This could threaten the existence of other Arctic species, such as the Arctic fox or the walrus. The species eat almost exclusively on seals, but if they can’t hunt for this food source due to lack of a sturdy ice platform or pure exhaustion, they will move on to other animals. Polar bears are at the top of the food chain and play an important role in keeping the biological populations in balance, which is a critical component to a functioning ecosystem. Polar bears rely heavily on sea ice for many activities such as travelling, hunting, resting, mating and, in some areas, maternal dens.Īn interesting fact is that most polar bears sleep between seven to eight hours at a stretch and often take naps just about anywhere, any time, and especially after feeding making humans and polar bears rather similar when it comes to sleeping patterns. They also have a thick layer of body fat and a water-repellent coat that insulates them from the cold air and water. Polar bears are talented swimmers for hunting and travelling long distances, and they are able to sustain a pace of six miles per hour by paddling with their front paws and holding their hind legs flat like a rudder. When there are no seals available, polar bears opt to catch walruses and beluga whales. The massive mammal eats at least 50 seals a year, but because of the annual melting patterns of the sea ice, they can hunt only from November to July. They can eat up to 10 to 20% of their entire body weight thanks to their giant stomachs their bodies can use about 97% of the fat they eat. Polar bears’ diet consists mainly of seals as they require large amounts of fat to survive the cold climate. Scientists however do not know why walruses behave the way they do about certain things.Location: Arctic Ocean (Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Norway) When a polar bear rushes at them, the entire group sprints to the beach and in the process they kill many walrus’ calves. Walruses often breed in large groups consisting of thousands of individuals. Fred Lemire - National Geographic Your Shot Similarly, killer whales go after the walrus’ calves for they are less likely to look at adult walruses as a potential food source. ![]() In other words, walruses would be the last foods polar bears would to like to eat. Polar bears only hunt walruses when they do not find seals which are ultimately their primary diet. Nevertheless, walruses do not make up the top menu item of either orcas or polar bears. Walruses have only a few natural predators in the wild for they are probably too big to get caught even by the largest of the predators The adult walruses can potentially cause serious injuries to the polar bears if the latter get caught within the group of a walrus. Adult bears mostly hunt walruses but even adults would prefer to feed on young walruses. Young polar bears rarely go after the walrus. ![]() Killer whales and possibly polar bears are thought to be the potential predators of walrus. ![]() ![]() Still many people wonder what eats walruses in the wild. Walruses have only a few natural predators in the wild for they are probably too big to get caught even by the largest of the predators. The walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus) is one of the largest marine mammals in the Arctic with adults weighing up to 4,400 pounds.
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