Polar bear digestive size info?

Kharn · November 24, 2002, 10:42 PM

This might seem a little strange, but I was wondering if anyone had info about polar bear digestive systems. I figure since more than a few people here have done some interesting things with regards to shooting trophy-size animals, maybe somebody has experience with polar bear anatomy (obviously of dead polar bears, not many live polar bears would just roll over and let someone measure their gut size).

I'm in a Chemical Reactor Kinetics class this semester and happened to be assigned the wonderful task of modeling the digestive system of the polar bear using normal chemical reactors. Of course, this requires a few bits of info that my group has not been able to uncover.

Would anyone here happen to know approximately the volume of the polar bear's intestines? I found information on capacity of the stomach, but the volume of the bear's intestine is more important to our calculations.

Thanks,
Kharn

H&H,hunter · November 25, 2002, 07:28 PM

Polar bear intestinal volume,

One uguruk, one eskimo, and four huskies.

Art Eatman · November 25, 2002, 08:30 PM

Well, I know the Canadian wildlife biologists have done many studies of polar bears. No idea about agency names. Try a Google search, I guess.

Art

Kharn · November 25, 2002, 09:29 PM

Art: Our biggest source so far has been the Canadian Journal of Nature (or something to that effect), interesting reading, but nobody seems to have unrolled the intestines and measured their diameter and length. We're going to ask our professor if we can bring a visitor from the Philadelphia zone in place of hard data, and if he will post bail and/or lend us money to pay our hospital insurance deductables should anything go wrong.

Kharn

Chuck Dye · November 25, 2002, 10:09 PM

Check the commercial marine "parks", Sea World etc. for necropsy results. They must file a report with the Feds on any marine mammal that dies in their care as a license requirement. You may have to go to the Feds, the parks try very hard to keep such deaths from the public. I think zoos have similar requirements under the Marine Mammal Protecton Act.

November 24, 2002, 10:42 PM	#1
Kharn Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2001 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,531	Polar bear digestive size info? This might seem a little strange, but I was wondering if anyone had info about polar bear digestive systems. I figure since more than a few people here have done some interesting things with regards to shooting trophy-size animals, maybe somebody has experience with polar bear anatomy (obviously of dead polar bears, not many live polar bears would just roll over and let someone measure their gut size). I'm in a Chemical Reactor Kinetics class this semester and happened to be assigned the wonderful task of modeling the digestive system of the polar bear using normal chemical reactors. Of course, this requires a few bits of info that my group has not been able to uncover. Would anyone here happen to know approximately the volume of the polar bear's intestines? I found information on capacity of the stomach, but the volume of the bear's intestine is more important to our calculations. Thanks, Kharn

November 25, 2002, 07:28 PM	#2
H&H,hunter Senior Member Join Date: July 25, 2001 Location: Colorado Posts: 504	Polar bear intestinal volume, One uguruk, one eskimo, and four huskies. __________________ Velocity is thrilling, But diameter does the real killing.

November 25, 2002, 10:09 PM	#5
Chuck Dye Senior Member Join Date: June 28, 2002 Location: Oregon-The wet side. Posts: 949	Check the commercial marine "parks", Sea World etc. for necropsy results. They must file a report with the Feds on any marine mammal that dies in their care as a license requirement. You may have to go to the Feds, the parks try very hard to keep such deaths from the public. I think zoos have similar requirements under the Marine Mammal Protecton Act. __________________ Gee, I'd love to see your data!

November 25, 2002, 08:30 PM	#3
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Well, I know the Canadian wildlife biologists have done many studies of polar bears. No idea about agency names. Try a Google search, I guess. Art

November 25, 2002, 09:29 PM	#4
Kharn Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2001 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,531	Art: Our biggest source so far has been the Canadian Journal of Nature (or something to that effect), interesting reading, but nobody seems to have unrolled the intestines and measured their diameter and length. We're going to ask our professor if we can bring a visitor from the Philadelphia zone in place of hard data, and if he will post bail and/or lend us money to pay our hospital insurance deductables should anything go wrong. Kharn