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Behaviour and characteristics of mating polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Beaufort Sea, Canada

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Abstract

The dynamic sea ice habitat of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) influences their mating behaviour because it makes the distribution of mates unpredictable. Pronounced sexual dimorphism of polar bears likely results from a polygynous mating system, where intrasexual competition between males influences reproductive access to females. We examine aspects of the mating behaviour of polar bears in the Beaufort Sea, Canada, from 1970 to 2014 based on 135 breeding pairs observed from March through May. Mean age of paired females and paired males was 9.7 and 11.5 years, respectively. Paired males were older (by 2.2 years) and had significantly higher mass (71 kg) than unpaired males suggesting a polygynous mating system in which larger, dominant, and potentially experienced males monopolise access to females. Our binomial logistic regression suggested age was the most important factor in predicting pairing in males, which can be explained by the correlation between age and body size. Paired females had significantly higher labial development than lone females, suggesting that labial swelling is heightened during mating. Taken together, these observed characteristics suggest a polygynous mating system in polar bears, providing further insight into potential mating system variation across their range.

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Acknowledgements

Funding to collect the data was made possible with support from ArcticNet, Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Hauser Bears, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Polar Bears International, Polar Continental Shelf Project, Quark Expeditions Ltd., United States Department of the Interior (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management), World Wildlife Fund (Canada), the Northwest Territories Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the National Fish and Wildlife Federation (Washington, DC, USA), US Geological Survey, and University of Alberta. David McGeachy kindly produced Fig. 1. We acknowledge the contributions of the many individuals involved in the collection of the data with particular thanks to Dennis Andriashek.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada

    B. A. Biddlecombe & A. E. Derocher

  2. Wildlife Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 123 Main Street, Winnipeg, MB, R3C 4W2, Canada

    E. S. Richardson

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, Environment and Climate Change Canada, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada

    I. Stirling

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  1. B. A. Biddlecombe
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Biddlecombe, B.A., Derocher, A.E., Richardson, E.S. et al. Behaviour and characteristics of mating polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Beaufort Sea, Canada. Polar Biol 42, 919–929 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-019-02485-5

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