Polar bears call the icy tundra of the world's northern regions home. But you don't have to freeze your butt off on a frosty trip to the Arctic for a glimpse of these mighty mammals.You can get a day-in-the-life view through the polar bear webcam.

The cam is online thanks to Polar Bear International, which dedicates its site to educating the public about polar bears and the challenges they face due to global warming. PBI partnered with National Geographic, the Tundra Buggy Adventure, and WildlifeHD to set up a webcam to watch the bears' annual gathering at Gordon Point near Churchill, Manitoba.

This year's cam will be live through November 28. On any given day you could witness the bears enduring snowstorms, sleeping, huddling their cubs, or enjoying a good ol' play fight to pass the time until the ice freezes and they can begin their hunt for food.

Find the original review for this site—and other highlights from the earth-friendly side of the Internet—on Yahoo! Green.

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Over 46 minutes and 38 seconds on October 24, 2007, Lucy ran about a quarter of a mile. At her fastest, she reached speeds of four inches per second. Considering that Lucy, a hamster, has the physical dimensions of a large (and shapely) potato, those are some impressive stats. But this is no ordinary pet. Thanks to a Dutch software engineer named Mathijs van der Paauw, Lucy has emerged as one of the Web's most unlikely stars.

When Mathijs was in junior high, he befriended a schoolmate who had a hamster with an extensive "tubed cage" set-up. The young Mathijs was impressed. Years later, when he felt ready to get a pet, he opted for a hamster. It was the beginning of a wonderful friendship: "After taking care of my hamster the first couple of days, I got so amazed by this wonderful little animal, it captured me in such a way that I got interested in learning more... and (getting) to know them in a personal way."

Thus was the stage set for My Hamster Lucy, an astonishingly detailed website about the cute pouchy-cheeked animal. (Currently, the site focuses on Lucy 3.0, who has succeeded Lucy 2.0 and the original Lucy, hamsters having shorter life spans than most blogs.) Today, an interested viewer can see Lucy snooze in her "meditation room," watch Mathijs prepare special meals for his pet, examine one of the multiple webcam channels of hamster action, or pour over Lucy's daily exercise regime.

For fans, the interaction doesn't stop there. Questions about the hamster now pour in from Lucyophiles around the world ("Is it possible to see a photo of her next to something else—for scale?") and people send in pictures of themselves and their pets posing with Lucy's head shot, a feature Mathijs has dubbed "Extreme HamsterTrackin'."

But what inspired him to record Lucy's every move? Mathijs says, "It didn't take long for questions to arise; how much does a hamster run in the treadmill? What does she do when I am not there?" Most pet owners might just muse over these questions. Not this inventive developer.

He soon married a "10-year old electronics project" with "a system that tracks the treadmill; keeping track of Lucy's speed and distance... it automatically updates this information to the website..."

Like so many creators of improbably popular sites, Mathijs is astounded by the reaction to his webpage. When we ask him what he wishes people understood about My Hamster Lucy, he responds humbly, "I don't really try to project a certain message at HamsterTracker.com other than taking care of a pet, however small, is a big and fun task. I hope that other pet owners can find some inspiration in having fun with their pets as I do with my dear little Lucy."

Mathijs claims that running the site takes no more time than caring for the average dog. We suspect he's imagining a highly demanding puppy, but when we ask whether he's ever tempted to just call it a day and shut the whole thing down, he responds with ardor:

"It is so much fun doing what I am doing, that I can't stop this hobby (certainly at this moment). It is not uncommon that, while exercising my hobby I hear my self saying: "I DO LOVE THIS HOBBY!!!" out loud.

Is there anything he regrets? "Fortunately, I don't think I have anything to be regretful about. The entries published are all written with a loving wink to my hamster."

That Lucy is one lucky little creature.

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When a bunny named Latte settled in with Sharon and Bill Stiteler, he "would hunker up in the bedroom and stare at them like a little Winston Churchill." Despite his grumpy looks, the furry statesman earned the couple's adoration. It wasn't until the rabbit Cinnamon entered their lives, though, that everything changed: "It was love at first sight on Sharon's part, aloof disinterest on Cinnamon's..."

Now, Cinnamon emerges as the star of a book and photo blog of awesomely censorious rabbits. Here, the long-eared wonder exhibits the "unbearable lightness of bunny." There, she demonstrates exactly how to show a sprig of parsley who's who. Cinnamon is joined by such stellarly moody co-stars as Arthur, Toffee, and that "eruption of disapproval" called Athena. Indulge in the happy-go-lucky mugs over at Cute Overload all you want. Then, return to the gravitas, the moxie, and the uncensored truth of what Thumper really thinks.

