Do polar bears have clear fur?
It appears white. In a study conducted in 1998, polar bear hair, like all hair, contains the substance keratin which is a strong absorber of UV (ultra-violet) radiation. Many people have thought (and the idea is still out there) that the hair worked as a type of fibre optic light transmitter or cable. According to the ’98 study no one had ever officially measured the fiber optic transmission or capabilities until then. It was found that the hair does indeed absorb UV quite strongly which is why the pelt does not reflect any UV, and the hair is not a transmitter. There have been other theories or myths about the polar bear hair as well. Some said that the hair was hollow working like a dead-air space insulator around the bear; others the hair is indeed a fibre optic cable that transmits light (and heat) to the animals skin. In my conversations on location, information on this topic has been down right confusing. The only polar bear hair that I have in my classroom lab to look at is a ve
