Glossary

Adaptation

Changes plants and animals make over many generations in their body or their behaviour to make living in their environment easier. An adpatation polar bears made was to turn while, so they would be more difficult to see. This makes it easier for them to sneak up on seals.

Arctic

The area around the North Pole that is cold, tree-less and the home to the Inuit and many animals such as polar bears, walrus, seals and beluga whales. The word Arctic comes from the Greek word arktos which means "bear" and refers to the constellation of The Great Bear which is always visible in the north.

Blubber

A layer of body fat many marine mammals use to keep warm. Although the fat may be 10cm (4") thick on a polar bear the main function of the fat on a polar bear is to store energy for when they fast in the summer. Whales, walrus, seals and sea lions also use a layer of blubber to stay warm.

Boar

A male polar bear.

Camouflage

Making something difficult to see by matching it to its surroundings. A white polar bear on white snow matches its surroundings and is difficult to see.

Carnivore

Something that eats another animal. A polar bear eats seals, so polar bears are carnivores.

Coy

A polar bear cub that is less than one year old. Each letter stands for another word. C.O.Y. = Cub Of the Year

Environment

Everything that is in an area. The Arctic environment is a cold, dry, tree-less place, with many animals living on land and in the ocean.

Fiber Optic Line

A thin clear bendable thread, that light can move though. For a while, scientists thought that polar bear hair was like a fiber optic line, but it isn't true!

Food chain

The connection between plants and animals where one eats another. One small arctic food chain is when, fish are eaten by seals which are eaten by polar bears.

Hibernate

A deep sleep that can lasts for months that some animals take that reduces the amount of energy that they use. When an animal is hibernating their heart beat slows down and they don't have to eat or go to the bathroom the whole time. Polar bears don't quite hibernate, but they do sleep a lot.

Home range

The area that a polar bear will live in, including all the places it eats, sleeps, walks and visits. A polar bear's neighbourhood.

Ice Floe

A sheet of floating ice. Make sure that you spell it F-L-O-E.

Molt

When an animal looses its old fur and starts to grow new fur. Birds will molt their feathers, by loosing the old feathers, and growing new ones.

Polynya

An area of open ocean water that does not freeze over completely in winter. Ocean currents, wind, water salinity and water temperature can all work together to keep areas of water open even in winter. These areas are used by marine mammals, such as seals, whales and walurus as breathing holes. Polar bears will then hunt those animals at a polynya.

Predator

An animal that hunts another animal.

Prey

The animal that gets chased or eaten by a predator.

Sow

A female polar bear.

Still hunting

A special way that a polar bear tries to catch a seal by waiting quietly in one spot for the seal to arrive. When the seal shows its head, the polar bear tries to grab it.

Tundra

An area up north where it is too cold for trees to grow and the ground is frozen.

Tundra Buggy

A large truck with big tires that can cross the tundra and keep the passengers and land safe. Click here to learn more about Tundra Buggy Tours www.tundrabuggy.com