Useless Bear Information

This whole week has been about bears! First, I got into a discussion with someone in Portland regarding "Bear" culture. And now I'm dealing with facts regarding (ironically one of my favorite animals) Polar Bears, namely in regards to global warming and their habitat in the arctic. Anyone who thinks climate change is a myth needs to pay a visit to the arctic to see it's already happening. When ice caps retreat 60 miles, that's a major deal. I won't even get on my environmental soapbox here... humanity will reap what it sows. So; things I have learned about Ursus Maritimus (the Polar Bear):

*If you spray an antiseptic spray on a polar bear, its fur will turn purple.

*In temperatures that are too warm, a polar bear's fur will turn green (from algae).



*Even though a polar bears fur looks white it is actually colourless and is made with hollow tubes. The reason the bear looks white is because the rough inner surface of the tubes make light scatter and reflect at many different angles which gives the white appearance.

*Polar bear livers contain so much Vitamin A that it can be fatal if eaten by a human.

*Polar bears are excellent swimmers. They have been known to swim more than 60 miles without a rest.

*All polar bears are left-handed. (who knew??)