Arctic willow vs Polar bear

Salix arctica compared with Ursus maritimus

Key Differences

• Arctic willow is Not Evaluated while Polar bear is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic willow	Polar bear
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Salicaceae	Ursidae (Bears)
Genus	Salix	Ursus (Bears)
Species	Salix arctica	Ursus maritimus

Conservation Status

Arctic willow

NE — Not Evaluated

Polar bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic willow	Polar bear
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	25 years
Average Length	—	2.4 m
Average Weight	—	450.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic willow

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Canada, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Arctic willow

The Arctic willow (Salix arctica) is a species in the genus Salix. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway