The Last of the Polar Bears

A reader noticed that Stella and her Mom both have a dark patch on their muzzles and wondered if it was a trait specific to female polar bears. A good question! The answer is no, it has nothing to do with them being female. Interestingly, underneath all the fur, polar bears actually have black skin (its thought to assist them in staying warm, since black absorbs heat). The fur is thinnest around the nose, so on some polar bears, their muzzles are darker where the skin shows through. Stella takes after her mom, while Nanook has a fuzzier nose.