Why Don’t Polar Bears Slip on Ice? The Paw Adaptation Revealed

Polar bears navigate icy terrains with remarkable confidence thanks to specialized paw pads. Tiny, tall bumps called papillae on their pads enhance grip by anchoring into snow and disrupting ice melt. Combined with wide paws for weight distribution and insulating fur, these adaptations allow them to hunt and travel efficiently in the Arctic, though climate change poses new challenges.