The massive forepaws may be twelve inches in diameter, and the toes are partially webbed. But polar bear claws are shorter and needle sharp, the better to grasp wriggling prey with. The brown bears that live on Alaska's Kodiak Island are often described as the largest carnivores. But polar bears may be equally big. Females grow until they're about four years old and may weigh about 660 pounds.
Males continue to grow until about eight years of age.
They may weigh from 1,100 to more than 1,300 pounds and measure 8.25 to 11 feet from nose to tail. Everyone knows that polar bears are white. The hairs are actually clear. But the fur appears white or yellowish because the hairs reflect and scatter sunlight. The nose and lips remain black because they aren' t covered with fur.