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In one photo, the polar bear hovers underwater, ears pressed back, paws extended, bubbles escaping the glorious schnozz. In other pictures, the animal inspects the possibilities of a plastic emergency cone, or takes in the view above the blue-green expanse of its pool. Later, the camera catches the creature paddling off, flashing a glimpse of gargantuan paws.

Welcome to the zoo photography of Valerie Abbott. Through her extensive collection on Flickr, this amateur photographer has captivated viewers with her astonishing portraits of wild animals.

We first discovered Valerie, whose Flickr name is "ucumari," through her "Bears of the World" collection. But her ursine photographs are just the beginning. Elephants, giraffes, lions, gorillas, tigers, wolves, and parrots romp, run, swim, doze, and flap through these colorful, dignified sets.

When we wrote Valerie, she told us how she got started capturing the mugs of these incredible creatures—and what her "secret trick" is...

Hi there, Valerie. We know you volunteer at the North Carolina Zoo. We think they should hire you as a full-time photographer! What is your day job? And how much time do you devote to photography?

I would love to be a full-time photographer at a zoo or any place that has animals that are well cared for! My "day" job is really a night job... I work in the prepress department of our local newspaper, and no, I'm not a photographer there!

I don't devote as much of my time to photography as I would like. My vacations are planned around it and after (sometimes before!) my volunteer work on Mondays.

We're blown away by the photos in your Flickr sets. The lion cubs! The white tigers! The panda bears! Oh, my! How do you capture them?

Thank you so much! LUCK!! That is how I capture my images. Being at the right place is a big part of it. I also like to revisit zoos. Once I get to know a zoo a little better I can find the animals when I want... Early in the morning or late afternoon are the best times to find them active. Patience is another trait you must have. Those polar bears just don't like to pose underwater! I shoot a lot of frames to find a few that are acceptable.

Which of your photos is the most "favorited" by the Flickr community? What about the most commented on?

By far my most popular photo by comments and favs is one I call "The end." It is also one of my favorites!

And ours, too! Your profile page discusses the benefits of zoos. Do you get anti-zoo comments from people?

Yes, I occasionally get the anti-zoo comment or even an email... I respect anyone who has an adult opinion about animals and zoos. I realize not everyone thinks zoos are a good thing. It seems I get some talk of how bad zoos were when the person was growing up. I just wish they could see how some zoos are today.

I think my profile page explains my opinion best and I try to direct folks to that.

Some of the sets, like the one devoted to the Andean bear Bandit, give a tremendous amount of information about the animal. Do you find that people on Flickr, or elsewhere on the Web, have started to contact you for more details on the creatures you photograph?

Ah, Bandit the Andean bear. This was the bear that really got me back into photography. I was visiting Lsing-Lsing (one of the first pandas at The National Zoo in Washington D.C.) and came across this magical bear... I didn't know what she was, but something really caught my eye with her.

I do not get many inquires about these bears or many of my sets... I do get places asking to use my photos for signage and other non-profit uses... I ask for a copy or photo of any of mine being used or, if it's for profit, I request that any profit or a donation be made to the facility in which it was taken.

Have you ever had an experience where an animal being photographed has responded to you?

Oh yes! Bandit knows my scent very well! A secret trick I use is to put on some perfume before visiting. That way the animal smells you coming and knows it's you!

Willy the polar bear is also one that likes to come visit me. Of course he likes to visit with anybody! Usually scent is the only way to get an animal to know you. They pretty much ignore the yelling and other noises people will make to try and get an animals attention. They have heard it all before!

We like to think they also know you make them look so very, very good. Thanks again, Valerie. Keep up the great work!

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For all the advances we've made in science and technology, we have yet to truly comprehend the mental workings of the average housecat. For anyone who has lived with a feline, the mystery of a cat's mind is an all-too-familiar quandary. This site does not venture any answers to that dilemma. But it does attempt to record what one cat—the illustrious Mr. Lee—does and where he goes when left to his own devices. Mr. Lee's human companion, a clever man who lives in Germany, rigged a small digital camera to take a photo at regular intervals. He affixed the device to his cat's collar and let Mr. Lee do his thing. What came back is an amusing, sometimes fascinating peek into Mr. Lee's daily activities. The introduction and technical background provide a rundown of how the camera was altered to take the pictures and withstand its mission. We particularly liked the description of "big moment no. 1":

"Big moment no. 1: attach the collar with the camera to the cat. The reaction was not very happy but finally accepted. Reality check passed :-)"

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