Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ing up to 720kg and measuring up to 2.5m long, polar bears are swift and manoeuvrable,
thanks to the hair on the soles of their feet, which facilitates movement over ice and snow
and provides additional insulation.
A polar bear's diet consists mostly of seals, beached whales, fish and birds, and only
rarely do they eat reindeer or other land mammals (including humans). Polar-bear milk
contains 30% fat (the richest of any carnivorous land mammal), which allows newborn
cubs to grow quickly and survive extremely cold temperatures.
The excellent
Ice Bear: A Natural and Unnatural History of the Polar Bear
, by Ki-
eran Mulvaney, is packed with information and polar bear anecdotes.
bear, with educational information, details on threats and campaigns to save it.
Arctic Fox: Life at the Top of the World
, by Garry Hamilton, combines fascinating
detail with fine photos.
Other Land Mammals
Like many of Norway's larger mammal species,
bjørn
(brown bears) have been persecuted
for centuries, and Norway's only permanent population is in Øvre Pasvik National Park in
eastern Finnmark, although sightings do happen from time to time in Reisa and Stab-
bursdalen National Parks in Finnmark.
A forest-dweller, the solitary and secretive Eurasian lynx is northern Europe's only large
cat. It is found throughout the country but rarely seen.
Lemen (lemmings) occupy mountain areas through 30% of the country and stay mainly
around 800m altitude in the south and lower in the north. They measure up to 10cm and
have soft orange-brown and black fur, beady eyes, a short tail and prominent upper in-
cisors. If you encounter a lemming in the mountains, it may become enraged, hiss, squeak
and attempt to attack!
Other smaller mammal species that are more difficult to see include
hare (
Arctic hares),
pinnsvin
(hedgehogs; mainly in southern Trøndelag),
bever
(beavers; southern Norway),
grevling
(badgers),
oter
(otters),
jerv
(wolverines),
skogmår
(pine martens),
vesel
(weasels) and
røyskatt
(stoats).
