Polar Bear Quiz – Get to Know Our Furry Friends

Written by Heather Hall — Published: March 1, 2023

How to Play:

Pay close attention to the image and captions provided to help you figure out the answer.

Climate change is having a devastating effect on polar bears. As the Arctic warms, the sea ice that polar bears rely on for hunting and breeding is shrinking. This means they are unable to access their primary food source, seals. Without an adequate seal population in their area, many polar bear populations are struggling to survive. In addition to difficulty finding food, climate change has also caused extended periods of fasting due to less available prey. This lack of nutrition can cause physical stress and ultimately lead to starvation or death in some cases.

A polar bear cub with its mom — Lamberrto/Shutterstock.com

What is the scientific name for the polar bear?

Ursus maritimus

Ursus thibetanus

Ursus americanus

Ursus arctos

A close-up shot of a polar bear with snow on it's snout. — flickrfavorites / flickr

Evolution — Hannes Grobe 21:16, 12 November 2006 (UTC), Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany / CC BY-SA 3.0

A polar bear mother and her two cubs in Wapusk National Park, Canada. — Karilop311 / Flickr

What is the average lifespan of a polar bear in the wild?

2-5 years

20-30 years

10-18 years

6-8 years

Polar bear on ice flow in Wager Bay (Ukkusiksalik National Park, Nunavut, Canada) — Ansgar Walk / Creative Commons

Mother with cubs — U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Public Domain

Polar bears — imperio10/Shutterstock.com

Polar bears engage in this activity partially due to climate change. — iStock.com/xiaoying shi

Where do polar bears live?

Australia

Asia

Africa

North America

Polar Bears play-fighting — Pcb21 / Creative Commons

Polar bears hunt on land and in the water — Vaclav Sebek/Shutterstock.com

Debby was kind and would approach humans, even though she was usually shy around people. — GTW/Shutterstock.com

Beautiful polar bear standing on the edge of an ice floe, looking at his mirror image in the sea. — iStock.com/Mario_Hoppmann

Polar bears are the world’s largest extant bears. — iStock.com/Alexey_Seafarer

What is the average weight of a male polar bear?

601-800 lbs

200-400 lbs

401-600 lbs

801-1000 lbs

Sow Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) near Kaktovik, Alaska — Alan D. Wilson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What is the average weight of a female polar bear?

401-600 lbs

200-400 lbs

801-1000 lbs

601-800 lbs

Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) cubs. — U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Public Domain

What is the average length of a polar bear?

10-12 feet

12-14 feet

7-10 feet

4-6 feet

What is the average shoulder height of a polar bear?

3-4 feet

5-6 feet

4-5 feet

6-7 feet

A polar bear stops to drink near the north pole. — Christopher Michel / Flickr

What is the average tail length of a polar bear?

3-4 inches

5-6 inches

4-5 inches

2-3 inches

A close-up of a polar bear's face. — mliu92 / Flickr

What is the sprint speed of a polar bear?

10-15 mph

30-40 mph

18-25 mph

0-10 mph

What is the average swimming speed of a polar bear?

30-40 mph

10-20 mph

0-10 mph

6-10 mph

20-30 mph

Only animals like polar bears can survive in the coldest places on earth. — Anne Kiel/Shutterstock.com

How deep can a polar bear dive in the water?

10-15 feet

5-6 feet

3-4 feet

7-8 feet

Cubs are small when they're born and stay by their mother's side for several weeks. — isabel kendzior/Shutterstock.com

How long can a polar bear hold its breath?

1 minute

30 seconds

2 minutes

3 minutes

Polar bears live in the same habitat as penguins. True or False?

False

True

What is the average litter size of a polar bear?

3-4 cubs

1-2 cubs

4-5 cubs

2-3 cubs

The Polar Bear is a solitary animal that can not only run at speeds of up to 25mph but its strong ability to swim at 6mph makes it a true apex predator within its environment. These semi-aquatic mammals can hunt both on the ice and in the water and have been known to swim vast distances across the open ocean in search of food. — Vaclav Sebek/Shutterstock.com

Polar bear family in Wapusk National Park. Mother and two playing cubs in the Arctic Tundra. Soft evening light. — Anne Kiel/Shutterstock.com

polar bears in arctic water — iStock.com/avstraliavasin

What is the average gestation period of a polar bear?

90-100 days

120-130 days

195-265 days

110-120 days

60-80 days

A Polar bear mother with two cubs on ice. Polar bears are born tiny and completely helpless, but grow up to be the largest carnivore on land — Alexey Seafarer/Shutterstock.com

What is the average weaning period of a polar bear?

8-10 months

18-30 months

6-8 months

10-12 months

Polar bear with cub. Because they spend most of their lives on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean depending on the ocean for their food and habitat, polar bears are the only bear species to be considered marine mammals. — Gecko1968/Shutterstock.com

What is the average body temperature of a polar bear?

100-102u00b0F

102-104u00b0F

94-96u00b0F

98.6u00b0F

Polar bear running out of the water at Wager Bay in the Canadian Arctic. — iStock.com/JohnPitcher

What is the average resting heart rate of a polar bear?

66-70 beats per minute

80-90 beats per minute

71-80 beats per minute

55-65 beats per minute

What is the conservation status of the polar bear?

Extinct

Critically Endangered

Endangered

Vulnerable to Extinction

What is the average number of teeth in a polar bear’s mouth?

46-48

50-52

48-50

42-44

44-46

Polar bears usually hunt seals — iStock.com/AGAMI stock

What is the average length of a polar bear’s claws?

5-6 inches

4-5 inches

1-2 inches

3-4 inches

How many layers of fur does a polar bear have?

Polar bear swimming underwater. Polar bears can swim for long distances and steadily for many hours to get from one piece of ice to another. — Vladimir Gjorgiev/Shutterstock.com

What color is a polar bears skin?

Black

Pink

Yellow

White

Polar bears live in groups. True or False

False

True

What is a group of polar bears called?

A sleuth

A herd

A tangle

A snarl

What percentage of a polar bears diet is fat?

40-49 percent

90-95 percent

50-69 percent

70-89 percent

How thick is the layer of fat on a polar bear?

2 inches

8 inches

1 inches

4 inches

Remember to also stay curious and always be learning. — INTERTOURIST/Shutterstock.com

How much does a newborn polar bear weigh?

3-4 pounds

75 pounds

50 pounds

16-24 ounces

How big is an adult polar bears paw?

4 inches wide

6 inches wide

9 inches wide

12 inches wide

Polar bears commonly hunt via a method called still-hunting. The bear uses its keen sense of smell to locate a seal breathing hole and waits in silence for a seal to come out. — Zhiltsov Alexandr/Shutterstock.com

Polar bears hibernate in winter. True or Fale?

True

False

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About the Author

Heather Hall

I am a freelance writer with 22 years of experience. I live in the Pacific Northwest and am surrounded by nature. When I go for my daily runs I often see herds of elk, deer, and bald eagles. I am owned by two dogs who take me on hikes in the mountains where we see coyotes, black bears, and wild turkeys.