ARCTIC Summer Snow Dens Used By Polar Bears In The Canadian High Arctic

• Main Author: R. E. Schweinsburg
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arctic; Burrows; Hudson; Ursus maritimus
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.549.2009; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/arctic32-2-165.pdf

ABSTRACT. This paper describes the use of snow dens by polar bears during two summers on northern Baffk and Bylot Islands. More dens were found during 1976 than 1975, probably because of heavier snow during 1976. Dens were of three types, shallow surface pits, shallow dens, and deep burrows. This paper describes, for the first time, the use of snow dens by polar bears (Ursus maritimus Phipps) during the summer. Polar bears have long been known to use snow dens during winter throughout their range (Harington, 1%8; L$n & 1970; Jonkel et al., 1972; Uspenski and Kistchinski, 1972; Lentfer, 1976). These dens provide escape from inclement weather for probably all sex and age classes of polar bears and maternity shelter for parturient females (Harington, 1968; Van de Velde, 1971). Polar bears also use earth dens during the summer along the coasts and on the islands of southern Hudson and James Bays as places to avoid heat and insects when they come onto land during the ice free period (Jonke et al., 1972). Some earth dens may be used for winter maternity dens.