[neilep (OP)]

Hey guess what ?

I heard on the radio and some stupidly early a.m. time that Polar Bears hair is NOT white...it is in fact translucent and in fact their skin is very dark !!

Is this true ?

[Karen W.]

I don't know, thats interesting though!

[VAlibrarian]

I recall seeing that somewhere neilep, but i cannot quote a source.

I suggest we enjoy polar bears while we got 'em, but from a healthy distance. I also recall reading that climate change is likely to wipe them out.

[neilep (OP)]

I recall seeing that somewhere neilep, but i cannot quote a source.

I suggest we enjoy polar bears while we got 'em, but from a healthy distance. I also recall reading that climate change is likely to wipe them out.

I know...this is a terrible shame.

I don't know if you guys will ever get the latest Series by David Attenborough called Planet Earth but they recently played an episode detailing this exactly ?!

The poor polar bears are having to travel/swim farther and farther to get food. The one episode was particularly distressing as it showed a polar bear so desperate for food after swimming for miles that it attacked a load of walruses....But their blubber is so thick it just couldn't catch one...it ended up with it being poked by the walrus tusk and then out of poor exhaustion it just curled up into a ball and died !!......It was horrible and so sad.

[Karen W.]

MAn That is sad.. I think you can get that show on cable here if you have cable!

[eric l]

Hey guess what ?

I heard on the radio and some stupidly early a.m. time that Polar Bears hair is NOT white...it is in fact translucent and in fact their skin is very dark !!

Is this true ?

This is true indeed.  There is no such thing as a white pigment for hair (or feathers for that matter).  We see them as white for the same reason we see snow as white, while ice is translucent.
The size of the individual hairs and their shape is so that light is dispersed (by diffraction and by reflection) in all directions, so that we simply do not see what lies behind. 
Quartz crystals are translucent, while sand (which is not much else than ground quartz) is not, again because of particle size and shape.

[neilep (OP)]

Hey guess what ?

I heard on the radio and some stupidly early a.m. time that Polar Bears hair is NOT white...it is in fact translucent and in fact their skin is very dark !!

Is this true ?

This is true indeed.  There is no such thing as a white pigment for hair (or feathers for that matter).  We see them as white for the same reason we see snow as white, while ice is translucent.
The size of the individual hairs and their shape is so that light is dispersed (by diffraction and by reflection) in all directions, so that we simply do not see what lies behind. 
Quartz crystals are translucent, while sand (which is not much else than ground quartz) is not, again because of particle size and shape.

THANK YOU THANK YOU ERIC........WONDERFUL EXPLANATION !!

[Karen W.]

NIce That is interesting.. I did not know that about any of those things!

[WylieE]

Polaroids /nm./: what polar bears get from sitting on ice caps
(Groan)
I have also heard that polar bears will "camoflauge" themselves by putting snow on their nose- is there any truth to this?

[neilep (OP)]

Polaroids /nm./: what polar bears get from sitting on ice caps
(Groan)
I have also heard that polar bears will "camoflauge" themselves by putting snow on their nose- is there any truth to this?

LOL...Polaroids !!...(oldie but a goody)

Are you serious about the camouflaging of the nose ?...well..I suppose that's why you asked ?....I've never heard that myself and I am trying to think of what prey a polar bear has that means it has to put snow on it's nose !!..LOL


Though, I do know this and this is true.

That Monkeys paint their testicles red so that they can hide in cherry trees !!...and this then leads to the loudest noise in the jungle ....Giraffes eating cherries !!...it's true !!

[WylieE]

Ow, my sides hurt, that is funny!
My hunch is the covering up the nose is a bit of an urban legend, but I was curious what the facts were. . .

[moonfire]

Polaroids /nm./: what polar bears get from sitting on ice caps
(Groan)
I have also heard that polar bears will "camoflauge" themselves by putting snow on their nose- is there any truth to this?

LOL...Polaroids !!...(oldie but a goody)

Are you serious about the camouflaging of the nose ?...well..I suppose that's why you asked ?....I've never heard that myself and I am trying to think of what prey a polar bear has that means it has to put snow on it's nose !!..LOL


Though, I do know this and this is true.

That Monkeys paint their testicles red so that they can hide in cherry trees !!...and this then leads to the loudest noise in the jungle ....Giraffes eating cherries !!...it's true !!

Geez, I started to go there with a different type of animal disguising himself, but this has me laughing so hard with the visual...I can't do it!  LOL