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Why do polar bears have a blue tongue? |
Large Mammals
One of these special features is their skin. Did you know that underneath all that white fur, a polar bear’s skin is a dark blue-black color?? It’s true! This special blue-black skin helps them to absorb the warm light of the sun. (Think about how you’re warmer when you wear a dark t-shirt in the sun than when you wear a light t-shirt. The dark color keeps in the warmth!) This dark blue-black skin is actually the same color as that tongue of theirs! But because they have so much white fur (to help them blend in to the snowy background) you don’t ever notice their black skin – you just notice their black tongue!
Polar Bear Club
Polar bears have some other cool features aside from their tongues!
For example, did you know that a polar bear’s fur helps to repel water? If you think about where polar bears live and what they eat, why do you think this would be particularly helpful?
Polar bears also have special wide paws that help them swim well. These neat paws are even built to help polar bears walk on ice more easily – they’re able to grip the ice so the polar bears don’t slip!
What other neat things have you learned about polar bears??
