Polar Bear
Ursus maritimus · Animal
The polar bear is the largest land carnivore and is classified as a marine mammal because it depends on sea ice, where it hunts seals.
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Ursus maritimus
- Kind
- Animal
- Conservation status
- Vulnerable (IUCN VU)
- Habitat
- Arctic sea ice · coasts
- Range
- Arctic Ocean and surrounding coasts
- Size
- Up to 2.6 m long
- Weight
- Up to 700 kg
- Lifespan
- 25–30 years
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Activity
- Solitary · wide-ranging
- Population
- ≈ 22,000–31,000 (IUCN estimate)
Diet
Hunts mainly ringed and bearded seals, waiting at breathing holes in the sea ice.
Behavior
Its translucent fur sits over black skin that absorbs heat. Polar bears are strong swimmers and can travel huge distances across the ice.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Carnivora
- Family
- Ursidae
- Genus
- Ursus
- Species
- U. maritimus
Conservation
Shrinking sea ice reduces the time bears can hunt; climate change is the main threat to the species.
Main threats
- Loss of sea ice
- Pollution
- Conflict with people