Carolina Moon Lichen vs Polar bear

Sticta carolinensis compared with Ursus maritimus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Carolina Moon Lichen	Polar bear
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Peltigerales (Peltigerales)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Lobariaceae	Ursidae (Bears)
Genus	Sticta	Ursus (Bears)
Species	Sticta carolinensis	Ursus maritimus

Conservation Status

Carolina Moon Lichen

VU — Vulnerable

Polar bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Carolina Moon Lichen	Polar bear
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	25 years
Average Length	—	2.4 m
Average Weight	—	450.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Carolina Moon Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

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

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.

Carolina Moon Lichen

The Carolina Moon Lichen (Sticta carolinensis) is a species in the genus Sticta. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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.