BIOL 3753 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Infrared Photography, Muskox, Telemetry
Document Summary
Hollow fur, translucent guard hairs (skin is black underneath) Puts on fat readily up to 10cm of blubber. Initiates after 7-10 days of not getting food, then kicks back up after food is acquired. Other bears only do this in the fall prior to hibernation. World"s largest land carnivore 350-680kg, 2. 4-3m long. High sexual dimorphism in size females are aprox. Can detect seals 1. 6km away under 1m of snow. Most carnivorous of all bears grinding teeth actually jagged for flesh. Energy balance is critical for the bear"s survival. Fast during the summer, need to pack on mass beforehand. Still hunting waiting motionless by a seal hole for a seal to come up, blow and then swipe it with paws. Stalking spotting a seal, slipping into the water and following it down-wind, approaching closely then attacking. Raiding subnivean birth lairs smelling sites, creeping up and then pouncing through roof. Observed in open water ~320km from land, average of 155km.
