Hey there! Have you ever wondered if polar bears can swim in snow? Well, there’s a little polar bear at the Toronto Zoo who’s trying to figure that out! Let’s dive into the world of polar bears and learn some cool facts about them.
Polar bears are amazing at walking on ice and snow without slipping. Imagine trying to walk on a slippery ice rink without falling—it’s not easy! But polar bears make it look simple. They can even run fast on ice, just like some of the fastest human runners!
Scientists have tracked polar bears traveling over 2,000 miles in just 10 months. That’s like walking from Washington, D.C., all the way to Utah! But how do they do it without slipping?
The secret lies in their paws. Polar bear paws are huge, almost like dinner plates! They have thick, shaggy fur that keeps them warm, just like wearing cozy socks or boots. But there’s more to it than just fur.
Look closely at a polar bear’s paw pads, and you’ll find tiny bumps called “pilla.” These bumps help the bears grip the ice and snow, preventing them from slipping. It’s like when you rub your fingers over something bumpy and they catch on the bumps.
Polar bears walk long distances mainly to find food. Their favorite meal is seals, which are fast swimmers. When the water freezes, polar bears can walk on the ice to hunt seals. They look for holes in the ice where seals come up for air, and then they wait patiently to catch them.
Scientists are inspired by polar bears and are trying to create new materials that work like their pilla. Imagine having shoes or tires with tiny bumps that help us walk on ice without slipping!
You can try experimenting too! Think about things that slip and grip, like basketballs with tiny bumps. What if you played with a smooth basketball? Try testing different shoes to see which ones grip better on slippery surfaces.
There are so many mysteries in the world, just like how polar bears walk on ice. Keep asking questions and exploring new ideas. Who knows, maybe you’ll invent something amazing one day!
Thanks for joining us on this polar bear adventure. If you want to learn more, check out “Arctic Adventure: Polar Bears at Play” on Discovery Education. And remember, stay curious and see you next time!
Paw Print Experiment: Create your own “polar bear paw” using a paper plate. Glue cotton balls or soft fabric to mimic the fur, and use small beads or buttons to represent the “pilla” bumps. Once your paw is ready, test it by gently pressing it onto a surface covered with flour or sugar to see how it grips. Discuss with your friends or family how the bumps help the polar bear walk on ice without slipping.
Shoe Grip Test: Gather different types of shoes from around your home, such as sneakers, boots, and slippers. With the help of an adult, find a safe, smooth surface like a tiled floor. Carefully test each shoe to see which one grips the best. Talk about why some shoes might be better for walking on slippery surfaces, just like polar bears use their paws to grip ice.
Polar Bear Walk Challenge: Imagine you’re a polar bear and try walking on a “slippery” surface. Use a large piece of cardboard or a yoga mat to simulate ice. Try walking across it with socks, then with shoes, and notice the difference. Think about how polar bears might feel walking on real ice and how their special paws help them. Share your experience with a friend or family member.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hey, it’s Esther! Is it possible to swim in snow? This tiny polar bear seems to be trying. He’s exploring snow for the very first time at the Toronto Zoo. Someone named Nathan has a question about polar bears. Let’s give Nathan a call now.
Hi, Esther!
Hey, Nathan! I have a question for you: How do polar bears walk on ice and snow?
That’s a great question! Check out these polar bear cubs in the wild. They’re taking their first steps and slipping and sliding a bit. If you’ve ever tried moving on ice and snow, you can probably relate. Slipping and sliding can be fun sometimes, but other times it can lead to a serious wipeout.
Somehow, adult polar bears make moving on ice and snow look easy—no slipping or sliding here! They can even run when they need to for short distances. Polar bears can run as fast as some of the fastest human runners, and they’re running on ice! While polar bears usually move more slowly, they can still cover huge distances. Scientists at Polar Bears International tracked a polar bear and her cub who traveled over 2,000 miles in 10 months. That’s like walking from Washington, D.C., to the U.S. state of Utah on ice!
Before I go on, I’m curious: What do you think? How do polar bears walk on ice and snow without slipping? Now would be a good time to pause the video and discuss.
Okay, you ready to understand how polar bears walk without slipping? It might help to first look at why they walk so far on ice. One big reason is to find food, especially a polar bear’s most important food: seals. Seals spend much of their time in the water. They’re speedy swimmers, and it’s hard to keep up even for strong polar bears.
This polar bear has spotted a seal close to shore, but the seal has plenty of time to escape before he can even get close. When temperatures get colder, though, the water starts to freeze, and a thick layer of ice forms on top. Seals can swim below the frozen surface, but now the polar bears don’t have to swim after them—they can walk on the ice instead.
Polar bears search for holes in the ice where seals come up for air. Then they patiently wait, ready to grab the first seal that pops up, or they might sneak up on a seal that’s resting or even leap across the ice. Melting, cracking ice makes it hard for polar bears to hunt and get the food they need. The colder the ice, the easier it is for them to travel.
To do that, polar bears rely on their paws. Take a look—they’re as big as dinner plates! All that shaggy fur helps keep their paws warm on ice and snow, like how you might wear extra socks or heavy boots. Notice those black areas without fur? Those are patches of thick, squishy skin called paw pads.
If you look at the skin on the palm of your hand, you’ll notice that it has wrinkles and lots of tiny ridges. Look closely at a polar bear’s paw pads, and instead of ridges, you’ll find lots of tiny little bumps called “pilla.” Other animals have paw pads with pilla too, like dogs, cats, and some bears. But compared to other bears, polar bear pilla are extra tall, and those extra tall bumps seem to be the secret to not slipping.
Think about moving your finger over something bumpy. Each bump rubs against your skin, and your fingers might even catch on a bump and kind of stick there before sliding along. A polar bear’s pilla do something similar—all those tiny extra tall bumps rub against the ice and snow to give the polar bears a better grip.
Since extra tall pilla works so well for polar bears, scientists hope to invent new materials that act like pilla for people. Adding tiny extra tall bumps to the bottoms of boots can help us walk on ice without slipping or help tires grip a snowy road. You could come up with inventions to give a better grip too!
Try experimenting with things that slip and grip. If you’ve ever played with a basketball, you may have noticed that they have lots of tiny bumps. Would playing with a totally smooth basketball change your game? See if you can test it out or test out different kinds of footwear. Try to figure out why some grip or slip more than others and experiment with different ways to make them grip even better.
Then think about other slippery problems, like icy sidewalks or pool decks. There are lots of situations where a better grip would really help. Maybe you can invent a new solution!
That’s all for this week’s question. Thanks, Nathan, for asking it! If you’re curious to learn more about polar bears, check out “Arctic Adventure: Polar Bears at Play,” a live virtual field trip available now on Discovery Education.
Now for the next episode, we reached into our question jar and picked out three questions sent to us that we’re thinking about answering next. When the video’s done playing, you’ll get to vote on one of them. You can choose from: How do erasers erase? What causes lightning? Or why does poison ivy make us itchy?
So submit your vote when the video is over. We want to hear from all of you watching. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious, and see you next week!
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Let me know if you need any further modifications!
