A group of bears is called a sleuth, but a group of polar bears (a gathering usually reserved for breeding or feeding) is called a celebration.

Polar bears can smell a seal through 3 feet of ice!

When being chased or charging prey, polar bears can run as fast as 25 mph (40 kph) for short distances.

Polar bears feed mainly on ringed and bearded seals. Depending upon their location, they may also eat harp and hooded seals and scavenge on carcasses of beluga whales, walruses, narwhals, and bowhead whales, though they rarely kill these larger animals themselves.

With their dense fur and insulating subcutaneous layer of blubber, polar bears are built for sub-zero temperatures and have an unfortunate propensity to overheat in prolonged exposure to temperatures above 50° Fahrenheit.

Polar bear milk is the fattiest found on land, at about 31 percent fat when the cubs are born. This provides enough calories to help cubs grow rapidly.

Polar bears live most of their life on the sea ice surrounded by saltwater, which is no good for drinking. They get around this in a number of interesting ways. 1) Eating snow, though usually not in great quantities. 2) Drinking from freshwater melt ponds that form on the sea ice during warmer months. 3) Metabolizing seal blubber, which provides water through a chemical reaction as it break down in their bodies.

Polar bears are thought to have diverged from a population of brown bears that became isolated during a period of glaciation in the Pleistocene from the eastern part of Siberia.

Polar bears have black skin that is covered in two layers of fur. The hollow, outer fur layer is nearly 6" long and reflects light, which is why it looks white.

While all bears are short-tailed, the polar bear's tail is relatively the shortest amongst living bears, ranging from 7 to 13 cm (2.8 to 5.1 in) in length.