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We hope you liked our quiz! Here are the answers:
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The polar bear is almost mythic in the imagination, and is emblematic of the Arctic region. They don’t hibernate in the way of other bear species, especially as winter is the most important time for them to hunt and store up enough fat for the summer. Polar bears can consume as much as 20% of their body weight, and eat up to 2 kilograms of fat in a day. This helps them keep warm in the freezing temperatures. Seals are their food of choice, due to the energy they can get from the blubber. Pregnant polar bears do rest during the winter in dens where warmth can be kept in and where they can create a cozy and safe place to give birth. Cubs stay with their mothers until they are two years old. Polar bears like to play on the ice and in the snow. They can swim for distances of up to 100 kilometers from the shore, and have also been known to walk thousands of kilometers in a month. Gotta work off all the fat somehow, right?
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As a polar explorer, you likely already known that penguins are found in Antarctica, not the Arctic. And of all the penguin species, the emperor penguin is the tallest and heaviest native to this region. During the winter, emperor penguins will travel up to 120 kilometers to join breeding colonies with thousands of other penguins, looking to get lucky in love. After a female penguin gives birth, the male incubates the egg for two months while she goes off to hunt for food. In order to find their mate, the penguins use a complex set of vocalizations to identify one another, like personalized ringtones in the wilderness. What makes emperor penguins extra impressive is their ability to deep-dive, up to 535 meters, into the sea to find the feast of krill, squid, and cephalopods that keep them happy.
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The albatross is such an extraordinary creature that it has long been featured in lore and legends. Along with having the largest wingspan of any bird, the albatross can fly for long stretches at a time without touching land, even as much as 80,000 kilometers. It has perfected gliding techniques that means it conserves energy wisely, and can stay in the sky without flapping its wings very often. It can also sleep while flying, which makes it a master at multitasking. Largely solitary when in flight, the albatross swoops down to catch fish out of the sea, or scavenges what’s left behind by ships. When mating, the albatross has a notable and elaborate dance, and sticks with its partner for life … though it is known to have some liaisons when out traveling.