The themed-day-of-the-week post seems to a common blog thing, so I'm going to try it out!  I'm calling this series Wildlife Wednesdays.  I'll do my best each Wednesday to bring you some bit of information about wildlife or something nature-y.  Not only is this a topic that I love and consider a hobby, but it's also my career.  I received my M.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Delaware and I currently work on restoring habitat on a privately owned farm.  Feel free to comment with questions or suggestions for topics that you might want to learn more about!


In honor of the cold weather, let's talk about a very common misconception about polar bears and penguins.  Although the wintertime pictures of polar bears and penguins together are adorable, the truth is they live on opposite ends of the Earth and would never naturally cross paths!



Polar bears are restricted to the cold climate in the Arctic; they are found in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway, and Russia.  They rely on the Arctic sea ice to hunt seals.  See a range map and read more about polar bears here.

Photo taken by me during study abroad trip to Antarctica.

Penguins are only found in the southern hemisphere.  Unlike polar bears, penguins are not limited to cold climates.  Some species of penguin live in Antarctica while others live in warmer climates such as those found in parts of Africa, South America, Australia, and New Zealand.  See a range map and read more about penguins here.








Happy hump day!
Missy