Great Hammerhead vs Polar bear

Sphyrna mokarran compared with Ursus maritimus

Key Differences

• Great Hammerhead is Critically Endangered while Polar bear is Vulnerable.
• Great Hammerhead lives longer (40 years vs 25 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Great Hammerhead	Polar bear
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Sphyrnidae (Hammerhead Sharks)	Ursidae (Bears)
Genus	Sphyrna (Hammerhead Sharks)	Ursus (Bears)
Species	Sphyrna mokarran	Ursus maritimus

Evolutionary Relationship

Great Hammerhead and Polar bear share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Great Hammerhead

CR — Critically Endangered

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Polar bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Great Hammerhead	Polar bear
Diet	Carnivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	40 years	25 years
Average Length	5.0 m	2.4 m
Average Weight	450.0 kg	450.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Great Hammerhead

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Taiwan, and Venezuela. Currently classified as Critically Endangered 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.

Great Hammerhead

The largest hammerhead shark species, great hammerheads reach up to 6 meters and are found in tropical and subtropical coastal waters worldwide. Their distinctive T-shaped head (cephalofoil) dramatically increases sensory surface area for electroreception, enabling them to detect buried stingrays through sand with exceptional precision — stingrays are a preferred prey. Critically Endangered, with populations declining dramatically due to highly valued fins and bycatch mortality.

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.