Polar Bear heat tolerance

[Deleted]

I truly do not think it is so bad... Anyone able to do some research? Devoid of any research or evidence I say-
A polar bear wouldn't like hot muddy humid swamps in florida but a grizzly would not either and black bears try to avoid those areas. But being pushed futher south won't do a damn thing IMO. Trying to survive as an obligate carnivore in a world full of honey and berries you have a hard time exploiting, being relatively stupid compared to your counterparts and being tossed into a myriad of competitors and foreign herbivores is a problem. Cooking to death is not. That is what I think.

[Hardcastle]

Well there was the story of the captive Polar bears at sea world in QLD (where it is pretty much the same as florida), they had the water chilled for their comfort, but they found when the water was below 18 degrees celcius (about 64 degrees farenheit) the polar bears refused to get into it. They found it "too cold", when they put the water up to 20 degrees the polar bears liked it.

However, I think the amount of work a polar bear has to do IRL, the amount of travel searching for seals and etc, they couldn't do that where it was warm. Even in the arctic they get warm sometimes and have to cool off by spreading out in the snow. Their body doesn't dissipate hardly any warmth, and with such a big body and only a relatively small cooling system (the mouth), when they work their body it can heat up pretty quick and struggle to cool down. It's probably overstated a little by some, but it is true they are definitely well adapted for the cold and retaining their warmth. Huskies are too, but they are relatively small and well adapted for strenuous high intensity aerobic exercise, their cooling system has more surface area relative to their size and their small bodies don't generate so much heat when they move. The heat intolerance of the siberian husky is definitely over-estimated. And yet, at the same time, all dogs and bears are somewhat heat intolerant, cold tolerance comes easier and more naturally.

[Deleted]

Jan 5, 2023 7:13:29 GMT Hardcastle said:

Well there was the story of the captive Polar bears at sea world in QLD (where it is pretty much the same as florida), they had the water chilled for their comfort, but they found when the water was below 18 degrees celcius (about 64 degrees farenheit) the polar bears refused to get into it. They found it "too cold", when they put the water up to 20 degrees the polar bears liked it.

However, I think the amount of work a polar bear has to do IRL, the amount of travel searching for seals and etc, they couldn't do that where it was warm. Even in the arctic they get warm sometimes and have to cool off by spreading out in the snow. Their body doesn't dissipate hardly any warmth, and with such a big body and only a relatively small cooling system (the mouth), when they work their body it can heat up pretty quick and struggle to cool down. It's probably overstated a little by some, but it is true they are definitely well adapted for the cold and retaining their warmth. Huskies are too, but they are relatively small and well adapted for strenuous high intensity aerobic exercise, their cooling system has more surface area relative to their size and their small bodies don't generate so much heat when they move. The heat intolerance of the siberian husky is definitely over-estimated. And yet, at the same time, all dogs and bears are somewhat heat intolerant, cold tolerance comes easier and more naturally.

Do you think they could wallow in water and mud?