Is a polar bear’s fur really transparent?
A polar bear’s fur isn’t transparent, but it is translucent. Transparent objects allow light to pass through whereas translucent objects blur the light, Every hair in the polar bear’s fur is a hollow tube, which creates this light-blurring effect. The polar bear’s outer layer of fur is called guard fur and covers a shorter layer of woolly fur in every place on their body except their footpads, eyes, and big nose. These areas are the same color as the rest of its skin which is black. This black skin absorbs heat from the sun and covers four inches of thick, rubbery blubber, which adds to the other layers of snuggly warmth, but a black-skinned bear on a snowy landscape wouldn’t be able to hide from anything! That’s where the translucent fur comes in: by blurring the light, the fur appears white and allows the polar bear to blend into its arctic surroundings.
