permission © 2007 - 2011