Antarctic fur seal vs Polar bear

Arctocephalus gazella compared with Ursus maritimus

Key Differences

Antarctic fur seal is Least Concern while Polar bear is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Antarctic fur seal	Polar bear
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order same	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Otariidae	Ursidae (Bears)
Genus	Arctocephalus	Ursus (Bears)
Species	Arctocephalus gazella	Ursus maritimus

Evolutionary Relationship

Antarctic fur seal and Polar bear share a common ancestor at the Order level: Carnivora. (Carnivorans)

View Order: Carnivora

Conservation Status

Antarctic fur seal

LC — Least Concern

Polar bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Antarctic fur seal	Polar bear
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	25 years
Average Length	—	2.4 m
Average Weight	—	450.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Antarctic fur seal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Polar bear

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Norway. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Antarctic fur seal

The Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) is a species in the genus Arctocephalus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Polar bear

The largest land carnivore on Earth, polar bears can exceed 700 kg and are found across Arctic sea ice from Canada to Russia. Highly specialized marine mammals that rely on sea ice to hunt ringed and bearded seals. Excellent swimmers capable of covering vast distances in open water. Listed as Vulnerable, with populations under severe pressure from rapid Arctic sea ice loss due to climate change.