The polar bear, or Ursus maritimus, is a bear
native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing
the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding
land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore
and also the largest bear. The polar bear is often
regarded as a marine mammal because it spends many
months of the year at sea. The Polar Bear's preferred
habitat is the annual sea ice covering the waters
over the continental shelf and the Arctic inter-island
archipelagos. |