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INTRO---- HI GUYS I’M CATIE WAYNE AND THIS IS ANIMALIST
NEWS FUN FACTS! A POLAR BEAR’S WHITE APPEARANCE HELPS IT
CAMOUFLAGE IN SNOWY SURROUNDINGS, BUT LOOKS ARE DECEIVING.
DID YOU KNOW POLAR BEARS ARE ACTUALLY BLACK!? BLACK OBJECTS ABSORB ALL WAVELENGTHS OF LIGHT
AND CONVERT THEM INTO HEAT, WHICH ARCTIC ANIMALS DESPERATELY NEED.
ON TOP OF THEIR BLACK SKIN, POLAR BEARS HAVE TWO LAYERS OF INSULATION TO KEEP THEM WARM.
THE FIRST IS A SOFT, TRANSLUCENT UNDERCOAT OF FUR AND THE SECOND IS A THICKER LAYER OF
STIFF, HOLLOW GUARD HAIRS. THESE STRAW LIKE HAIRS CONTAIN AN OFF WHITE
COLORED PROTEIN CALLED KERATIN THAT IS ALSO FOUND IN OUR SKIN, NAILS, AND HAIR.
WHEN THE SUN SHINES ON A POLAR BEAR, VISIBLE LIGHT IS REFLECTED ONTO THE HAIR AND FUR IN
THE SAME WAY THAT SNOW REFLECTS ALL THE COLORS ON THE SPECTRUM TO APPEAR WHITE.
SINCE THE HAIRS ARE HOLLOW, A POLAR BEAR’S DIET AND ENVIRONMENT CAN ALSO AFFECT THEIR
COLOR. FOR EXAMPLE, A POLAR BEAR WHO EATS A LOT OF
SEALS MAY APPEAR YELLOW BECAUSE OILS SECRETE FROM THEIR HAIR.
BUT POLAR BEARS DON’T LOOK THE SAME TO ALL ANIMALS.
ACCORDING TO A RESEARCHER AT ST LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY, ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT IS ABSORBED BY THE KERATIN
IN GUARD HAIRS. SO WHILE POLAR BEARS BLEND INTO THE SNOW FOR
US, REINDEER AND OTHERS WHO CAN SEE UV LIGHT THINK THEY STAND OUT FROM THEIR ENVIRONMENT.
WHATS THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF A POLAR BEAR? LET ME KNOW IN
THE COMMENTS BELOW! BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THESE OTHER VIDEOS AND
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